Industrial mass production increasingly faces the challenge of dispensing ultra-small, highly precise adhesive volumes in a reliable and efficient way. Cyanoacrylates—commonly known as superglues—pose a particular challenge. They cure extremely rapidly when in contact with water, e.g., ambient humidity, at room temperature. While this property enables short cycle times and eliminates the need for additional energy input such as light or heat, it also involves risks: once cyanoacrylates come into contact with moisture, they react immediately. This can also occur inside the dispensing unit, causing process interruptions and costly cleaning efforts that result in unplanned downtime.
Traditionally, cyanoacrylates are often applied using peristaltic (tube-squeeze) pumps. However, this contact-based method has inherent disadvantages: material buildup, fluctuating dispense volumes, and limited process reliability. This is where contactless jetting technology comes in. With the Jet Valve PDos X1 from perfecdos GmbH, adhesive droplets as small as 250 µm in diameter can be dispensed with a repeatability of over 99%, at frequencies of up to 300 shots per second.
The technology provides decisive benefits for engineers and technicians:
- Flexibility: Adhesive can be dispensed freely in space, including onto complex geometries or in overhead applications.
- Quality: Precise dispensing volumes prevent typical errors and minimize scrap.
- Process reliability: The “normally closed” valve design prevents moisture ingress, even during unplanned downtimes—eliminating clogging of the dispensing unit.
- Cost efficiency: Simplified machine design and up to 30% cost savings compared to peristaltic pump solutions.
Manufacturers in medical technology, electronics, and the automotive industry particularly benefit from the combination of high precision and process stability enabled by contactless jet dispensing of cyanoacrylates. This highly stable dispensing method opens up entirely new application possibilities for this demanding adhesive class.
Conclusion: Contactless dispensing of cyanoacrylates using jet valves represents a significant technological advancement. It enables stable and precise dispensing processes with this challenging material.
Casestudy Dispensing Cyanoacrylates
Youtube Playlist Dispensing Cyanoacrylates
