5 Things to Know Before Buying Adhesive supplier

Adhesives come in a variety of chemistries and forms, and each has unique features that are formulated to solve a particular problem or need. Science has allowed for engineering very specific adhesives, and they tend to come in polar opposites: solvent or acrylic, clear or pigmented, removable or permanent. 

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From epoxy adhesives to threadlockers, and everything in between, choosing the correct adhesive for your project comes down to the application it will be used for and the environment in which it will be applied. 

To get the best results, ask yourself the following questions before selecting your adhesive: 

What surface, container or product will the adhesive be applied to?

Adhesives attach to the surfaces of two substrates, unlike a process that fuses substrates into a unified whole such as welding metal or solvent activation of plastics. In selecting a GlueGun.com adhesive, surface condition must be considered: roughness, smoothness, porosity, coated, uncoated, cleanliness, flexibility, and size of the part. Check out our Surface Preparation Tips and Tricks for adhesive bonding. 

Not every adhesive will work on every surface. For example, polyurethane adhesives are an excellent choice for finish carpentry and other woodworking projects, as they provide durability, impact resistance and flexibility in open times.

Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) adhere to most surfaces, and contact adhesives are particularly well-suited in applications where clamping is difficult. 

Some adhesives, like epoxies, require thorough surface preparation (cleaning, roughening) in order to adhere properly. MMA's would be better for metal bonding in general because they require little or no surface preparation. 

Hot melt glue sticks and bulk hot melt excel at bonding porous materials such as paper, cardboard, wood, as well as some plastics. 

Shop Hot Melt Glue Sticks                             Shop Bulk Hot Melts

Power Adhesives Tecbond F Bulk Hot Melt

$50.00

Infinity SuperTAC 11 Product Assembly Bulk Hot Melt

$150.00

What temperature will the adhesive endure or be exposed to during use, distribution and storage?

Many environmental conditions affect how adhesives cure and perform over long periods of time. One of the most significant environmental factors is temperature. Minor changes in temperature can have major changes in cure speed and storage life of adhesives. Most organic adhesives have maximum continuous operating temperatures and if exposed to higher temperatures for long periods of time their performance drops significantly. 

Thermosetting adhesives such as melamine, phenolic and formaldehyde resins form strong bonds and have good resistance to higher temperatures. Silicone adhesives have a high degree of flexibility as well as a very high temperature resistance, making them excellent choices for marine or plumbing applications. As a rule, curing will be slower at lower temperatures and faster at higher temperatures. 

Shop Silicone Adhesives & Sealants

ASI 600 High Temperature Red Gasket Maker Silicone

$80.00

ASI 335 Neutral Cure Window Silicone Sealant

$102.00

Will the adhesive need to be one that forms a strong, permanent bond, or one that allows the joined surfaces to be removed or re-positioned as needed?

Adhesive strength is the interfacial strength between adhesive and substrate, and usually the most important consideration when designing a strong adhesive bonded assembly. However, adhesive strength is not the only factor critical to creating an effective bond. Even when using the world's toughest adhesive, a bond will fail if the adhesive does not bond to the surface of the substrate.

Water-based adhesives are commonly used for laminating, they're also a lower cost alternative to resins. Hot melt adhesives can be melted or softened repeatedly by heat, or set by cooling, which allows for re-positioning during assembly. Often, removable adhesives are used as positioning aids during product build. 

Polyurethane hot melt, more commonly known as PUR, is an adhesive that shares many characteristics of traditional glue sticks and bulk hot melt. That said, PUR hot melt is not dispensed in a traditional glue gun and can offer some additional bonding attributes that may fit applications that require a stronger bond or higher endurance to the elements. 

Shop PUR Hot Melt Adhesives

Infinity PUR WW30

$12.00

Infinity Bond PUR Cartridge Gun

$90.00

Infinity PUR WW60 

BGP contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

$12.00

Will the adhesive be exposed to high humidity during end use, application or distribution?

Excessive humidity can cause adhesives to become more foamy in appearance or softer in quality. It can also result in film formation in certain curing agents. Some adhesives may not be affected by humidity within a certain range, but if condensation forms on top of a substrate, you can be assured that the bond strength will be negatively impacted. 

Moisture and humidity will both have an effect on adhesion performance. Acrylic adhesives have excellent environmental resistance but because they are water-based, they are more susceptible to moisture which affects their application and durability aspects. When it comes to humidity, when it's low, drying is accelerated; when high, drying is slower. 

Shop Structural Adhesives

3M DP460 Super High Performance Epoxy

$257.00

ASI MP General Purpose MMA Adhesive

$14.98

Adhesive Testing

Even after all of these questions are answered, there's no guarantee a particular adhesive will perform exactly as you need it to. Adhesive testing is strongly recommended prior to production or purchase. When testing, some factors affecting bond strength you'll want to consider include:

• Test temperature
• The adhesive contact area
• Type of force applied
• The adhesive's properties
• Adhesion to substrates
• Prior or subsequent exposure to heat or moisture
• Storage, complex and loss modulus

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When it comes to buying an adhesive, there are so many different factors you need to consider. Choosing between a manufacturer or a distributor is a big part of the decision process. Each supplier has its advantages and disadvantages. The difficulty is deciding which supplier is going to be best for you.

Here at Forgeway, we are an adhesive manufacturer. We manufacture and supply over tonnes of adhesives annually. However, we know that we aren’t a perfect fit for everyone. 

When a customer would be best off buying from a distributor, we would always point them in that direction. This article will go over the benefits and drawbacks of buying from distributors or manufacturers. By the end of the article, you will know whether you should buy your adhesive from a distributor or manufacturer.

What’s the difference between an adhesive manufacturer and an adhesive distributor?

It’s quite self-explanatory. An adhesive manufacturer creates and supplies some or all of its own products. Whilst a manufacturer doesn’t create all of the products they supply, the vast majority of their adhesive products would be their own creation.

On the other hand, an adhesive distributor creates very little to none of the products they supply. They supply a range of different adhesive products from a range of different manufacturers. 

In short, adhesive manufacturers create (most or all of) their own products. Distributors don’t create any (or very few) of the products they supply.

What are the benefits of buying from an adhesive distributor?

Adhesive distributors usually have a broad variety of products 

Unlike manufacturers, distributors don’t have just their own products to sell. Distributors will usually have a variety of different products from a variety of different suppliers. This means you will have more potential products to choose from. More choice means more chances of finding the perfect product for you.

Distributors will almost always have smaller minimum order quantities

Often, manufacturers cannot provide minimum order quantities below 20 units. Distributors can, and if you are not going to be using a large amount of the adhesive product, purchasing little and often will only be possible with a distributor.

What are the drawbacks of buying from an adhesive distributor?

Distributors won’t have the same amount of product knowledge

Because they didn’t manufacture the product themselves, the distributor won’t know the full details of the product. Manufacturers will have full knowledge about their products. And anything they don’t already know, they can find out much easier than distributors. This is because manufacturers will often have testing facilities in-house.

Distributors are more susceptible to supply chain issues

Distributors are reliant upon receiving the product from their supplier. Whilst manufacturers still experience supply issues, they are more in control of their supply chain because they make the product themselves.

What are the benefits of buying from an adhesive manufacturer?

Manufacturers can adjust the formulation of the adhesive

Not every adhesive product is perfect. Sometimes you need to make minor adjustments to make it right. Adhesives manufacturers can easily adjust the formulation to meet your exact requirements. 

Weathering resistance, strength, and flexibility are common examples of characteristics that companies like to change in their adhesive.

Manufacturers can offer more after-sales support

Manufacturers will often have facilities and technical knowledge available to answer any questions. If you need to test your adhesives (like extended weathering testing), it’s likely a distributor will not have the facilities for this.

Manufacturers can provide custom packaging

If you need the adhesive product(s) in your own branding, adhesive manufacturers can give you this option. Distributors are usually not able to provide this capability.

Manufacturers can’t offer small order quantities

Manufacturers will rarely be able to accommodate orders below 20 units. They are set up to send out large orders. They will only send out small order quantities under exceptional circumstances.

Manufacturers usually don’t have a broad variety of products

Adhesive manufacturers will only supply products they create themselves. Usually, this means they won’t have the same variety that a distributor can offer.

Adhesive distributor or adhesive manufacturer; who should you buy from?

So now you know the difference, the benefits, and the drawbacks, it’s time to decide which supplier you should buy from. It’s never a simple decision.

Here at Forgeway, we are adhesive manufacturers. We know that customers aren’t always a good fit for us. We recommend buying from a distributor if:

• You are going to be purchasing small order quantities
• You want a broad variety of adhesive options

However, you should look at purchasing from a manufacturer if:

• You want the ability to adjust the formulation
• You want additional customer support

You may think this article is biased as we are adhesive manufacturers. Nonetheless, we wrote an article to list the other top adhesive manufacturers who could supply you. Click the button below to read the article.

The company is the world’s best Adhesive supplier supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.