A range of adhesives that is suitable for high and low performance temperatures and offers reduced energy consumption in application as well as a more efficient manufacturing process, is now available to the packaging industry, which is an avid consumer of hot-melt adhesives, says Nortec GM David Widegger.

Following the initial product launch of its Metabond GAH 1000 range in 2011, the company realised that a wider market existed for the technology and decided to extend the range, which was made available in April.

The Metabond range, which is suitable for hard-to-bond applications, now includes the Metabond GAH 4500 for packaging, bookbinding and filter assembly applications; the Metabond GAH 2000 for bag, carton and corrugated box construction; and the Metabond GAH 3000 – a freezer-grade adhesive.

It also includes the Metabond GAH 4000, a heat-resistant adhesive suitable for bag, carton and corrugated box construction.

“The Metabond GAH 2000, GAH 3000 and GAH 4000 adhesives are suitable for the food packaging industry and complement the existing GAH 1000 range,” says Widegger.

The extended range offers stronger bonding capabilities, application efficiency, self-cleaning capabilities, odour elimination and lower energy consumption, he adds.

“As a result of the extended Metabond range, customers can use about 20% less adhesive and don’t experience any packaging failures. Nortec’s clients also report less downtime and lower maintenance costs on application equipment,” Widegger states.

He points out that hot-melt adhesives need to be trouble- free during application to guard against production downtime.

“As hot-melt adhesives are thermoplastic, they need to be heated to become liquid before application and are prone to charring, which causes blocked nozzles if not formulated correctly.

“New technology Metabond products are proven to be resis- tant to charring and require less maintenance, owing to their self-cleaning properties and heat- stable design,” says Widegger.

Further, he notes that Nortec locally manufactures pressure-sensitive adhesives for self- adhesive label producers and is introducing a new range of specialised imported hot-melt adhesives that has performance-enhancing and cost benefits for the market.

The company conducts business in South Africa’s neighbouring countries and plans to expand further into the sub- Saharan Africa region and increase its distribution footprint on the continent, Widegger concludes.