The client:
Antala Ltd. worked alongside a well-known manufacturer of lighting, visual, and audible warning systems for the emergency services and safety industry to find the perfect potting solution for a batch of small-scale LEDs.
The problem:
Following a disrupted supply chain, the customer struggled to source their previously used potting/coating material, a competing silicone product with room-temperature-curing properties. The Antala team sought a solution from the DOWSIL portfolio, allowing the customer to replace the previously used silicone product with a material that offered the necessary flowability, viscosity, colour, and adhesion whilst improving the overall qualities of the end product. Having faced repeated machine-dispensing failures and a lack of technical support alongside longstanding sourcing difficulties with their previous supplier, the customer sought a replacement material that is user-friendly and easily applicable with a technical support network aimed at problem-solving and ongoing support. The requirements for our proposed solution included:
- Colour: Must be black (and preferably available in clear and black).
- Adhesion: Good adhesion without the use of a primer.
- Flowability: Able to enter small gaps (self-levelling).
- Pack size: Preferably available in pails.
The Solution:
When working closely with the customer to identify the perfect material solution, the Antala team identified several products to trial from the DOWSIL and SYLGARD range, including DOWSIL 7094, SYLGARD 170, SYLGARD 184, DOWSIL 9161, and DOWSIL 9187L. After running adhesive trials with each of these proposed solutions, DOWSIL 9187L was chosen and implemented as the approved product. 9187L perfectly matched the customer’s requirements, providing the following specifications;
- Colour: 9187L is available in black or clear.
- Adhesion: 9187L offers excellent adhesion to the customer’s polycarbonate substrate.
- Viscosity: 9187L offers the perfect viscosity with self-levelling properties.
- Pack size: 9187L is available in both pails and cartridges.
Following the successful trials with DOWSIL 9187L, the black and the clear have been incorporated in various end-products for the company. Antala also provided the customer with a cartridge dispenser for the reliable, mess-free, cost-effective application the customer had previously struggled to obtain.
Are you struggling to source adhesive materials? Perhaps you’ve encountered problems with adhesion or flowability? Or are you simply looking to optimise your operations, from ease of application to end-product effectiveness? If these problems sound familiar, contact Antala Ltd. for the solutions. At Antala, we’re proud to go beyond distribution to provide technical support at all stages, from design to testing and implementation. Our adhesives, sealants, and industrial lubricants portfolio allows our clients to benefit from premium technologies whilst our technical expertise enables the best possible support. Contact us today via our website or call our office on +44 161 494 1345.