THE Volta electric hot melt jetting head ensures high process reliability for dot and bead application of thermoplastic adhesives and reduces operating costs by saving on both adhesives and energy, says Dominique Schlenk, MD of Robatech South Africa.

Volta is an electric application head that delivers reliable adhesive application over the course of one billion operating cycles. It requires little maintenance as it doesn’t have any dynamic seals. Its compact steel and aluminium design also make it durable, explains Dominique. ‘Volta complies with protection class IP55, which means that it is protected against external influences such as jet water or cardboard dust. Therefore, this application head is suitable for harsh environments such as those found in the packaging industry, as well as for the food or pharmaceutical industry.’

Energy-saving features

According to Dominique, the economical Volta hot melt jetting application head can result in a quick return on investment. Compared to the SX pneumatic application head, Volta achieves energy savings of approximately 60%. This is because the electric application head doesn’t require compressed air. This reduces operating costs because compressed air systems are high maintenance and expensive to operate. Volta can be easily integrated into new and existing systems. The remote electronic module with a 24VDC interface enables direct control without a booster.

Volta is suitable for hot melt stitching thanks to a switching frequency of 200Hz and one billion operating cycles. Dot application replaces bead application in this process. ‘Compared to bead application, stitching can save up to 40% of adhesive. Since the application head doesn’t require compressed air, it is pleasantly quiet at 60 dB(A). Another advantage over pneumatic application heads is the low wear despite high switching frequencies. This reduces maintenance work to a minimum,’ he maintains.

Precise dot and bead application

Thanks to the electric drive with a switching frequency of 200Hz, the Volta hot melt jetting head produces a precise and repeatable adhesive application with an exact cut-off. This ensures process stability. ‘Volta achieves excellent application quality also thanks to the uniform temperature distribution in the application head. In addition, insulation protects the nozzle from drafts to ensure consistent adhesive viscosity right up to the nozzle,’ Dominique reports.

The integrated adhesive filter in the heating block reduces nozzle clogging and thus downtime. To ensure that the adhesive amount remains consistent over the entire service life of the application head, the stroke can be adjusted manually if required.

Cool touch protection

The Volta hot melt jetting head is completely equipped with CoolTouch insulation as standard, also for multiple application heads. Volta also features a green touch protection on the bracket. The CoolTouch insulation protects operating personnel from burns in the event of accidental contact. ‘Thanks to reduced heat radiation, even heat-sensitive products such as chocolate or medicines are protected during adhesive application,’ he concludes.