The MiniBlue II adhesive applicator from Nordson Corp. recently won the 33rd annual German Packaging Award during the FachPack Trade Fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Introduced globally in March 2010, the compact, high-speed, pneumatic, hot-melt adhesive applicator placed first in the Engineered Machinery category. A panel of 14 packaging industry and national trade association experts selected the MiniBlue II applicator based on criteria including economic impact on the manufacturing process, sustainability, engineering innovation, user-friendliness, safety and design aesthetics.
According to a statement issued by the jury, “Nordson implemented unique innovations that advance hot-melt dispensing technology and further the advantages of packaging with hot-melt, over previous dispensers and alternate forms of bonding and sealing. In particular, they have significantly increased application precision as well as dispensing speed, enabling more efficient packaging at higher line speeds with less waste. Nordson’s patented and patent-pending seal technology delivers extended service life and permits longer maintenance intervals, making adhesive dispensing considerably more productive and user-friendly.”
MiniBlue Hot-Melt Dispensing Guns
MiniBlue II hot-melt adhesive applicators provide long life, less maintenance and reduced downtime in packaging operations. The ball-and-seat design features a patented hydraulic seal for longer life without leakage. Packaging-grade adhesives can be applied at cycle rates of 2 m/s using the MiniBlue II applicator and a Nordson Saturn® Platinum (SP) high-speed solenoid valve. MiniBlue II modules use standard Saturn nozzles and are backward-compatible with previous-generation MiniBlue applicators.MiniBlue reduced-cavity hot-melt applicators virtually eliminate waste associated with adhesive stringing. Because these glue applicators provide clean adhesive cutoff and less stringing, packagers benefit from clean bonding and sealing and minimal maintenance and cleanup. MiniBlue II ball-and-seat and MiniBlue reduced-cavity applicators are ideal for applications with close compression sections and limited parent machinery space. Key features of the applicators include:
- Fast (2 m/s) cycle times and superior high-speed performance
- Integrated filters that capture contaminants and reduce nozzle clogs
- Insulating covers that reduce energy use up to 50% and maintain temperature for better adhesive flow, cutoff, and bonding
- Both reduced cavity and ball-and-seat configurations
