Winter weather is on the way. The change in the seasons can mean a difference in your production if you’re using protein or liquid dextrin and starch glues. Since these glues are eco-friendly, temperature and humidity can affect them, and operators need to be conscious of how these variables can change your application settings.
To keep production running smoothly throughout the winter months, we have some tips to help you with protein and liquid glue applications.
Using Protein Glue in The Winter
The colder months mean less humidity than in the summer, so the air in manufacturing plants is very dry if not climate controlled. If you're noticing that your protein glue is drying too quickly during the winter, here are some solutions to try:
- Raise the temperature of the glue pot. Increasing the temperature will make the rollers warmer and will help adhesion during colder months. Be careful not to raise the heat of the glue post above 155°F-160°F as the glue could burn.
- Humidify the manufacturing area. If possible, try using humidifiers to put moisture back into the air near the manufacturing process.
- Dilute the glue. If you can’t humidity the manufacturing section of your plant, try diluting the glue to lower the solids to allow more water to prevent the glue from drying out too quickly.
- Apply more glue to the rollers. Using more glue will help it to stay sticky longer before adhering. However, we recommend keeping the glue application under 3 mils, as too much adhesive can cause waste or messy seams.
- Stage the glue before putting it into the glue pot. While you can store protein glue in the cold, it’s not recommended to put frozen or cold protein glue into the melting pot, as it will take longer and slow down production.
Using Liquid Glue in The Winter
Liquid water-based glues are very sensitive to cold weather. We cannot stress this enough—do not freeze your liquid glue. Since water is a big component of the adhesive, it can run the risk of freezing if exposed to temperatures of 32°F. If your liquid glue freezes, it’s ruined.
Here is how you can protect the integrity of your liquid water-based glues during the colder months:
- Inspect your glue on arrival. You should always check out the condition of your adhesive when it arrives at your facility. If your liquid water-based glue has any crystallization or is lumpy, it's likely frozen. If the drum it's kept in is cold to the touch, it’s probably frozen as well.
- Store liquid glue in a cool, dry area. It’s best practice to store liquid water-based glue in a temperature-controlled area at around 60°F.
- Keep substrates at the preferred storage temperature. It’s recommended that you keep any substrates used in your production at a suitable temperature before applying liquid glue. To find the optimal storage temperature, check out our technical data sheets.
Transporting Glue in Cold Weather
At LD Davis, we take steps to ensure your glue arrives in working condition to your facility. Different kinds of glue require additional parameters to ship and store correctly. For example, protein glue can be shipped in the cold, as the glue will not spoil if it freezes. However, it should be closer to room temperature before being put into a glue pot for use.
Liquid glue, on the other hand, needs to be handled with care. We only ship our liquid glue products at the beginning of the workweek during the winter months. This way, it ensures that glue arrives at your facility quickly without sitting overnight or on the weekends, preventing it from freezing during transit.
If you have any questions about your glue application during the winter, or want to know more about our practices, reach out to our experts! We’re ready to help you improve your manufacturing process or provide the protein or liquid glue needed to keep your production running optimally.
