Henkel is a market leader with brands and technologies that are present in many segment industries, such as laundry and home care, beauty and personal care, industrial sealants, surface treatments, and adhesives. Some of the recognizable brand names from Henkel are Purex, Renuzit, Soft Scrub, Right Guard, Dial, and the industrial adhesive brand Loctite.

The EMPF has the Loctite 300 Series bench top robot (Figure 5-1) to simplify the dispensing of adhesives and sealants onto complex surface configurations. This system allows the users to repeatedly and reliably dispense programmed patterns of liquid material resulting in improved process efficiencies, minimal material waste, and reduced overall production costs.

One or more parts are fixtured on the work surface which is moved in the X axis forward and backward. Motion in the Y and Z axis is achieved by moving the tool head or dispensing apparatus left and right, as well as up and down, respectively, on a beam or gantry. The Loctite 300 Series bench top robot has a 300mm x 320mm (11.8" x 12.6") range of operation. There are eight possible configurations of the system which can offer three or four axes. The simultaneous control over all axes provides for three-dimensional linear arc interpolations that are required for complicated dispensing processes.

Special user assist software allows easy programming for specific functions and applications. It is Windows driven and uses basic question and answer prompts for set up and application programming. The Q&A prompts are part of Henkel’s teach-point programming and comes with 100 pre-set programs and a 6,000 point memory card. Other accessories are also available, including bottle reservoirs, automatic dispense valves, diaphragm valves, and advancing slides. Loctite adhesive dispensing equipment is capable of dispensing and spraying a wide variety of adhesive sealant such as acrylic, anaerobic, cyanoacrylate, epoxy, hot melt, silicone, urethane, and other types of rapid bond adhesives.

A hand held UV wand and portable bench top UV curing chamber (Figure 5-2) are two common types of curing devices associated with this robotic system. Both curing methods are available at the EMPF.

The Loctite 300 Series robotic dispensing system is designed to simplify and automate adhesive dispensing onto complex surfaces. This system is recommended for high precision and repeatable dispensing of a wide range of adhesive products leading to improved process efficiencies and lower overall manufacturing costs. For more information related to this article, or to schedule a demonstration of the Henkel/Loctite 300 Series robot located at the EMPF, contact Ken Friedman at 610.362.1200, extension 279 or via email at kfriedman@aciusa.org.