Air bubbles have a number of ways of getting into adhesive fluids. They can get in during fluid formulation and during the assembly process when manufacturers inject air into the packaging offered by formulators. Air bubbles can also emerge when working with frozen assembly fluids during the thawing process, as well as when mixing two-component epoxies that need to be poured into syringe reservoirs.
Manufacturers do have some remedies, but they are far from a cure
Much like what nurses and doctors do before injecting medicines into patients, assemblers can tap the fluid-filled syringe with a finger to disperse air bubbles. Manufacturers can also employ degassing where syringes are spun in a vacuum chamber to purge fluids of bubbles. Centrifuging is another method used to rid fluids of bubbles by forcing them to the back of the syringe where they do not get in the way of dispensing. In addition, manufacturers can simply store filled syringes with the tips pointing up, which lets the bubbles rise to the top where they can be more easily removed.
The problems persist due to the fact that air begets air
As effective as these methods are they all come up short when compressed air is used to dispense assembly fluids. That is because the very act of forcefully shooting air into the syringe reservoir will reverse most of the benefits gained by employing these approaches. This happens because compressed air puts air back into the syringe reservoir, which puts assemblers back where they started, where they will face a host of problems like:
- Weak bonds
- Product failures
- Lost production time
- Wasted fluid
- More rejects
- More rework
Turning the tables on these issues requires turning away from compressed air
Plain and simple, air-driven fluid dispense systems are public enemy number one. After all, their very design has them wildly injecting air into the fluid reservoir which keeps introducing air bubbles into the mix. Adding insult to injury, the influx of bubbles has manufacturers constantly wrestling with their air-driven fluid dispense systems because they cause fluid volumes to constantly rise and fall, making it near impossible to achieve the desired levels of repeatability.
There is a solution that frees manufacturers from relying on compressed air
Fishman® Corporation offers the only fluid dispense systems that do not rely on air bubble-producing compressed air. The SmartDispenser® with patented AirFree® Technology replaces the need for and the use of compressed air. Not only does this significantly reduce the formation of air bubbles, but thanks to another innovation from Fishman®—AlgorithmicControl™—the SmartDispenser® also allows for far greater control and precision by making adjustments much simpler because parameters such as fluid deposit size, speed, and reverse motion are accurate numerical inputs instead of inexact calculations. Fishman® builds on the benefits of its unique solution by offering a range of syringes and tips created just for the SmartDispenser®. When combined, they help make it a solution that solves many of the problems that keep bubbling up for manufacturers.
All this is laid out in far greater detail in a special White Paper published by Fishman® Corporation: Addressing a Problem that Keeps Bubbling Up. Click here to download your copy. We are confident that you will find the information therein to be of great value to you