Tape manufacturer tesa has helped Sunsquare to reduce its cure times, streamline production and shorten delivery times.
Sunsquare is the only flat roof skylight manufacturer in the world to have been awarded a BSI Kitemark for a rooflight.
Sunsquare visited the tesa stand at a trade exhibition to learn more about the advances in adhesive tape technology. During the initial discussion, it emerged there was a lengthy cure time required for a modified Silane adhesive that was used to structurally bond the insulated glass unit (IGU) to a frame in the design of its Flat and Pyramid products, which resulted in factory space being taken up and an unavoidable extension to the lead time before shipping to their customer. A double-sided thermal spacer tape was also used to hold the IGU during this cure time but it did not create a strong enough bond for the product to be moved.
tesa’s customer team presented a high performance acrylic core tape called ACXplus which is ideal for structural bonding applications. They explained how this could also provide a thermal break and also the required gap for the Silane adhesive to flow. Subsequently, tesa visited the Sunsquare factory and conducted products tests to demonstrate the high immediate bond that ACXplus could provide. This was supported by extensive laboratory tests to demonstrate the product’s performance and durability over time via accelerated ageing tests.
Clive Howard, technical director at Sunsquare, said he is delighted with the outcome and commented: “The introduction of tesa ACXplus into our production process has increased individual unit manufacturing output, enabling shorter lead times for delivery to the customer.”
tesa’s Mat Lord summarised: “By replacing the existing bonding application with tesa ACXplus, Sunsquare has reduced cure times by streamlining production and shortening delivery times, all elements that are key to ensuring customer satisfaction and repeat orders.”
