CASE STUDY: Under Wraps

New adhesive dispensing system keeps chocolate manufacturer up to speed



With an eye on product quality and its bottom line, Chocolat Alprose of Caslano/Lugano, Switzerland, recently purchased a new adhesive dispensing system from Nordson Corp. featuring an e.dot electric gun, EPC-30 pattern control, and a ProBlue^® adhesive melter. The new system has enabled Chocolat Alprose to produce small, individually wrapped chocolate bars without compromising the taste and texture of their fine Swiss chocolates.

As the demand for small, foil-wrapped chocolate bars increased, Chocolat Alprose sought the assistance of Nordson Switzerland in developing a packaging solution that would allow them to maintain their production speed of 300 products per minute without sacrificing product quality. If the foil wrapping around the chocolate bar receives too little adhesive, the flap can flip open during or after packaging, leading to a product reject. If an excess of hot melt adhesive is applied to the flap, the chocolate can melt or discolor inside its wrapper.

Because pneumatic guns cannot provide the high cycle rates or produce the small dots of adhesive required for this application, Nordson Switzerland determined that an adhesive dispensing system consisting of an e.dot electric gun with a .255 mm orifice nozzle, an EPC-30 electronic pattern control and a ProBlue adhesive melter would provide the precise, high-speed dot placement Chocolat Alprose needed. The ball and nozzle/seat design of the e.dot electric gun provides excellent repeatability, pattern control, and consistency, delivering superior dot pattern and minimizing adhesive stringing or tailing.

The EPC-30 pattern control features a distance-based program for constant or variable line speeds (300 m/min or 984 ft/min) and autoscaling capability, which automatically calculates encoder settings, reducing lengthy setup time.

Simple, compact and designed to maximize uptime, ProBlue adhesive melters offer simple daily operation, quick installation, and superior safety.

About Nordson Corp.

Nordson Corp., now in its 50th year of operation, is the world's leading producer of precision dispensing equipment used to apply adhesives, sealants and coatings to a range of consumer and industrial products during manufacturing operation, helping customers meet quality, productivity, and environmental targets. The company also manufactures technology-based systems for curing and surface treatment processes. Headquartered in Westlake, OH, Nordson has direct operations in 30 countries and 3,500 employees worldwide.

For more information about the e.dot electric gun, the EPC-30 pattern control or the ProBlue adhesive melter, contact Nordson Corp., 11475 Lakefield Drive, Duluth, GA, 30097; phone (800) 683-2314; fax (866) 667-3329.