Ekho: Herculean Strength
Thermoset Adhesive™
Best Product Innovation
Development of innovative niche adhesive products that either solve specific customer problems or make possible the use of products by a wider user base is the drive behind innovation at US west coast company Westech Aerosol Corp. With its Ekho™ thermoset adhesive it set out to creat a fast-curing foamed adhesive with minimal environmental impact, but that was also straightforward to use, explains head of R&D Jim Manlove.
The product is a fully reactive, liquid polyurethane adhesive that cures to form an initial bond in as little as five minutes. It is 100% solvent-free and contains no volatile organic compounds (VOC's). But the innovation does not revolve solely around the formulation, says Manlove. Westech also developed the over-all packaging for the product with ease of use in mind, and had to design a filling line that protected the moisture-curing adhesive during production and filling.
Indeed, the primary challenge in developing the product, he says, was in developing a container that separated the propellant from the adhesive and protected the adhesive from exposure to miosture until used. A barrier can with a low surface energy plastic bag was identified as the most effective way to solve these problems.
The result is a product offered in a propellant-charged aerosol can that dispenses product from a nozzle at the touch of a finger. Use is therefore simple and straightforward, and the adhesive does not need to be mixed or heated, as required by the two-component or hot melt adhesives it can replace.
David Carnahan, president and founder of Westech, says that one of the aims of the company and its innovation strategy is to put relatively high technology products into the hands of lower skilled workers in the manufacturing environment. Another is to develop products that do a job that could not be done before or that lower costs significantly. "We take our ideas from the marketplace and generally have two to three project that fit our criteria at any one time."
He explains that the company's core competency is in the development of the entire package, based around adhesive and aerosol technologies. The company was set up around five years ago as an adhesives specialist and has since added the aerosol integration. It develops and supplies products for industrial use, with packs from a few pounds up to 185lb.
Manlove adds that the company has just three people working directly on product innovation, but relies on its entire staff to participate in new product development. "Sales and marketing can help bring in new ideas from the field," he says. The aim is to find disruptive technology that meets end-users needs. "Too often 'big box' manufacturers tend to overshoot less demanding customers who are looking for a simple and inexpensive solution."
As presented in Chemical Market Reporter, "Winning Innovators," ICIS Publications 2005 Innovation Awards, sponsored by Dow Corning.