The Intertronics Blog

Our partner, IPS Adhesives, worked with a rotational moulding company to repair blow holes frequently occurring in their low density polyethylene (LDPE) tanks using our methyl methacrylate adhesive (MMA), SCIGRIP SG400LSE. The manufacturer of tanks used for things such as water and wastewater collection was frequently discovering blow holes in their tanks, sometimes up to […]

In this JoinedUpMinute, Matt walks you through the key steps for preparing a two-part cartridge before dispensing. You’ll learn: The correct preparation process for two-part cartridges How skipping steps can affect your chances of success Let’s go! Read more about this topic in our blog How to prepare two-part cartridges for dispensing. JoinedUpMinute is our […]

What, actually, is UV light? Today’s JoinedUpMinute video features Peter exploring: Where UV falls on the electromagnetic spectrum The difference between visible and UV light What UV light is made of And… can you see it? Ride the wave(length): Read more about this topic in our blog Can you see UV light? JoinedUpMinute is our […]

Successful, strong and reliable bonding and coating processes start with understanding of adhesion, and that means understanding your surface. No matter what you’re bonding, the effectiveness of adhesion is influenced by properties of the surface like cleanliness, roughness, and energy. Since acquiring Dyne Testing Ltd, our interest in – and understanding of – surface science […]

What makes an adhesive “structural”? Here’s Kevin to explain in this week’s JoinedUpMinute video. You’ll learn: What a structural adhesive is What adhesive chemistries are typically structural What each of those chemistries are particularly good at How to select a structural adhesive for your application Have a look! Download our Structural Adhesive Selector Guide here […]

The 2025 edition of the Practical Components catalogue is now available for download. A dummy component is the exact mechanical equivalent of a live component used when only the physical properties of the components are required. These components can cost as much as 80% less than live components, making them ideal for testing of solder […]

The Fisnar DC100 MAX Benchtop Digital Liquid Dispensing Controller is a versatile, high precision dispenser suitable for a wide variety of critical dispensing applications; from microdot deposits, lines, to potting and encapsulation. The advanced user-friendly dispense software features a wide range of intelligent functions, allowing the user to maximise the accuracy, control, and monitoring of […]

Here’s this week’s JoinedUpMinute video, with Holly talking about the difference between pot life and working life (also known as open time). You’ll learn: What is pot life What is working life Why understanding these properties affects the quality of your process Let’s go! For further information on this topic, have a read of our […]

Sometimes, UV cured materials may have a tacky surface after curing. Here’s Simon to explain in this week’s JoinedUpMinute video. You’ll learn: What can cause a tacky surface on UV-cured materials What it looks like How to rectify the problem Check it out! You can also read our blog post on achieving a tack-free cure […]

Peter might have odd taste in sandwich fillings, but thixotropy helps him along the way. In this JoinedUpMinute video, he answers: What ‘thixotropic’ means—with examples from your kitchen The concept of shear thinning How thixotropic materials impact dispensing The benefits of thixotropic materials in manufacturing Have a look:   JoinedUpMinute is our weekly minute-long video […]

An article in the German trade magazine Dicht! (focused on sealing, bonding and polymers), asked both users and manufacturers of adhesives what the leading causes are of bond failure. While users and manufacturers had slightly different perspectives and perceptions of adhesive process failure, they are on similar wavelengths. The results present a useful list of […]

We’re mixing it up in this week’s JoinedUpMinute video, where Allie gets to the bottom of planetary centrifugal mixers. She’ll explain: How planetary centrifugal mixers work What they’re best at mixing The benefits over other types of mixers Here’s Allie to tell you more: If you’d like to explore the topic further, here are some […]

We have added Coventry Econowipes to our product range, to complement our other cleaning wipes and swabs. The Coventry brand is highly respected in industrial and precision cleaning sectors for delivering exceptional quality and performance in critical cleaning applications. They are renowned for cleanroom wipes that are engineered for extremely sensitive applications, including: Electronics manufacturing […]

Low surface energy (LSE) substrates are notoriously difficult to bond. These substrates have a low affinity for other substances which result in poor wetting properties. As a result, traditional adhesives often fail to adhere to these substrates securely. To overcome this, several strategies can be employed including surface treatment, primer or adhesion promoter, and mechanical […]

Adhesives versus sealants – aren’t they kind of the same thing? Spend a minute with Kevin today while he explains: What is a structural adhesive What is a sealant What is the common ground between adhesives and sealants Get stuck in! If you like Kevin’s style and want him to provide you with a tailored […]

There have been recent reports (Paris 2024 offers new Olympic medal after Huston says bronze looks ‘like it went to war’) that more than 100 winners from the 2024 Summer Olympic Games have seen rust and flaking on their winner’s medals. They have been returning them to the mint that made them for replacing. The […]

Today, we’re talking about surface science – specifically about tensiometers – courtesy of Alison. She explains: What tensiometers are able to measure Different types of tensiometers, such as force tensiometer, bubble tensiometer, or optical tensiometer (also known as contact angle meter) Check it out! You can find out more about specific types of tensiometers on […]

Apacor, a medical diagnostics manufacturer, had a dispensing conundrum. They needed to accurately apply a liquid onto a glass substrate, dispensing droplets in the microlitre range in an array for their particle sampling product. Both the amount of liquid and the positioning of the droplets needed to be within some fine tolerances. They were seeking […]

Does your unmixed epoxy adhesive contain lumps or look a bit milky? Don’t throw it away! Just spare a minute for Kevin to explain epoxy crystallisation in this week’s JoinedUpMinute video. You’ll learn: Signs of epoxy crystallisation What causes epoxy crystallisation How to reverse the crystallisation so you can use the epoxy as usual Check […]

I have suffered from the implications of my false economy many times; I expect you have too. Once, I tried to save money on a trip to Frankfurt by purchasing a flight from a low-cost carrier, and landed at “Frankfurt Hahn” airport – 125km from downtown Frankfurt. I ended up paying more for transport overall, […]

Kevin graces our screens with his breakdown of static mixing nozzles and how to tell exactly which one you are holding. If you receive mixing nozzles with adhesive materials but don’t know what part number they are to order more, this JoinedUpMinute video was designed with you in mind. You’ll learn: Different mixing nozzle shapes […]

Happy new year, and welcome to our first JoinedUpMinute video of 2025. In this video, Alison gives a quick explanation of Dyne pens and measuring surface tension and energy. She covers: Measurement units for surface tension Surface tension versus surface energy How Dyne pens are used to indicate surface energy Have a look!   JoinedUpMinute […]

It’s been a significant year in the life of Intertronics, with lots of big moments, steady growth, and an increasing appreciation for the incredible things that our customers do.   Here are some of our favourite stats from 2024: 118 trials conducted for customers 300,550 dispensing tips shipped 5 instances of team members stranded at […]

With the holiday season on the near horizon, we’ve been counting down the days with both fun and goodwill. Amongst the Christmas quizzes, jumper days, carol singing, and our upcoming company bash, we’ve also been busy compiling food donations for the North Oxfordshire Community Food Bank and funds for Save the Children. This nicely rounds […]

2025: (Finally) the Year of the Robots is the title of an article by Richard Stone, friend and founder of our wonderful PR partners Stone Junction.  In the piece, Richard argues that “Industry in the UK has been primed for increased use of industrial robots by several factors, from Brexit related labour shortages to rising […]

Our final JoinedUpMinute for 2024 is a speedy overview of wetting, courtesy of Alison. She explains: What wetting is and why it’s important How wetting relates to surface energy How to improve wetting Check it out!   If you want to dive deeper into how to improve wetting, have a look at our video How […]

Last week, we welcomed Calum Miller MP, Member of Parliament for Bicester & Woodstock for a visit. He was drawn to us from news about our brilliant charity cycle ride this summer – we raised more than £5,000 for Emmaus Oxford, a charity providing a home and meaningful work for people who have experienced homelessness, […]

Matt returns to our screens again in this week’s JoinedUpMinute video, outlining how to control a dose of material when using a time/pressure dispenser. In 58 seconds, he goes over what four major factors influence dosing control. Check it out!   Find out more about these factors and get some other great dispensing insights by […]

In this week’s JoinedUpMinute video, Craig gets to the root of what exotherm is and why it’s important. In just 57 seconds, he covers: What exothermic reaction is Why you should care about exotherm How exotherm can be helpful Have a look!   JoinedUpMinute is our weekly minute-long video sharing insights from our world. You […]

A static mixing nozzle or “mixer” is a vital dispensing consumable, used for the successful mixing or blending of two-part adhesives, potting compounds, and other protective materials, where products are packaged in cartridges or used in metering and mixing equipment. But how do you identify which mixing nozzle you have so that you can order […]

Business leaders in the UK are increasingly showing their unhappiness with the Budget a few weeks ago, where £25B of the £40B potential additional tax raise comes from employers. The top four sources of tax income come from employment and employers (income tax, National Insurance, VAT, and corporation tax). Logic might tell you to leverage […]

We are thrilled to be sponsoring Brackley Athletic Football Club Under 7s this year. Our very own Matt Baseley played for the club, affectionately known as “The Jaffas” due to the orange and black strip, for more than ten years and is now coaching the young team to victory in the Witney and District League across Oxfordshire. […]

This week, our JoinedUpMinute video is about how room temperature vulcanising (“RTV”) silicones cure, courtesy of Ben. You’ll learn: What’s the most important factor in curing for RTV silicones? What are the other variables at play? Have a look!   For more information about curing, read “Adhesive Problem? What’s the Cure?”. And naturally, you’ll find product […]

In thousands of applications, structural adhesives are being used as a viable alternative to mechanical connections: screws, rivets, or spot welds. The use of adhesives to provide a structural bond can bring many advantages, including improved product performance, reliability improvements, greater design freedom, and reductions in manufacturing costs. Sometimes known as “chemical joining” — to […]

All the basics of what should be in your dispensing robot specification in a single minute! This week’s JoinedUpMinute video features Peter’s expert advice. You’ll learn: The 4 top factors, outside of the robot itself, that affect your robot specification What you need to consider about the rest of your dispensing process   Feast your […]

In this week’s JoinedUpMinute video, Craig provides an overview of what plasma surface treatment accomplishes. You’ll learn: What is plasma? What are the various benefits of plasma in surface treatment? Check it out! For more information about improving surface treatment with plasma, here are some further resources: Video: How does plasma surface treatment improve adhesion? […]

We’re kicking off a new video series called JoinedUpMinute, and our inaugural clip features Matt giving a quick tutorial on how to mix a twinpack. He reviews: Basic mixing methods for twinpacks How to mix the material completely and thoroughly How to dispense material that comes in a twinpack Have a look!   For further […]

Vibration. Expansion and contraction. Environmental aggravators such as heat and moisture. All of these present challenges to finding a suitable adhesive, but SCIGRIP SG300 Methyl Methacrylate Adhesive for rail applications performs very well in all of these circumstances, while offering fast curing speeds and easy processing. Designed to bond metal, but also adept at bonding […]

Transforming two-part adhesives and potting compounds into homogeneously mixed, ready-to-use materials is often the job of the humble static mixing nozzle. Capable of blending materials quickly, these nozzles ensure that components are completely combined and ready for use in your specific application. In our newly released Technical Bulletin How to Select a Static Mixing Nozzle, […]

Why should I use a UV light radiometer or intensity meter with my UV curing process? Our partners DYMAX have just released a video to answer that very question. In summary, the reasons are: To ensure you have enough dose or UV energy to cure your adhesive bonds properly To help you establish and maintain […]

Ben Swanson : I would like to wish my long standing colleague and friend Paul Whitehead all the very best, as he officially retired yesterday. I was delighted to get to spend most of the working day yesterday with a man who has taught me a great deal and has sculpted so much of what […]

Two part adhesives, potting compounds and similar materials need to be mixed in the correct ratio of the two parts in order to achieve the properties stated on the product data sheet. In many cases, this is easy. Most of our two part structural adhesives are packaged in two-part cartridges with static mixing nozzles, so […]

We have agreed a new distribution agreement with medmix, the leading system provider in mixing, dosing, and adhesives application for industrial applications, for its MIXPAC™ product range. Intertronics are now able to supply a wide variety of mixers, cartridges, and dispensers to our UK customers, serving multiple sectors, from electronics to construction. The new partnership […]

In adhesives, sealants, and masking applications, increasing productivity and quality is often about small changes. By identifying the main pain or pressure points, be it quality, repeatability, or bottlenecks, you can plan a step-by-step approach that gets you where you want to be with minimal redundancy. Here is a hypothetical worked example of a dispensing […]

Adhesives are chemicals; they require your respect when using them. You should consult and follow the SDS (safety data sheet) and the manufacturer’s recommendations before using to minimise risks from skin contact, inhalation of vapours, and exposure to other hazards – and conduct a risk assessment. Once cured, adhesives generally pose limited health and safety […]

Earlier this year we acquired Dyne Testing Ltd, a supplier of instrumentation and tools for surface measurement, testing, and analysis. Here Peter Swanson, (PS) Founder and Executive Chair of Intertronics, sits down with Alison Fox (AF), Brand Manager of Dyne Testing, to discuss trends in the UK’s surface measurement market. PS: Can you give me […]

Some high-performance plastics pose a problem during printing — their low surface energies make high-quality, reliable printing challenging. So, how can manufacturers address this challenge, and what can we learn from real life applications? Here we discuss the use of plasma surface treatment for printing onto low surface energy plastics. Wetting is a prerequisite of […]

Joined by suppliers, former colleagues, and friends, our team at Intertronics pedalled away on two stationary bikes for four days straight to cover the distance from Kidlington to Erding in honour of a great local cause. We plotted a real-life route for the virtual event, highlighting milestones and the offices of our suppliers Relyon Plasma, […]

I left university and started a company. That was almost 45 years ago, and I have been running and been in sole charge of Intertronics ever since. It has been wonderfully rewarding responsibility. Some of you have already done the maths, and realise that not only is 45 years a long time, but that I […]

Important properties for a structural adhesive in an aerospace application are strength, toughness, and flexibility, alongside temperature and environmental resistance. When choosing an adhesive, methyl methacrylate structural adhesives (MMAs) may be a good candidate to test, as these adhesives offer strength, toughness, and ease of use when bonding a broad range of materials, including metals, […]

We have, for a long time, offered every employee the opportunity to take an extra day of paid holiday to do something charitable, but people have always found it a challenge to find something that you can do as an ad-hoc bit of charity work for just one weekday. So, we have decided to make […]

The THINKY ARE-312 is an industrial planetary mixer that can mix, defoam, and degas liquids, powders, and pastes in seconds to minutes to produce a uniform, homogenous mix. It is the upgrade to our very successful and popular flagship ARE-250, introducing several advancements, including computer connectivity with data logging, an improved user interface, and a […]

Nature is a prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal known for publishing high-impact research across a broad range of scientific disciplines. Established in 1869, it is one of the world’s most influential scientific publications, covering fields such as biology, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and more. Articles in Nature undergo rigorous peer review and are often groundbreaking, contributing […]

Our partners SCIGRIP have announced the new SG400LSE MMA Methyl Methacrylate Adhesive for Low Surface Energy Plastics that creates fast and strong bonds with low surface energy plastics. SG400LSE has been tested on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) PE, and homopolymer, copolymer and glass-filled polypropylene (PP) – bond strength testing results in substrate […]

An adhesive’s data sheet will detail its storage requirements, but most two-part structural adhesives will last their whole specified shelf life if stored at room temperature in a cool dark place. There are some differences between the chemistries that may impact how they are packaged and stored. For example, both components of a two-part polyurethane […]

It’s common for structural adhesive chemistries like epoxies, polyurethanes (PUs), and methyl methacrylates (MMAs) to have been formulated as two component parts – known as “two-part”, or “2K” adhesives. The two components of these adhesives are generally categorised as the resin (or base) and the hardener (or activator). Mixing the two parts initiates a chemical […]

We are supplying Process Instruments (Pi), a water analyser instrument manufacturer, with our IRS 2125 High Performance Flexible Epoxy Adhesive. This versatile adhesive offered performance benefits as a thread locker on flow cells and an IP68 rated sealant on sensors. Pi manufactures and supplies water analyser instrument solutions that can reliably, continuously, and accurately measure […]

We recently acquired Dyne Testing Ltd, a supplier of surface testing and measurement products. One of our new partners is Biolin Scientific, and they are running a half-day online “Attension User Day” on June 3 2024 centred around understanding wettability and how wettability measurements can benefit your research and product development. There will be insights […]

Eight years ago, I wrote about this quote from Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” That quote is still on the wall of our Technology Centre, even though we have moved into a bigger facility since I wrote the blog post. Then, I discussed how we demystify advanced adhesive technologies […]

This week, I have been entertained on my drive to work by a BBC Sounds podcast called Glued Up: The Sticky Story of Humanity. Mark Miodownik, a materials scientist, engineer, broadcaster and writer at University College London, narrates five 15 minute episodes charting the journey of human progress through the sticky substances that have shaped […]

Our colleague Liam Rogerson has recently returned from a 3-month sabbatical which saw him adventuring around Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia with his partner. Sabbaticals aren’t a common thing around Intertronics, but when Liam approached Teresa Nee, his manager, with the vague idea that he wanted to do a bit of travelling, not only did she okay […]

We have completed on the purchase of Dyne Testing Ltd, a leading UK manufacturer and supplier of surface measurement technology. Dyne Testing offers a range of measurement equipment for testing surface energy and tension, surface cleanliness, adhesion, and coating thickness, to improve quality and process control in various industrial applications. This aligns with Intertronics’ existing […]

Designed specifically for small volume fluid or liquid dispensing applications, the eco-PEN XS 180 doses highly precise quantities of various materials in the nanolitre and microlitre ranges. The eco-PEN XS 180 is suitable for both line and dot dispensing, with bead widths starting from >0.1 mm, and an adjustable dispensing rate to suit the run […]

Many adhesives, sealants, and potting materials are packaged in two-part side-by-side cartridges, which are convenient for material application on the production line or in the field. Cartridges don’t require you to measure out materials in the correct ratio, and by adding the manufacturer’s recommended static mixing nozzle, fully mixed and homogeneous material can be dispensed […]

To help you find the right adhesive for your manufacturing application, we’ve launched a Structural Adhesive Selector Guide. The guide provides a full overview of five structural adhesive chemistries: methyl methacrylate (MMA), epoxy, polyurethane, UV curing, and cyanoacrylate. It covers 28 materials and their properties, curing considerations, compatibility considerations, and more. We have designed the […]

Our customers often use adhesives and sealants in their products, in a wide variety of applications. They can be seen as quite similar materials, and indeed have overlapping uses. Some adhesives are also used as a sealant; some sealants are also used as an adhesive. We even sell products which are termed “adhesive sealants”. But […]

For those who find it easier or preferable to order online, we have launched an online shop. Developed in response to customer feedback, intertronics.shop enables you to purchase a select range of our adhesives and consumables online. The online shop sits alongside our traditional consultative sales process — the full Intertronics range remains available by […]

Welcome to 2024. We look forward to working with you this year. At this time of year, our thoughts turn to those less privileged than us. We like to donate to local, smaller charities where what we give can make an appreciable difference. This year, we have donated to High Sheriff Sally Scott’s charitable fund, […]

Our Learning and Development Manager, Kevin Brownsill, recently celebrated his 15-year milestone at Intertronics. Over the years, Kevin has seamlessly navigated various sales and technical roles, accumulating a staggering level of knowledge of our adhesives and equipment, including a worryingly encyclopaedic memory of part numbers. To mark his 15 years with the company, Kevin, who […]

We have a new video featuring our Head of Technical: Learning and Development, Kevin Brownsill. He talks about our new range of methyl methacrylate adhesives (MMAs) from SCIGRIP. Catch it here:

With almost 90% of foodbanks operating nationwide experiencing increased demand last Christmas amid the cost-of-living crisis, the Intertronics team spurred into action with our annual collection. Throughout the month of December, we encouraged staff and visitors to donate food, toiletries, festive treats, and other vital supplies. Our very own Jimmy meticulously organized, packaged, and delivered […]

Dymax 1045-M medical device adhesive was specifically formulated for the assembly of glass pre-fillable syringes, pen injectors, auto injectors, wearable injectors, and single-use devices. This very low extractables adhesive provides strong bonds that withstand the harsh cleaning and sterilisation processes pre-filled syringes undergo. Dymax 1045-M is also optimised to cure with LED UV light, providing […]

In the scientific community, particularly in universities, THINKY Mixers are becoming more prominent as a way to mix challenging liquids, pastes, and powders in research into nanotechnology, batteries, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and many more applications. A simple Google Patents search for “THINKY” demonstrates the huge number of technology and scientific breakthroughs that relied on the abilities […]

Robots are good for productivity, and if you’ve come to the conclusion that you can achieve a good return on investment through a robot purchase, you may find yourself wondering where to start with robot selection. We wrote a quick list of things to consider in our post How to specify a dispensing robot. Having […]

SCIGRIP® SG800 High Temperature MMA Methyl Methacrylate Adhesive is a two component structural adhesive for bonding metals, as well as composites and plastics. Designed to withstand temperatures up to 150°C over prolonged periods, SCIGRIP SG800 is suitable for applications like under the bonnet engine bay component assembly and metal bonding prior to paint baking cycles. It displays good strength […]

I saw a newsletter article which said that fluorescent animals are much more common than previously thought. Researchers who studied 125 mammal species, including cats, bats, polar bears and wombats (pictured), found that all of them showed some form of fluorescence, and that 86% had fur which actually glowed under UV light. This picture is […]

Medical device manufacturers are increasingly turning to specialist plastics formulated to resist harsh chemicals and survive environmental end use conditions such as sterilisation. However, the properties that allow these materials to withstand such conditions can also make them difficult to bond with adhesives. Here Kevin Brownsill, our Head of Technical: Learning and Development, shares guidance […]

The IUV101 Medical Kit contains everything a manufacturer needs to start working with UV curing adhesive technology for medical device bonding, including three widely used adhesives in 10 ml syringes, alongside the IUV101 LED UV Spot Lamp for Handheld UV Light Curing. This device has a powerful 2,000 mW/cm2 light intensity, which users can focus on […]

We have joined Oxfordshire-based business network, B4 as a PLATINUM Member. The move allows us to interface with senior business leaders in Oxfordshire, share expertise, advise on best practice, and discuss how to tackle the business challenges of the future. B4 actively connects the leading people from Oxfordshire-based business who value being part of a […]

We’ve partnered with SCIGRIP to distribute its methyl methacrylate adhesives (MMAs) in the UK. MMAs are fast curing, two-part structural adhesives that cure on mix at room temperature to form resilient bonds. They are ideal for structural bonding of metals, plastics, and composites in industries like marine, transportation, rail, automotive, and many others. MMA technology […]

Polyurethanes are polymers composed of organic units joined by urethane links. They are used to make rigid and flexible foams, and also used to make varnishes and coatings, adhesives, potting compounds, and fibres.  Their most common application is in foams, which makes up around two thirds of all polyurethane use. Globally, 6% of polyurethane use […]

Formulators of potting materials for aerospace electronics applications are careful not to supply products with entrapped air. Consequently, entrapped air is usually a processing issue which can compromise thermal conductivity and heat dissipation, or the electrical insulation properties. Voids and delamination can also provide pathways for moisture and other contaminates, weaking the physical structure. If […]

A shout out to Ed Harrison, a student at University of Birmingham. In the summer of 2022, the Faraday Undergraduate Summer Experience (FUSE) internship programme provided internships for undergraduate students to undertake paid eight-week placements with battery researchers from partner universities, and Ed was a part of this programme. His poster on Making and Testing […]

Venta Global is a tier one supplier of lighting solutions to vehicle and machinery manufacturers, offering a complete service from custom design to delivery. It has made significant investment into new technology for its UK production facility in Hampshire that deskills processes to enable consistent and reliable results, removes inconsistencies due to operator variance, and […]

Big congratulations to James Heydon, Liam Rogerson, Joel Johnson and Grant Roche for picking up the Intertronics Award for Excellence at our recent bi-annual company meeting. Recognised for improving our packing and fulfilment process, the team made great strides in changing how we package, ship, and deliver your equipment and materials to your factory the very next […]

Potting is a common method to protect PCB assemblies, which involves filling an enclosure with a liquid material to protect the board and its electrical components. Depending on your application’s needs, there are a wide range of potting compounds available in a variety of formulations, including low density/lightweight, flame retardant, flexible, optically clear, and thermally […]

Approximately 200,000 people receive hip or knee replacements in England and Wales every year, and these are typically highly effective. Research from the University of Bristol found that eight out of ten knee implants and six out of ten hip replacements last up to 25 years. To ensure long term success, orthopaedic implants must be […]

The upcoming REACH training and certification requirements for users of diisocyanates are looming ever closer, impacting your use of many polyurethane adhesives in industrial applications. If you haven’t heard about this, read more here. Point-One Structural Polyurethane Adhesives are fast-curing two-part adhesives that form strong, durable bonds in as little as 10 minutes. They are […]

Having spent more than 30 years working with adhesives and protective materials in technology manufacturing, and with experience of thousands of applications, we have a wealth of knowledge to we want to share. In a bid to help grow your adhesives, dispensing, and curing technology knowledge, we are offering seminars which share our insights, helping […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) have not traditionally been seen as structural adhesives or “load-bearing” adhesives – in general, their lower performance in terms of moisture and operating temperature resistance will preclude them from many technology applications. But advances in chemistry are improving the functionality and so the versatility of CAs. If you’re seeking an adhesive for […]

Due to PTFE’s extremely low surface energy, it is difficult for materials to wet, and almost no materials or adhesives readily adhere to it. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon – yes, the non-stick stuff. However, plasma can be applied to alter the chemical groups on the surface, increase wettability and […]

Robots: the opportunities… or the risks? The application of adhesives, potting compounds, encapsulants or other liquids, fluids or pastes, is something that can often be readily automated with a dispensing robot. Manufacturers that are still performing these processes manually may be concerned about the potential risks of transforming their processes with automation. On the other […]

As of 24 August 2023, training is required for all professional and industrial users of polyurethane adhesives & sealant products with a total monomeric diisocyanate concentration of > 0.1%. New legislation on the use of polyurethane adhesives and potting compounds Following a review by the European Parliament, the REACH Restriction on aliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates (HDI, MDI, […]

The benefits of robotics are compelling to many manufacturers: improved productivity, efficiency, output, quality, and flexibility. They can also improve health and safety for employees and job satisfaction. The International Federation of Robotics World Robot Report in 2021 found that the UK has a robot density of 101 robots per 10,000 employees, far below the […]

We’re delivering a free seminar at the upcoming Engineering Solutions Live show, held on the 23rd of March, entitled Improving Adhesion and Bond Quality with Plasma Surface Treatment.   Cold plasma treatment can quickly activate and functionalise the surfaces of many difficult-to-bond substrates, including metals and plastics, whilst removing organic contaminants. This process improves the wetting […]

UV or ultraviolet light is part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, which also includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, X-rays, gamma rays – and of course, visible light. These different types of radiation are defined by their wavelengths or frequencies. Radio waves have the longest wavelengths, and gamma rays the shortest. By definition, what […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) are often dismissed when it comes to applications with moisture exposure, let alone involve full submersion. That was until our partners, Born2Bond, developed a new single-part, “instant” adhesive specifically suited for environments with high humidity. Born2Bond Aquafast is a low odour, low bloom, medium-viscosity CA that offers excellent adhesion to a variety […]

Kevin’s been at Intertronics for 15 years, having started in Sales and progressed into Sales and Technical management. Over this time, he’s developed a deep understanding of this specialised area, as well as built strong relationships with customers, and has taken responsibility for our Technology Centre. To help grow understanding of the selection and processing […]

Today we learned that the UK economy has escaped recession, albeit by the skin of its teeth, and… so far. I heard on the radio that the economy is “flatlining”, which has disturbing connotations if you are a cardiac surgeon, but just means here that the growth curve not going up or down. I visited […]

Bulk Tainer Logistics provides bespoke transport services for the shipment of bulk liquid products globally, operating a fleet of 12,000 chemical, feed, and food grade tank containers. To optimise the performance of its fleet, the company wanted to fit its tanks with smart monitoring devices that tracked the movement of the tanks and the condition […]

British surgeons are getting rather slapdash, according to The Knowledge. The number of “foreign objects” left inside patients after operations hit a record 291 in the year from 2021 to 2022, up from 156 two decades earlier. Swabs and gauzes are the most common items sewn up in patients, but scalpels and drill bits have […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during 2022. We are closed at 5pm on Thursday December 22 2022, and reopen again at 9am Tuesday January 3 2023 Each year we try and support some charity, especially ones which have some resonances […]

It has become a Christmas tradition at Intertronics for us to collect donations for the North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank, a local source of support for people struggling to put food on their tables. Our team members came good with a cornucopia of larder staples and treats, and we also accepted kind donations from people visiting […]

The benefits of robotics are compelling; improved productivity, efficiency, output, quality, and flexibility. In addition to their production benefits, they can also improve health and safety and job satisfaction for employees. However, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robot Report in 2021 found that the UK has a robot density of 101 robots per […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) contain an acidic inhibitor which prevents them from curing in the bottle, instead allowing the adhesive to cure upon exposure to low-level surface moisture or alkalinity (see our Adhesive Problem? What’s the Cure? download for more information). With acidic substrates, this cure mechanism can be compromised. If you are working with a […]

The masking process at MTU Aero Engines, a leading German manufacturer of military and civil aircraft engines, used to involve tapes, silicone rings, masks and metal covers all manually fitted and applied by operators. So when production planner Thomas Kaltenecker discovered and implemented Dymax SpeedMask, a UV-curing temporary masking liquid, alongside an automated dispensing and […]

Let’s get started by talking about your application. This is a phrase you’ll see a lot around here, and it sums up our whole approach. We consider ourselves to be your adhesive-savvy team members, and we want to get stuck in to helping you create a product that you’re proud of, both in terms of […]

In applications where the adhesive is at least partly exposed (not completely interfacial), Born2Bond LightLock is worth evaluating. It is a hybrid cyanoacrylate adhesive that reacts to UV light to cure, making it a solid choice for bondline squeeze-out, electronics encapsulation or shallow potting, and bridge bonding applications like wire tacking. LightLock doesn’t require activators […]

A fundamental element of achieving the correct dose of UV light is ensuring the intensity of your UV curing lamp is understood. UV curing intensity as noted on a lamp’s data sheet is typically measured from a particular distance, so if your lamp is not set up to the same distance as the data sheet […]

We are pleased to be accredited and on the JOSCAR supplier register, offering our customers in the aerospace, defence and security industries the confidence of knowing that we meet their high standards of supplier conformance. Using JOSCAR can determine if a supplier is “fit for business”. JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Registrar) is a collaborative […]

If your process involves dispensing materials like adhesives, inks, coatings, sealants, lacquers, paint, lubricants, or anything similar, our 25 Top Tips for Dispensing is worth a read – a collection of handy tips covering many dispensing applications which can help you fine-tune what you’re doing for optimal results. Covering dispensing pressures to types of dispensing […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives typically perform poorly in high humidity or wet conditions, but there are exceptions to this rule. If your finished product will be exposed to a moist environment, we recommend trying Born2Bond Aquafast cyanoacrylate adhesive. It offers the standard benefits of cyanoacrylates – quick cure speed, adhesion to a broad variety of substrates, and […]

When our colleague Darren‘s first aid course for volunteer rugby coaches found itself without a venue, Intertronics stepped in to provide space. We hosted a group of eight volunteer coaches, including Darren, from the Youth, Women, and Girls sections of the Gosford All Blacks Rugby Football Club. Gosford All Blacks are a local community club […]

LED UV curing lamps are swiftly gaining popularity as a replacement for mercury arc lamps. Their rise in use reflects their process benefits, such as instant on/off and consistent intensity for thousands of hours. In addition to these, there are environmental advantages at play, such as reduced energy consumption, decreasing a business’ carbon footprint, and […]

A bit of excitement around here as we have been listed as finalists in the Medical Product of the Year category at the 2022 Electronics Industry Awards. We have been recognised for releasing Dymax’ 2000-MW series of medical device materials – a range of medical wearable adhesives and encapsulants which help adapt wearables devices to […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) are renown for being thin, watery liquids. That is their nature. This doesn’t help when your bondline is wider than ideal, or varies into larger gaps. In these cases, you will want a CA which has an unusually higher, thicker viscosity – and these do exist. CAs are now available in a […]

The most hard-to-bond substrates and awkward areas are now treatable with low temperature, plasma surface treatment. Two new modules, released by Relyon Plasma for their popular PiezoBrush PZ3 and PiezoBrush PZ3-i plasma systems, expand the applications which can benefit from activating, functionalising, and cleaning to increase wetting and improve adhesion.   Needle Nozzle Cleaning and […]

For a medical device assembly adhesive which also provides the benefits of cyanoacrylate adhesive technology (e.g. single part, fast cure), we recommend you look at Born2Bond Light Lock. Light Lock passes ISO 10993 testing and is also a UV hybrid cyanoacrylate. The UV light curing aspect of Light Lock is useful for a bondline which […]

Founded in 2020, Wavecon specialises in cable solutions for subsea assemblies, offering a range of options from the supply of replacement cable harnesses and wired assemblies, through to fully designed and manufactured bespoke assemblies for specific applications.  From the outset, the company decided to build an end-to-end manufacturing process, using high quality equipment, machinery and […]

When it comes to the design and development of new products, and choosing an adhesive to bond them together, an adhesive supplier often finds themselves as the last port of call. This approach can leave you in a position where your list of requirements severely limits the adhesives suitable for your application. Bondline design, substrate […]

The majority of cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) have an operating temperature range up to 80ºC. If your application needs more temperature resistance, and you like the other advantages that CAs can offer, then adhere ADH9105 and adhere ADH9480 rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate adhesives both offer temperature resistance up to 125ºC, making them our most temperature-resistant CAs. Coming in […]

The latest issue of Med-Tech Innovation News is out, and we are delighted to have an article published in it. Seeing the light: New applications for light curable adhesives in medtech discusses some of the latest formulations of UV curing adhesives used for assembling wearable medical devices, as well as some ideas on adhesives which […]

Cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs) — also known as “superglue” or instant adhesives — are a popular adhesive choice for many applications, both industrially and domestically. Curing at room temperature in seconds, they provide excellent bond strength on a wide range of similar and dissimilar substrates including metals, plastics, elastomers, ceramics, and porous materials. Achieving these throughput […]

“I am the Managing Director of an electronics CEM. We are making 1,000 potted electronics assemblies per week, regularly 200 per day. This is done manually by experienced operators. Pat is my best operator, she’s been with me the longest time. Some weeks, about 2.5% of these are rejected after potting. Each one costs £50, […]

Our partners at Born2Bond have been busy improving the functionality and sustainability of their cyanoacrylate adhesives (CAs). As a result, Born2BondTM Ultra, the fastest-bonding MECA-based CA, now has “significantly improved” performance when used to bond metal substrates such as grit-blasted mild steel (GBMS) and aluminium. The metal bonding improvements can be seen across all viscosities […]

To improve the way recovery from injury and the progression of neurological/musculoskeletal conditions are monitored, the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) team at the University of Sheffield is developing a diagnostic glove that includes several flexible bioelectronic sensors. The sensors are formed from elastomers mixed with various conductive nano or micro particle […]

Attaining the near instant, ‘on demand’ bonding performance of UV adhesives and curing is now even easier with our IUV101 Starter Kit. Incorporating our popular IUV101 handheld LED UV spot curing lamp and three compatible multi-purpose LED UV curing adhesives in 10g syringes, you’ll be able to tackle a multitude of bonding projects as soon […]

Picture credit Getty Images/Dennis Oulds This weekend, I listened to the recent Desert Island Discs episode featuring the tennis champion Billie Jean King. Not only did Billie Jean King win 39 Grand Slam tennis titles (12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles), but also has been and remains a powerful […]

Do you know who this couple is? For years I have been using this picture to illustrate one of our presentations. It gets used all the time, and is shown in job interviews, to new colleagues, prospective suppliers, clients, customers, and anyone else we introduce the company to. The slide comes up when I talk […]

Being a fan of rugby for as long as I can remember, when the opportunity arose four years ago to coach the under 7’s team at my local rugby club, the Gosford All Blacks, I thought I’d give it ago. Since then, I’ve gone on to lead their schools and communities outreach programme which aims […]

To improve the accuracy, repeatability, and manufacturing speed of their key product line Kemio™, a water testing system utilising patented single-use sensor technology, Palintest came to us. Using electrochemical sensors, the product tests the concentration of chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chlorite or peracetic acid in samples, giving a clear pass or fail mark in 60 seconds. Initially […]

We’re always finding new ways to minimise our environmental impact as a company, from biodegradable packaging, to paperless transactions, to eliminating single-use cups from our water coolers. Our company fleet has been steadily modernising to electric vehicles. To support this, and to encourage employees who may be considering the purchase of their own electric car, […]

Providing you with an easy and affordable way to automate plasma surface treatment, the Relyon Plasma PiezoBrush PZ3-i allows simple integration into semi-automated or automated production lines whilst giving you full control over all process variables ─ positioning, power, time, and input gas pressure ─ for a repeatable, controllable, and recordable process. The PiezoBrush PZ3-i is […]

  We are engluesiastic! I don’t have a written, precise definition for what that means, but I know it when I see it. It is often demonstrated by commitment to and promotion of our values. Here is a great example, a recent quote from a customer about our Strategic Accounts Manager, Paul Whitehead: “Intertronics were […]

A perk of working at Intertronics is a paid day off each year to volunteer for a good cause. As a man who likes to get stuck in to practical, hands-on work, Matt Baseley used his volunteer day this year to get lots of odd jobs accomplished at his children’s nursery. The nursery is a […]

“The ability to mask complex shapes in one application and cure quickly on demand has reduced work in progress, improved quality and increased throughput.” “We have managed to increase production four-fold and enjoyed faster manufacturing time, reduced labour costs, and a consistently high-quality result with no defects or wasted material.” “It has allowed us to […]

The Dymax 2000-MW series is a range of medical wearable adhesives and encapsulants which help adapt your wearables devices to industry trends and customer requirements. These materials are the first biocompatible, light-curable adhesive product line to be specifically formulated without common skin irritants and materials of concern for medical wearable and electronics applications. All adhesives […]

Thermally conductive materials are often used to enhance the dissipation of heat from an electronic device. They are used to fill the gaps between two or more elements, such as a microprocessor and heat sink, or a battery cell and its casing in electric vehicles. As well as aiding the transfer of heat, some thermally […]

To help you boost production speed, consistency, and reliability with LED UV curing, we’ve introduced the Dymax BlueWave® FX-1250 LED UV Curing Flood Lamp. The lamp can cure LED matched UV curable adhesives, coatings, and inks in seconds with high uniformity, high irradiance UV light. The combination of great uniformity, high intensity, and large curing […]

We are very clear in our belief that contributing to our community helps to provide meaning and significance to our business, and we are always looking for and happy to hear about opportunities to do just this. As we are pretty far from the ocean, what we didn’t expect to be able to help with […]

Dymax Ultra Light-Weld® 9501-F is a UV/Visible light-curing adhesive optimized for LED curing at 385nm designed for electric vehicle battery potting and bonding. This material provides a highly reliable bond for cylindrical cells to the base of the battery pack. This colourless adhesive contains no nonreactive solvents and will fluoresce blue upon exposure to low […]

UV curable adhesives grant significant manufacturing productivity benefits, curing in seconds, “on-demand” when exposed to UV light. With grades certified to ISO 10993 and USP Class VI stands available, they are also well-matched to the manufacture of medical devices. To fully realise the potential that this adhesive technology can bring, it is necessary to take […]

For years, we have helped our customers develop their production through evaluation and specification of new assembly materials and equipment at our Technology Centre, located in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. Filled to the brim with mixing, surface treatment, dispensing, robots and curing equipment, along with a warehouse full of materials, our Centre allows us to help you […]

For automated or semi-automated applications involving preeflow’s range of precision volumetric dosing valves, which require the use of several different pre-programmed flow rates or shot sizes (or both), the preeflow eco-REMOTE can be used.   The eco-REMOTE is an interface between the preeflow eco-CONTROL control system and an external controller (e.g. a PLC). It allows the activation of […]

Hygroscopic materials attract and absorb humidity from the air. An example is the way granulated sugar gets lumpy in the sugar bowl or salt clumps in the salt shaker blocking the holes when in humid environments like a steamy kitchen. Lots of materials are hygroscopic, including paper, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and plastics like ABS. Nylon […]

There are a few considerations when specifying an adhesive for your application, such as how well it bonds your substrates and if it can meet the functional needs of your application. One other important piece of the puzzle are the time-based factors which dictate how materials can be processed.    Our technical white paper Adhesive selection: a race against the clock? walks you through the various time-sensitive factors at […]

It’s been 50 years since the USA softly landed a spacecraft on the Moon’s surface. Something Intuitive Machines, based in Texas, is looking to change. When sending expensive, often delicate, machinery and equipment into the depths of space, achieving the most reliable bonds between components is mission critical. For this very reason, Arnab Roy, Production […]

To aid the rapid development of a new deep-sea fishing device, sustainable fishing start-up SafetyNet Technologies (SNTech) reached out to us. In a close collaboration, SNTech specified two materials, Opti-tec™ 4210 and IRS 3071, and developed a reliable assembly process. The new device, Pisces Deep, has since passed pressure tests at 100 bar and is […]

Our team has been providing technical support, advice, and expertise since Intertronics began, some 40 years ago. We have been diligent in quickly answering your questions about prices, delivery, process enhancement, health and safety, and the upkeep of equipment you have bought from us years ago. During that time, you may have met some of […]

2.5 million. That’s the staggering number of food parcels handed out in the 12 months to April 2021 by the UK’s largest food bank charity. With a record number of households set to utilise these vital services over the festive break, the team at Intertronics are keen to play our part in supporting our local […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during the continuing challenge that was 2021. We are closed at 5pm on Thursday December 23 2021, and reopen again at 9am Monday January 4 2022 Each year at Christmas, we support charities which have […]

Dymax MD® 1040-M is a new, versatile autoclave resistant medical device adhesive, coating, and encapsulant. Resistant to numerous cycles of sterilisation, Dymax 1040-M is suitable for consideration in a range of medical devices and surgical tools. This light curable material cures in seconds on exposure to UV light, and contains no solvents, to deliver a […]

We have changed our packing tape to a paper-based version. We used to use plastic. We finally found something that’s paper-based and effective in protecting and packing your goods for shipment. We already use 100% recycled cardboard boxes and biodegradable infill. It’s a small thing, in the big scheme of things. But it adds up. […]

Honing in on your optimal dispensing process often comes down to a degree of trial and error – even experienced operators sometimes choose the wrong tip at first. Material rheology and dispensing behaviour can be surprising. To help you evaluate and establish your dispensing process, we have released the DCK800X dispensing component kit. Containing over […]

Dymax UV cure electronics encapsulants with secondary moisture cure resolve the challenge of encapsulating chip and component geometries which have shadowed areas under component bodies or leads. The bulk of the material cures in seconds with light, while the balance cures with ambient moisture. Light-curable formulations are becoming increasingly popular due to their significant benefits […]

Providing light where there was once darkness, lighting assemblies have been a staple in modern vehicle manufacture for decades. For many manufacturers, the search for brighter, better-performing systems has led them away from traditional bulbs and lamps towards more complex arrays of LED emitters, with lifespans in the 1000’s of hours. Keeping these assemblies protected […]

We were thrilled to open this month’s issue of Eureka magazine to find our article about liquid gaskets on page 27. Our colleague Matthew Baseley did a great job on this. You can read about the considerations of moving to this technology, away from solid preformed or stamped gaskets, including a discussion about return on […]

We fell upon on this article in The Sun today: Idiot Insulate Britain eco-mob using harmful superglue that’s TOXIC to environment to plaster themselves to roads. We are not habitual readers of this newspaper; perhaps this article is a good example why, as it is hyperbolic, hysterical, inaccurate and badly written. It does inspire us […]

As consumers increasingly prefer smaller, more portable, wearable electronic devices, assembling the intricate components can prove challenging. This challenge is further compounded when considering skin contact material requirements and the bonding issues these materials can pose. Fortunately for a wearable electronic device manufacturer, our Born2Bond™ Ultra HV was able to address their bonding challenges while increasing their […]

Dymax 9771 Dual-Cure Light and Moisture-Cure Conformal Coating is now available. This low outgassing material is the first conformal coating that meets ASTM E595 and MIL-STD 883 and is therefore suitable for the aerospace and defence markets in applications including missile, satellite, and space critical printed circuit board assemblies. This coating has UL 94 V-0 […]

Turning your THINKY planetary mixing machine up to 11 for a long period of time may mix most materials homogeneously, but for other, heat sensitive components, it could do more harm than good. To enhance your process understanding and help keep those mixing speeds optimal, our partner, mixing and degassing machine manufacturer THINKY, has created […]

When gas sensor manufacturer DD-Scientific wanted to improve the accuracy, repeatability, and productivity of an epoxy sealing process, they asked us. DD-Scientific now benefits from robot-mounted preeflow® eco-DUO precision metering, mixing and dispensing systems, which save the company 23 days of staff time per year, while maintaining the high-quality the company’s products demand. DD-Scientific’s sensors […]

Transforming multiple parts of liquids, pastes and powders into homogeneous, ready-to-use materials which are air and bubble free – that’s what our THINKY planetary mixers do. Our newly released Technical Bulletin Achieving a fast, repeatable mixing process without air bubbles summarises the capabilities of these machines: Planetary mixing Degassing Mixing under vacuum Which capabilities you […]

Will you be at the Med-Tech Innovation Expo this year? The show, which runs from 28-29 September 2021 at the NEC in Birmingham, will feature a short seminar from our Managing Director, Peter Swanson. Designing-in Light Curing Adhesives for Medical Device Assembly will present an overview of UV and visible light curing adhesives and what […]

Process speed and simplicity are just two of the many productivity benefits that light curing adhesives and coatings bring to the table. If this is a new process for you, or you are setting up production on a new product, then you will want to figure out how to get it working reliably and repeatably. […]

IRS 3078 Polyurethane Potting Compound is a semi-rigid, room temperature curing and electrically insulating black polyurethane potting compound. The material, which is low viscosity, semi-thixotropic and flowable, is available in convenient side-by-side double syringe cartridges. This packaging suits customers with smaller volume or occasional production needs. It offers high adhesion, good electrical insulation properties and […]

When mixing liquids, pastes and powders during an industrial process, you may identify issues that lead you to consider alternative methods. Common areas for improvement include variance due to a manual process, difficulty validating the process, or a high defect rate. You may also have productivity reasons to change your mixing processes, such as to […]

Application In today’s technologically-advanced world, consumers want products that are better, smarter and more intuitive to their needs. For brand owners and manufacturers, this means continuing to push the boundaries on innovative, increasingly-smaller devices that can give consumers new product options unlike anything they’ve seen before. The miniaturisation of devices can pose assembly and bonding challenges, […]

We have introduced IRS 2128 Toughened Epoxy Adhesive. This structural adhesive is a high-performance black resin system that offers good chemical resistance and excellent adhesion to a wide variety of substrates. Compared with many other epoxies, it offers vibration resistance and can bond dissimilar substrates more effectively. A two-part system with a simple 1:2 mix […]

We have introduced Dymax Low Shrink™ OP-81-LS UV adhesive, which offers very low volumetric shrinkage. Designed for optical assembly applications that require precise alignment, the material cures in seconds on exposure to UV/visible light. It is single-part, solvent free and can bond dissimilar substrates — it is recommended for materials including polycarbonate, glass, acrylic, metal, […]

Our latest White Paper, entitled Moving to UV LED Curing, the 365nm Myth – A Dance between Physics and Chemistry, discussed the assumptions around using UV LEDs to cure adhesives, coatings, sealants, encapsulants and temporary masking materials. Despite some hints on product data sheets, 365nm may very well not be the best wavelength to pick […]

Eureka is a very highly regarded engineering magazine, so we were excited to see a two-page spread in the latest issue given over to our article Plasma Aids Dental Bonding. See page 32 to read how cold atmospheric plasma technology delivers benefits in dental labs. It features the PiezoBrush PZ3, the world’s smallest, highly effective […]

Viscosity is the resistance of a fluid to flow. This means that different fluids with different viscosities will flow at different rates under the same force. The higher a viscosity a fluid has, the harder you have to push it to move it.  We call a higher viscosity fluid more viscous. You can see why […]

Our partners at THINKY, makers of planetary centrifugal mixers, have produced a video detailing how to use the THINKY ARV-501 vacuum mixer, with or without the vacuum mixing functionality. In this video, you can see how the user interface works, how to set up a program, and learn about the mixer’s PC interface:   The […]

Plasma surface treatment technology is well established in many manufacturing industries including medical devices, electronics, and automotive. In dental technology, several use cases have been developed, researched, and established to help dental technicians perform tasks more efficiently and achieve better results for patients. Plasma can initiate several physical and chemical processes that both clean and […]

3D printers usually print relatively small stuff – certainly less than 1 meter in any dimension. Our own 3D printer’s largest build dimension is 320mm, and that is fairly common. There are exceptions, of course – these days you can 3D print a two-story house. But for most applications, if you need to make a […]

A great article in Med-Tech Innovation News lists seven considerations for medical device design; it was written by Dan Purvis of Velentium, a company specialising in the design and manufacturing of therapeutic and diagnostic active medical devices. It’s worth reading the whole thing, but consideration number 5 caught our eye: Design with manufacturing in mind […]

An article in this week’s Electronics Weekly about the use of short-wave UV LED’s in the fight against Covid-19 contained this statement: “New international legislation which came into force in January 2020 means that mercury-based lamps are, with very few exceptions, no longer an option. The manufacture, import and export of mercury lamps is now […]

What makes a good adhesives partner? That’s a great question! We decided to answer it by getting a group of us together and thrashing it out. The results of our roundtable talk might surprise you. Please read the summary of our discussion, get some insight into the way we think, and see if you agree.

I was struck by an article today on the Industrial Technology website: European Manufacturing Breakthroughs Stifled by Overengineered Industrial Robots. The article quotes Torsten Christensen, partner and co-founder at ChangeForce, a Danish industrial consultancy firm. According to him, the most popular reason behind disappointing robotisation implementations is the complexity and over customisation of technologies installed.  […]

Flame-retardancy is a common requirement for materials used to make products that need to meet certain safety standards, such as home appliances, automotive systems, and electronics. A flame retardant is a chemical substance that is added to materials during their manufacturing process in order to both reduce the likelihood of the finished product catching fire and […]

One of our recently published White Papers discusses time-based considerations when specifying adhesives for any application. Not only are you looking for an adhesive that bonds well to your required substrates, but one which also meets the functional requirements of its application. In addition to these, there are also time-based considerations to factor in. Read […]

Selecting an adhesive One of the major considerations when specifying an adhesive is how quickly it will deliver return on investment (ROI), a metric that is affected by a variety of tangible and intangible factors. If you’ve ever tried to source an adhesive for your application, you probably realised quickly that there is no universally perfect […]

The latest issue of Global SMT & Packaging features our White Paper on the cover. Potting and encapsulating – avoiding voids was written by Paul Whitehead, our Strategic Accounts Manager. It discusses potting voids – what are they, why they are bad, and how to prevent them happening. Click through to read this issue, with […]

Congratulations! Our dispensing partner Viscotec, makers of preeflow, have announced that in 2020 they passed a milestone of supplying more than 100,000 dispensing pumps into industry, including 65,000 preeflow volumetric dispensing pumps. We have been providing these precision dispensers to manufacturers in the UK and Ireland for a decade now, and have facilitated their success […]

Jetting valves enable high-speed, continuous, non-contact dispensing of dots of small size, offering a high degree of accuracy and repeatability. During the jetting process, a small chamber is filled with material and ejected by firing a tappet through the chamber ― using either piezo or high energy pneumatics to achieve very fast tappet movement ― […]

Our latest White Paper tackles the issue of voids in potting compounds and encapsulation. Potting and encapsulating – avoiding voids was written by Paul Whitehead, our Strategic Accounts Manager. It discusses voids – what are they, why they are bad, and how to prevent them happening. If you are involved with electronics potting or encapsulation, […]

“The adhesive industry is the place to be for all the curious ones who want to deliver value!” One of our friends and colleagues, Robert Ignatzek, recently wrote this on LinkedIn. Robert is a 20 year veteran in the business, and an all round enthusiast for our sector. We responded to Robert, and he was […]

When you are experiencing poor productivity from an adhesives process, the first step to resolving the issue is to identify why — there are several common pain points, including speed, quality and waste. If you identify that a material is holding you back, what can you do to reach your productivity potential? Compared with mechanical […]

Encapsulants are often required to protect electronic components against moisture, chemicals, and rapid and extreme temperature changes while providing mechanical support and electrical insulation. Light-curable encapsulating compounds can provide significant benefits over conventional technologies, including very fast curing, lower operating costs and increased productivity driven by lower labour requirements, space savings, lower energy demand, and […]

The comfort, flexibility and connectivity of wearables have been made possible through progress in sensor technology, power management and transmitter technology; these advances in wearable technology require improvements to the production process. One important part of the assembly process is the dispensing of materials like adhesives, silicones, thermally and electrically conductive materials and greases. Dispensing […]

This year, we again asked all our colleagues to collect food and other vital supplies to be distributed by the North Oxfordshire Community Foodbank. Our elf, D Spencer, helped our team sort, pack and ship the haul over to the Foodbank. James manages this operation each year, and he does a great job. This year […]

We wish you a Delightful Christmas, and a Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. Thank you for working with us during the challenge that was 2020. We are closed at 5pm on Wednesday December 23 2020, and reopen again at 9am Monday January 4 2021. Each year at Christmas, we support charities which are either […]

Our customers sometimes want to take advantage of UV curing on large or complicated assemblies, where a bench-mounted UV curing lamp will not allow ready access to the target areas. Some examples which spring to mind are the bonding of large PMMA point-of-sale assemblies, or the temporary masking of turbine blades. You also want to […]

This new e-book from our partners Dymax is entitled Smart Connected Device Assembly – 7 Ways Light Curable Maskants Can Provide Protection. Covering seven different electronics assembly processes, including soldering, coating, and surface treatments, the benefits of uv light curable temporary masking products are clearly described. It is worth downloading a copy!

We are delighted to have the opportunity to join this Panel Discussion tomorrow. Potting, encapsulating and underfills are all essential procedures in the assembly process. With miniaturization makes accurate, void-free processing important to maintain adequate support, protection and reliability. The panel will discuss the do’s and don’ts of these processes, followed by a Q&A session. […]

If you are mixing ultra-critical applications where even micro-bubbles cannot be tolerated, you may need the latest industrial non-contact vacuum planetary mixer, the THINKY ARV-501CE. The unit has a maximum capacity of 700g for mixing, de-foaming and degassing  any combination of liquids, powders, and pastes. It is suitable for all engineering compounds, from low viscosity to […]

Dymax MD® 1172-M-UR is an LED UV and broad-spectrum light-curable adhesive for bonding COC/COP film laminates and other difficult-to-bond-to plastics used in the assembly of in-vitro diagnostics (IVD), Lab-on-a-chip (LOC), and other point-of-care medical devices. This adhesive may also be of interest to manufacturers involved with the design of COVID-19 rapid diagnostic applications. The adhesive […]

Dispensing and dosing small quantities (microlitres) with volumetric precision can be a headache for many companies in sectors such as electronics and semiconductor manufacturing, aerospace, medical device assembly and pharmaceuticals. Having to maintain accuracy whilst also meeting throughput and productivity demands may have traditionally pushed manufacturers towards complex, multi-system processes in order to achieve their […]

What is cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) blooming, and what can you do about it? That is the subject of our latest White Paper, entitled Managing blooming in an adhesives process. The article discusses what is blooming, how it happens, and methods to reduce or eliminate it. Importantly, blooming does not affect the integrity of the adhesive […]