From abrasives to insulations, cable to carbon fibers, if your industry involves pumping bulk adhesives, coatings or sealants then you are going to need large-volume drum unloading equipment. Whether you are investing or upgrading, here are some of the leading hot melt drum unloaders you should be looking at.
UNIFLOW
Based in Richmond, VA, Industrial Machine Manufacturing’s (IMMCO’s) Uniflow brand hot melt drum unloaders feature industry-leading melt and pump rates for applications including adhesives, sealants, coatings, and other hotmelt materials. The company has been building drum unloaders and associated equipment since 1975 and has a reputation for building reliable machines that last for decades.
IMMCO offers two hotmelt drum unloader styles: The Model 230 is designed for very high-volume production and/or for pumping extremely viscous materials. It uses a 34KW or 52KW platen and a hydraulic system capable of delivering a ram force as high as 40,000lb. The all-new Model 4230 is a competitively priced, highly efficient pneumatic drum unloader guaranteed to pump at least 40% faster than any competing machine. It has many of the high-performance features of the Model 230 but at a fraction of the price.
Both Uniflow models can save customers money by reducing waste. Uniflow drum unloaders leave only about 2 lbs of material in the bottom of each drum, a 90 – 95% reduction from competing machines. Some customers have realized a payback as short as 3 months from material savings alone.
NORDSON
German-based Nordson Corporation makes a wide range of equipment including drum and tank melters and associated valves and metering and dispensing systems. Nordson’s widely used DuraDrum and low-dead-space VersaDrum lines are available with a range of platen designs. The VersaDrum system comes in both gear and piston pump configurations. Both models also come in smaller DuraPail and VersaPail versions.
Nordson’s sealant-focused heated unloaders offer relatively low melt and pump rates. And, while the company’s wide product range is great for machine integration, it does mean long-term support for individual machines can be more patchy than from more focused OEMs.
VALCO MELTON
Valco Melton offers a variety of hot melt products with a focus on polyurethane adhesives for the paper and packaging industry. The Cincinnati, OH-based company makes hot melt tanks, dispensers, and drum and pail unloaders. Some of Valco Melton’s unloaders are preconfigured to work in tandem using a simple Ethernet connection.
The workhorse SmartDrum series features excellent melt rates for adhesives in 200-liter drums while the FlexDrum tackles a wide range of adhesives with both finned and flat platen options. The DDrum line offers good melt rates for both sealants and adhesives with three platens for different pumping and power configurations for EVA, polystyrene, and polyurethane applications.
ITW DYNATEC
ITW Dynatec makes bulk adhesive melting equipment for the packaging, converting, and non-woven textile markets. The company’s DynaDrum and smaller DynaPail hot melt drum unloaders are both versatile and easy-to-use products. The machines are reputed to have the fastest platen heat-up times in the industry — although overall melting rates are relatively low.
Both the DynaDrum and DynaPail systems are available in both gear and piston configurations and with a range of easily interchangeable platen faces for both reactive and non-reactive adhesives. The unit’s modular construction is designed to make maintenance easier.
GRACO
Graco products are widely used in the food, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries and are supported by a strong network of regional distributors. Graco’s primary hot melt application is its Therm-O-Flow system.
The system comes in 200-liter drum-sized and 20-liter pail-sized configurations and features advanced temperature controls designed to eliminate virtually all over-baked material. Both units can be used in tandem or parallel to increase production and reduce stoppage time.
ROBATECH
Swiss-based Robatech is focused squarely on the global adhesives market. The company makes melters for both thermoplastic and reactive hot melt adhesives including the Robadrum 20 and Robadrum 200 units for handling pails and drums respectively.
The Robadrum systems feature considerable flexibility including the ability to handle sealants and butyl in addition to adhesives. The ability to combine a selection of pumps and melting plates in either unit means drum-unloading performance can be optimized to your product’s viscosity and reactivity.
WHAT MAKES UNIFLOW DIFFERENT?
The heart of Uniflow’s system is a unique machined aluminum platen design that improves both heating performance and pumping efficiency by offering nearly twice the heat transfer area of competing machinery.
Our equipment also features:
- Reliable gear pumps that provide uniform flow up to 2,500psi and near maintenance-free operation.
- Our patented Seg-O-Seal™ system locks out air to maximize pumping efficiency while making seal replacement much easier.
- Unique barrel-bottom pumping technology that can leave as little as 2lb of material in a drum, cutting waste by up to 95%.
- Powerful downward ram forces that yield high pump rates with a wide range of hot melt materials.
Uniflow equipment offers industry-leading performance, efficiency, and affordability. Our customers also enjoy:
- Ease of use and reliability
- Customizable options, such as tandem drum unloaders, and
- Quick delivery lead times.
Click below to find out how Uniflow can help you boost production rates and reduce waste for less.
