Page 4 - Industrial_Technology_Extra_16th_November_2020_Classical

ADHESIVES...

How to improve accuracy and

repeatability when dispensing

Simon Gibbs, product specialist at Intertronics,
explains how increasing the precision in an adhesives
process can improve manufacturing productivity

ushing up productivity in a bonding
process often means improving yield or
quality. An engineer will look at the
Pproduction with one question – what
gains can we get in accuracy and repeatability to
make us more productive? Improving the
precision of processes in small incremental
ways can deliver a significant return on
investment.
Precision or repeatability is
consistently achieving the same
results. Whilst measuring accuracy
tells us how close we get to our
requirements on average,
measuring precision tells us how
often we are actually achieving
them. Your process could be accurate but not
repeatable, getting the right result but not as conductive adhesives and potting materials. Precise
reliably as you need. Improving process dispensing of these is very important for their
repeatability impacts on the robustness of your efficacy, because air entrapment or voids have
product by making sure that the operation is within significant impact on their heat transfer
specified tolerances, either all the time or with performance. Moreover, detecting this kind of defect
smaller variances. This brings higher productivity in process is difficult, as it is often not visible, and
and more confidence in the process. may only come to light in subsequent testing or
Poor precision in a process can decrease yield, failure in the field.
adversely affecting rework or scrap rates. For Precision is particularly important in high value,
example, some electronics require thermal low volume industries where scrap is expensive, like
management through the use of thermally aerospace or motorsports, as well as in highly

November 2020 • INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY EXTRA • p4