Technology partnership makes the most of low pressure moulding

The scope of the alliance extends from product design consultancy and mould tool manufacture through to prototype and batch production of ready-to-ship assemblies. The relationship between the two companies has been forged as a result of many years of collaboration. During this time hundreds of manufacturers have substantially improved product reliability and quality thanks to the engineering adhesives know-how of Henkel and the design and application skills of Engineering Solution. This latest move simply formalises this teamwork. Leighton Buzzard based Engineering Solution first used Henkel's Macromelt hot melt adhesives on an in-house project to over-mould high voltage cables for its test systems. The wider commercial potential of this product and the process soon became apparent however. Now the company's work is solely focussed on low pressure moulding with Macromelt and promoting its many benefits to industry at large. "Once customers see this technology they come back time and time again," explained Engineering Solution's managing director, David Morris. "All it takes to improve both product performance and profit margin is a little design creativity, Macromelt and an affordable aluminium mould tool set. Project costs are drastically reduced and lead times cut." Macromelt moulding is in a class between casting and injection. It is non-aggressive, highly cost effective and fast. As low pressures are involved, typically 2 – 20 Bar, lower cost mould tools can be employed. And of course the technology is perfect for encapsulating and enclosing delicate components to provide advanced protection in tough environments. Even surface mount components and lead free soldering is safe. Speed is another major advantage over traditional potting methods. The cycle time for a typical single cavity mould is between 10 and 50 seconds depending on the shot size. So the potential productivity gains of Macromelt low pressure moulding are huge. Morris added: "Low pressure moulding can encase, IP seal and add value in one operation. Assemblies can be converted from delicate electronic structures to robust, ready-for-market products in just one or two mould steps." Macromelt's properties make it suitable for many applications. At melt temperature, it is a strong adhesive and will bond with a broad range of substrates. The greatest demand for this low pressure moulding comes from customers whose product or assembly is of high value or carries a high cost of failure. So, typical applications are found in the automotive, medical, aerospace, military and security fields. Morris explained that whilst these remained core markets, the scope is widening: "We are handling a lot more diverse data logging devices now such as animal tags and sensors to provide information for preventative maintenance programmes."