According to a recent survey of product design engineers and general managers of 245 U.S. firms that manufacture heating equipment, the most critical physical properties of adhesives are high-temperature resistance, thermal conductivity, and electrical resistance.
Global consumption of radiation-cured products in 2005 was 270,000 metric tons (MT), with a value of $2.75 billion. Included in this number are products for coatings, inks and adhesives. According to the consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, a modest 6% annual rate of growth is forecast through 2010.
A variety of melters with a choice of system controls, melt styles, tank capacities, pump types and output connections are readily available to today's packagers
With the miniturization of packaging in areas such as electronics, medical devices and wafer fabrication, spatially controlled, precise-deposition of adhesives or adhesive-like materials into increasingly smaller spaces has become critically important.