Nordson Corporation announced that its Freedom hot melt adhesive dispensing system received the Japan Pack Judge's Award at the Japan International Packaging Machinery Show, held October 16 -18, 2013, in Tokyo, Japan.                                                                    

The innovative system, consisting of the Freedom tankless melter, automatic adhesive filling system, Optix touch-screen controls RediFlex hot melt adhesive hoses and MiniBlue II dispensing applicators was selected from more than 40 competitive entries.

Award criteria included product innovation, safety, energy savings, sustainability, and impact and contribution to the Japanese packaging industry.

The Freedom system delivers value in the form of six freedoms, allowing typical users to achieve a return on their investment in as little as 12 months, and enjoy continued cost savings over the life of the system.  Specifically, the six freedoms include:

Freedom from adhesive availability concerns – The system will accommodate a wide range of packaging-grade, pelletized hot melts including new Technomelt Freedom-certified adhesives from Henkel Corporation which are made from readily available raw materials that are less affected by petrochemical feed stock demands and shortages than traditional packaging EVAs.  

Freedom from downtime associated with char and contamination – Tankless melting prevents the adhesive degradation and char that can occur in conventional melter tanks while the excellent temperature stability of Freedom-certified adhesives further reduces char potential. Reduced char minimizes clogged filters, applicators and nozzles, as well as the resulting maintenance, downtime and lost production.

Freedom from manual adhesive filling – The integrated automatic fill system supplies room-temperature adhesive to the melter, minimizing operator involvement and labor costs while preventing missed adhesive beads from dry melter tanks. Operator exposure to molten adhesive is minimized, as is the potential for bending and lifting injuries associated with manual melter filling.

Freedom from parent machine mounting and integration limitations – Unlike traditional cube-shaped melters, the Freedom melter saves space using a vertical footprint that also allows it to be mounted almost anywhere within parent machinery, on a wall or on available fixed or moveable mounting stands.

Freedom from confusing controls and diagnostics – Simple, intuitive, touch-screen minimizes the need for skilled operators and training. Diagnostic, alert and fault messages are displayed in simple text and in a choice of languages.

Freedom from excessive adhesive use – Improved adhesive density reduces adhesive consumption while intermittent bead dispensing capability enables up to 50-percent less adhesive use. Waste associated with manual spilling and overfilling is also minimized.  

The Japan Pack Show is Asia's largest packaging machinery trade show. Held every two years since 1964, the show is sponsored by the Japan Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association and recognized and supported by global packaging industry trade associations including the U.S.–based Packaging Machinery Manufacturer’s Institute (PMMI). Approximately 97,000 visitors and 326 exhibitor companies participated in the 2013 show.

Nordson Corporation delivers precision technology solutions that help customers increase speed, productivity and up-time, enable new products and features, and decrease material usage.

The company engineers, manufactures and markets differentiated products and systems used for dispensing and processing adhesives, plastics, coatings, sealants, biomaterials and other materials, fluid management, testing and inspection, and UV curing and surface plasma treatment, all supported by application expertise and direct global sales and service.