Cammda Corporation

Choosing a Meter-Mix-Dispense System

(January 2011)

In our experience buying a meter-mix-dispense is not what you would call an ‘impulse
purchase’. It is not like one of those ‘oh now, wouldn’t that be handy’ products that you find at
the end of the check-out aisle at Home Depot. If you do your homework and make the right
decisions; these machines will make them all sorts of money.

Let me help you!

You have a product that needs to be potted or bonded or encapsulated and that you have chosen
with your material supplier ensuring it is the best product for your application. The choice of
resin system is a critical consideration. When we design a machine for you we design it
specifically for the chemicals it is going to process. Every machine is customized. Obviously
your first concern will be to ensure the polymer works for your product. After that, keep this in
mind; when buying a compound, try to keep it as simple as possible. 1:1, 2:1 and 10:1 are
common ratios and therefore equipment to process them is more readily available and less costly
than for a custom ratio. Variable ratio dispensing systems are more costly than fixed ratio
systems, prone to the intervention of KTBs and seldom necessary. If you can stick to the
standard ratios, cartridge systems are available so you can get a sneak preview of the process
using static mixing when doing your prototyping prior to ramping up to buying production
capable machinery. As a general rule, the lower the viscosity of the liquid the less costly it is to
process. Another rule of thumb, the softer the fillers the less costly the machine and future
maintenance will be. If the product that you have initially looked at doesn’t meet these criteria
ask your material supplier if there may be a more appropriate material that does.

At the outset, if you can follow these guidelines you will save money, and your operating cost
will be reduced as well.

Now assuming that you have found the perfect material for your application and have brought it
to us to design the equipment. We will ask a number of questions; we need to know about the
physical characteristics of the material and we need to know about your process so that we can
marry the two effectively.

Applying Experience … Dispensing Adhesives

We need to know:

ABOUT THE MATERIAL

What is the material? Epoxy, Urethane, Silicone, Methyl-Methacrylates, Polyester, or Other

“A” Component “B” Component

Viscosity _______________ ______________

Specific Gravity _______________ ______________

Ratio by weight or volume _______________ ______________

Fillers? Size and Type _______________ ______________

Shipping container size _______________ ______________

ABOUT THE PROCESS

Shot size or bead size ____________________

Cycle Time ____________________

Special process considerations: ____________________

(spray, dots, intermittent beads)

How close is the machine to the

dispensing site? _____________________

Most of the material information will be available from the Product Data Sheet provided by the
material manufacturer. You will probably have to contact the manufacturer to get specific filler
information. With this information we can set about designing a system that will perform
effectively for you.

Identifying the type of material will give us information about how to handle the components
and what the seal materials will be compatible with it. For instance, urethane resins are moisture
sensitive and must be kept dry and epoxy hardeners are very corrosive and will attack certain
rubber compounds commonly used in seals.

The type of material will also give us a starting point in determining the appropriate static mixer
for it. Some materials are immiscible and require many elements to mix thoroughly and others
cure by catalytic reactions that require fewer elements to initiate

The viscosity combined with the application rate will tell us how powerful we need to make the
system to keep up with your production requirements. It will determine what size hoses we need,
what diameter of mixer is required and how big the drive unit needs to be. If the viscosity is too

Applying Experience … Dispensing Adhesives

high we may need to heat the system to get the material to flow effectively or we may need rams
and pumps to move the components from their shipping vessels into the machine.

The specific gravity information helps us to check the ratio by volume against the ratio by
weight. Metering systems meter volumetrically so it is important to ensure that the correct ratio
by volume is designed into the machine. The specific gravity will also help us determine how
much filler is in the product. This is important as fillers have a tendency to precipitate over time
and we may need agitation to keep them in suspension. If we have to heat the product thereby
dropping its viscosity, its ability to hold fillers in suspension may be compromised and we may
need to re-circulate the materials as well as agitate the reservoirs to keep the material
homogenous.

The type of filler is also important. Soft fillers typically do not cause any problems other than
settling out, but common fillers such as alumina and crystalline silica are very abrasive and the
machine must be designed to accommodate them or it will be under constant repair in the field.

Of course, how the material is applied to your product is a key concern. We must consider
whether the end tool will be hand held, fixed mounted or robotically manipulated. We need to
determine whether a straight on/off valve is needed or do we need one with suck-back. Is it a
spray application or are tooled beads required? Each application is unique and a thorough
understanding of the requirements of the applicator is an integral part of the design process.

So from the technical side of things, these are our considerations. If we do our job right the
equipment will do your job right. It will be productive and cost effective.

You have uncovered a great opportunity to increase your productivity and expand your business.

Now, isn’t that exciting!

/written by :
Greg McEwan, President
CAMMDA Corporation
www.cammda.com
1-888-372-0123

Applying Experience … Dispensing Adhesives