All you need to know about cartridges and mixers for 2-part adhesives

Introduction to Methacrylate adhesives

Wire4Signs offers a specialized range of Methyl-Methacrylate (MMA) two-part structural adhesives. While MMA adhesives are commonly used for structural bonding in a wide range of industries, from boat and marine craft construction to composite vehicle assembly, our range is tailored specifically to the signage industry. We offer a selection of appropriate colors and properties for the signage industry, including clear epoxy adhesives and low read-through adhesives which are ideal for bonding aluminum composite material (ACM) signage panels.

Structural adhesive packaging

Two-part structural adhesives consist of an acrylic resin and a hardener which are packaged into a dual cartridge with a cavity for each component. A dispenser gun is used to simultaneously press the resin and hardener out of the cartridge while maintaining the correct mix ratio. A static mixer nozzle completes the system by thoroughly mixing the two adhesive components together as the leave the cartridge. The static mixer also helps to neatly place the mixed adhesive onto the substrate which is being bonded.

Dispenser guns for two-part adhesives

You will need to select a dispenser gun to match the physical and mechanical properties of the adhesive cartridge being used. These properties of these applicator guns are:

• Cartridge volume: Two-part adhesive cartridges are available in sizes ranging from 50ml to 600ml capacity. Your gun will need to accommodate the cartridge size that you are using.
• Adhesive mix ratio: Adhesives are designed with different mix ratios, typically 1:1, 2:1, 4:1 or 10:1 and this means that the two adhesive chambers have different diameters. The dispenser gun needs to have appropriately sized actuators to match the cartridge cylinder dimensions. Some dispenser guns are compatible with more than one adhesive ratio.
• Flange type: Larger volume cartridges are cradled in the dispenser (similarly to a traditional caulking gun) but smaller cartridges (50ml and 75ml) are retained in the dispenser gun by a flange at the back of the cartridge. This flange can either be rectangular ("square") or round ("S-Flange" or "SS Cartridge").

These three factors must be taken into consideration when selecting the appropriate dispenser gun for your specific adhesive.

About static mixers for two-part adhesive

There are a number of factors to be considered when selecting the appropriate mixer for a specific adhesive:

• Mixer design: Standard (round or "helix") mixers require a longer length to achieve a complete mix. Quadro (square) mixers are more effective in mixing the adhesive components and therefore can be shorter, which reduces wastage.
• Mixer diameter: Larger diameter mixers allow for faster dispensing in high-volume applications. Large diameter mixers are also more suited for high-viscosity adhesives. But bear in mind that the higher flow rate of a large diameter mixer means that longer length is required for a complete mix.
• Mixer connection system: This describes the method that the static mixer attaches to the adhesive cartridge. We will tell you more about this in the next section.

Connection systems for static mixers

We have already selected appropriate mixers designs for the two-part adhesives that we offer. The only factor that you need to consider when choosing your static mixer is which cartridge/mixer system you are using:

• A-System Mixers

  

  A-System mixers are bayonet-style static mixers for 50ml cartridges with a single adhesive outlet. These are typically found on 50ml cartridges with a 1:1 or 2:1 adhesive mix ratio. These mixers are also known as the Sulzer Mixpac™ Helix or Quadro (MAH or MAQ).

• B-System Mixers

  

  B-System mixers are twist-lock static mixers for 50ml cartridges with separate resin and hardener outlets to prevent cross-contamination in the cartridge. They can be found on cartridges with all mix ratios from 1:1 to 10:1. Although B-System technically refers to the mixer style only, this naming typical refers to B-System cartridges with a square flange. These mixers are known as Sulzer Mixpac™ (MBH), Mixpac™ Quadro (MBQ or MBQX) and Sulzer Mixpac™ Statomix (MBX or MBHX).

• S-System Mixers

  

  S-System mixers are the exact same twist-lock static mixers used by the 50ml B-System. The difference is actually the flange type, not the mixer: While the term "B-System" is usually used for cartridges with a square flange, the term S-System is used for cartridges with a round flange. These cartridges are correctly known as "BS-System" (i.e. B-System / S-Flange) but are also called "SS" cartridges, "S-Flange", "BS-Flange" or "S-System".

• C-System Mixers

  

  C-System mixers are threaded screw-on static mixers for 200-400ml cartridges with a single adhesive outlet. You may also know these mixers as Sulzer Mixpac™ Helix or Quadro (MCH, MCQ or MGQ)

• F-System Mixers

  

  F-System mixers are snap-in static mixers and are found on 200ml to 600ml cartridges with separate resin and hardener outlets. These mixers are known as Sulzer Mixpac™ Statomix (MFH, MFQ, MFHX and MFQX).

Wired4Signs two-part adhesives

Shop our range of two-part adhesives which are custom engineered to our specification to suit the requirements of the signage industry.

Or contact us for specific requirements or bulk orders.