When Hammonds Furniture – manufacturers of fitted bedroom, home office furniture for private individuals, new homes and retail – decided to implement process improvements and cost savings, it was convinced that tesa products could play a major role.
Applying the principles from its tesacohesion customer care programme, tesa’s customer team met with relevant departments to ascertain Hammonds’ specific objectives and initially identified the need to offer a proven method of fixing mirrors to painted and laminated board. The tape had to take the weight and strain of handling on various board substrates right through the manufacturing process to final assembly, and the finished item would need to stay intact and functional for 10-plus years.
The tesacohesion team conducted a series of tests, using its double-sided PE foam-backed tapes to prove product performance and durability on all the substrates involved in the required operating conditions. The initial tests focused on creating data showing peel adhesion and static shear strength under various conditions, and, according to teas, the results proved excellent. This led to more detailed tests to determine how tesa 4952 performed when exposed to high temperature and humidity – and the tesa product “passed with flying colours”, it adds.
In addition to addressing mirror-mounting applications, tesa also identified other areas where improvements could be made, including the use of tesa 4965 for bonding and building door assemblies, which the company has now adopted.
Graham Dales, Hammonds’ quality engineer, says he is delighted with the results. “As well as seeing a cost saving of £6.5k per annum, we have improved the manufacturing process, mainly by using less tape in an improved pattern, which has led to a reduction in process time and streamlined our operation. We are also now using tesa products in other areas of the business, including sliding door applications, framed mirror doors and even in our packaging process.”
tesa’s Mat Lord summarises: “Following the detailed series of laboratory tests that we conducted, Hammonds now has renewed confidence in a ‘tape-only’ method and tesa 4952 is approved for all mirror & deco glass-mounting applications. They have a solution with proven and tangible results, and we have also helped with the lamination process that has been adopted in the factory."
