We wanted to name today's post "A Song of Fire and Ice" and make some Game of Thrones jokes, but our editor called us "a bunch of slack-off nerds" that need to "turn off HBO" and "actually work for once in our lives" instead of "daydreaming about Dungeons and Dragons or whatever."
Whatever indeed.
We thought it was a good title, because today's post is for those hardworking folks looking for novel ways to improve workflow at the sand foundry, whether that's for casting bonds, fixing or assembling sand cores, or processes like Coldbox and Alpha Set. Regardless of whether you're working with cold processes or materials at 2500 degrees Fahrenheit (see? fire and ice…sort of) there is a hot melt adhesive solution for a multitude of foundry tasks that will help increase your efficiency and improve your quality – without ballooning your budget.
In fact, there is a great company that makes cost-effective, durable adhesives specifically designed for working with sand cores and other products in and around a foundry - they are called Power Adhesives, and their product line is called (fittingly) FoundryTec. Today we're going to highlight three of their hot melt adhesive products. Let's get started:
FoundryTec 301 General Purpose Sand Core Hot Melt
Specifically formulated for foundries, this is a sand core hot melt adhesive perfect for cold processes (alpha and beta set) as well as warm box, hot box and shell (though you have to let those cool before applying the glue.)
FoundryTec 601 Fast-Setting Sand Core Hot Melt
This hot melt adhesive features the great hold and versatility of the general purpose adhesive, but it sets much more quickly for tasks and processes that require lightning-fast bonding.
FoundryTec 501 Low Ash Content Sand Core Hot Melt
If your job requires work with a lost wax or investment foundry, this is the product for you.
Naturally, to apply these you will need a solid, high-quality gun. Here are our recommendations for those that work best with sand core applications and FoundryTec hot melt adhesives.
Power Adhesives TEC 7100 Multi-Load Pneumatic Glue Gun
When you have a lot of work involving temperature-sensitive products, you can't afford to lose time reloading single-cartridge applicators. For maximum performance and minimal downtime, this is your go-to gun.
Power Adhesives TEC 3400 Heavy Duty Hot Melt Gun
This is one of our absolute favorites here at Hotmelt.com – possibly one of the best values on the market today, because its huge output, temperature control modules and customizability are rare in a gun that is so competitively priced.
Power Adhesives TEC 820 Medium Duty Hot Melt Gun
Not all foundry operations are working with a high volume of sand core applications – in which case, they don't need a big, heavy-duty pneumatic gun. If this sounds like it describes your outfit, consider the TEC 820 – it warms up fast, has plenty of the customizability that the TEC series is known for and is nice and lightweight, making it easy-to-use and ergonomic.
That's a wrap on today's post for foundry applications – so no matter what you're forging (must…resist…Valyrian…steel…joke…) remember to stop on by Hotmelt.com for the best prices on hot melt adhesives and applicators.