The makers of Penta, Bio-Hydration Research Lab Inc., Carlsbad, Calif., turned to Nordson to solve a manufacturing problem. The company’s existing wheel pot label adhesive system used excess glue that resulted in labels peeling off bottles and jamming the magazine. Adhesive issues also caused Bio-Hydration to change its clear label, meant to emphasize the product’s purity, to purple to cover the excess adhesive stringing on the bottle. In addition, the company faced efficiency issues, inconsistent adhesive temperature and volume as well as constant maintenance and downtime issues with the wheel pot system.

As a solution, Bio-Hydration chose Nordson’s PatternJet labeling system to replace the hot melt adhesive carousel wheel pot system. Nordson’s machine uses a hot melt applicator to deliver adhesive to its PatternJet guns at the pick up and lap areas. The non-contact PatternJet pick-up gun then sprays spirals to the container before applying the label. After the container picks up the label from the magazine a second PatternJet gun at the label stack applies a strip of adhesive to the cross seam, sealing the label end.

Two precision PatternJet guns, a VersaBlue 12-liter adhesive melter with dual-gear pump, snuff-back SpeedCoat actuators, 45-degree Saturn filters and quick-disconnect RTD and heater cord sets were installed.

“We have seen a huge reduction in adhesive consumption,” said Michael Holloway, Biohydration’s vice president of production. “I have calculated the difference and our savings just in usage alone are more than 70 percent.”

The company has also seen a reduction in bottle rejects, or drinkers, which can be caused by application of multiple labels, labels applied at an angle and missing labels.

Downtime for product changeover decreased as well, “One of the best things for maintenance has beeen the ease of changeovers,” Hollway explained. Now the whole process takes less than 20 minutes and the push of a few buttons.”

After the installation of the Nordson system, the maker of Penta bottled water has seen 85 percent adhesive savings, 20 percent increase in efficiency and a dramatic decrease in waste.
— Nordson Corp., 28601 Clemens Road, Westlake, Ohio 44145; 440/892-1580; www.nordson.com