To the uninitiated, 3M might just be the brand behind those awesome Command strips that are holding up everything from shower caddies to coats around your home. However, 3M glue, hot melt glue guns and the rest of its product catalog is as rich as their history.
3M’s History of Excellence
In 1902, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (three M’s—get it?!) was founded in Minnesota to mine minerals for grinding abrasives. Its innovations went on to include sandpaper, then tape, then finally the hot melt glue and hot melt glue guns we know and love today. 3M is on a mission to enhance lives with innovative and reliable products. In fact, its Scotch tape has become one of the most recognized names in adhesives and is often used as a synonym for tape.
And that’s why we love 3M hot melt and hot melt glue guns: a history of excellence that has led it to produce a range of high-quality products with a wide variety of uses.
The 3M Brand Makes Tools for a Variety of Uses
3M is one of the most popular names in the hot melt game today. As such, it’s got a wide variety of glue sticks and glue guns that can work in any industry—all of which we love so much we carry them for our awesome customers on Hotmelt.com:
- View our selection of 3M glue guns here
- Find the right 3M hot melt glue sticks for your project here
- Choose from a variety of 3M PUR hot melt gear here
One of the several reasons we love 3M is its illustrious selection of hot melt glue sticks of every size and type for your application and bonding needs. However, we also understand that this variety of different stick sizes, outputs, and dispensing temperatures can make choosing the right one difficult. That’s why we’ve created The Ultimate 3M Hot Melt Glue Stick Guide to highlight the difference between each and guide you through choosing the formulation and size of 3M hot melt glue stick that is best for your project.
3M Makes Hot Melt Glue Guns for Any Application
3M makes high-quality glue guns that work at a variety of temperatures and take different sizes of hot melt glue sticks to accommodate projects large and small.
3M Hot Melt Glue Works in Every Industry
Another reason we love 3M is because the company cares about its customers. Its range of hot melt and glue guns provides excellent bonding in almost every industry and for almost every application, some of which we’ve highlighted below.
3M Hot Melt Sticks for Electronics
3M glue sticks for electronics and electrical applications are a step above the rest. Typical electronics applications include securing wires so they do not bend or break, plotting a component on a circuit board, terminating coils, or bundling wires for easy handling. These are some of our favorite bonding materials for electricians:
- 3M Scotch Weld 3748VO: V0 means this hot melt is self-extinguishing, a rating necessary for many electrical manufacturing applications. This formulation is non-corrosive to copper and offers an excellent bond.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3779: This hot melt does not come with the V0 rating but does offer high strength and high heat resistance.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3764: Need clear? This is your go-to for an electronics application when color matters. It also gives an excellent bond to HSE/LSE plastics.
3M Hot Melt Sticks for POP Display Manufacturing
POP displays include a variety of laminated and specialty surfaces where bonds need to be invisible yet hardy enough to survive retail spaces, conventions, and more. These 3M hot melt formulations are excellent for a wide range of display applications:
- 3M Scotch Weld 3762LM: This light amber, fast-setting hot melt is a low temp formula great for sensitive surfaces like foam and fabric.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3792LM: A go-to low temperature clear hot melt, again for delicate substrates.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3748: Perfect for bonding tricky substrates like polyolefins, and it is less expensive than its 3748V0 counterpart.
3M Hot Melt Sticks for Packaging and Carton Sealing
While 3M’s price points tend to be higher for adhesives to seal packaging and cartons, we believe these are reflected in the quality and durability of its hot melt. Here are some of its top carton and package adhesives:
- 3M Scotch Weld 3762: 3M’s most economical packaging hot melt, the 3762 is a good fast-setting glue stick.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3762LM: The low temp version of the hot melt above, this is good for increased safety from burns or sensitive substrates when packaging.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3738: This offers a longer open time for increased workability—good for larger packages where more surface area is required.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3764: Good for cold weather packaging, the 3764 stays flexible even at low temperatures.
3M Hot Melt Sticks for Furniture and Woodworking
Furniture making is another strong industry for 3M. Check out some of the highest quality furniture and woodworking formulations we carry:
- 3M Scotch Weld 3792: One of 3M’s most popular products, this clear multi-purpose hot melt is great for wood, fabric, and upholstery.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3792LM: Similar to above, this is a low temp version making it good for sensitive substrates.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3747: This offers a more aggressive bond, good for wood, plastics and even lightweight metals.
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3M Scotch Weld 3789: Make your bonds more durable with this impact-resistant hot melt formulation. It’s good for furniture or products that are going to be moved and used constantly.
3M Hot Melt Glue Sticks for Product Assembly and General Manufacturing
Product assembly and general manufacturing is a … well … pretty general category for hot melt glue sticks. However, this broad spectrum of applications, bonding types, substrates, and more gives us a great opportunity to share a final list of our favorite 3M hot melt products:
- 3M 3764 Scotch Weld: The second time we’ve mentioned 3764, this hot melt is clear, bonds well to plastics, and is flexible even at low temperatures—a good all-around assembly product.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3792LM: This popular 3M hot melt bonds to a huge range of products, and the low temp version allows for bonding without damaging heat sensitive substrates.
- 3M Scotch Weld 3748: With shock resistance and a good plastic bonder, the 3748 is good for product assembly.
3M Removable Gummy Glue
Even though there is only a single product in this category, we think it still deserves a call-out. 3M is the only manufacturer to successfully create a gummy glue in stick form. The 3M Removable Gummy Glue is a unique glue stick with a low-temp formulation. It only comes in the TC stick size, so it can only be run through the 3M Polygun LT. 3M removable gummy glue is used for creating temporary bonds between substrates like credit card mailers, promotional materials, and more.
We wanted to shine a spotlight on the 3M brand because we love its history of excellence and the variety of hot melt glue sticks and glue guns it has carefully crafted for customers in a variety of industries. We guarantee there’s a 3M product for you. Check out our full 3M catalog or contact the Hotmelt team today to choose the one that’s best for you.