Handheld applicators ease frozen food processor’s PSA application process

For one retail club supplier—a frozen food processor and packager in the southern United States—its ability to maintain standards was jeopardized when 70,000 chipboard packaging cartons (in which many of its products are packaged) arrived without pre-applied adhesive tapes. The missing adhesive tapes were needed to seal the cartons after being filled with frozen food during production.

The frozen food processor quickly determined it would take too much time to replace the carton order, so it searched for a solution that would enable it to deliver products to its customers on-time. Two additional challenges were noticed: Any solution would need to withstand a sub-zero environment, and it would have to meet food safety criteria.

To meet production needs, an adhesive solution needed to be implemented quickly and easily and scaled up rapidly. As the frozen food processor investigated hot melt, adhesive tapes and pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) patterns, it sought the services of a provider of adhesive solutions, which met the challenge of the cold environment and tight timeframe. It adapted one of its adhesive formulas, designed for carton repack, repair and assembly in refrigerated environments, for the unique application.

After sampling the adhesive formula on the chipboard carton substrate, the processor determined that the adhesive worked—even in a challenging sub-zero environment.

The first shipment was 800 rolls of PSA patterns. Using the dimensions of the cartons, the processor calculated the total amount of adhesive needed to fill the club retailer’s customer’s purchase order. The entire initial order amounted to 4,000 adhesive rolls, measuring 162,000 linear yards.

The processor’s orders were very large, but the frequency was intermittent. Because the processing facility was not automated for handling this product line, the processor added 12 handheld applicators—which are compatible with the adhesive patterns—to help expedite the orders. The applicators are lightweight and portable, require no heat or electricity and seamlessly integrate into any production process with minimal staff training.

By using the handheld applicators, PSA patterns were easy to apply, as they simply needed to be pressed and pulled. The first set of carton flaps were sealed at room temperature and then staged, filled with frozen products and sealed in a room with a temperature range between 50°F and 60°F, well below room temperature (72°F). The product was then packed in a master carton, stored at 0°F to -10°F and shipped to retail.

The adhesive exceeded the processor’s expectations for reliability, indicating it was faster, cleaner and easier for operators to apply, compared to hot melt. In addition, the solution allowed the processor to maintain its obligation where on-time delivery and package integrity are key.

Glue Dots International
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