Outserting – Glue vs. Tape applicators

Occasionally we will be asked by a customer why they should consider a glue-style outserter instead of a tape-style.  There are three key advantages to outserting with glue versus tape:

• Lower operating cost – Overall operating costs are typically much lower with hot melt adhesive.  This is primarily due to the ongoing material cost of tape vs. glue.  Hot melt adhesive is typically 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of tape with comparable properties.
• Less downtime – Typically, outserters using tape will incur more downtime due to roll changes, roll splicing, roll alignment, and other maintenance issues.  With the improved glue technology and the performance of the latest nozzle designs, previous hot melt issues have been all but eliminated, translating to a much more effective and efficient application method.
• Better bonding – With the various types of caps and surfaces (especially the raised letters on CR caps), tape applied outserts have very limited bonding strength as there are only a few points of contact.  Hot melt adhesive will form around the surface area of the substrate and provide a larger, more consistent contact area.  Also, hot melt provides the flexibility to increase or decrease the amount of adhesive being used depending upon the substrate surface.

Usually after a close examination of the two methodologies and the advantages outlined above, it’s easy to see why most new outserting lines that are installed today use glue-style outserters.