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All-in-One Elastic Attachment Adhesive Improves Performance and Mileage

Posted 03 ago 2020 by Julia Li – Global Strategic Marketing Manager, Business Leader, Global Membrane Separation

As nonwoven hygiene product designs evolve to improve fit and address consumer pain points, the industry is increasingly turning toward the use of elastic materials. This is evident in the market trends for training pants, adult incontinence products, and alternative product designs with stretch features.

  • Global demand for training pants, which have stretchy, elastic waists and belly bands, is expected to grow at 9% CAGR, significantly outpacing the growth of open diapers in the next five years according to Euromonitor International Outlook.
  • Improved product designs and fit drive elastics usage for the adult incontinence product category, which is expected grow at 5% CAGR 2019-2023.
  • Various elastic features, such as doubled cuffs and stretchable cores, in alternative product designs aim at improving fit and preventing core sagginess after insult.

At H.B. Fuller, we also understand that reliable attachment and performance of the elastic features can address key consumer pain points in hygiene and nonwovens products.

Key Consumer Pain Points

To understand key consumer pain points, our nonwovens experts studied feedback from nearly 30,000 e-commerce ratings and reviews performed. In this study, we identified leakage and blowouts as the number-one key consumer pain point with mentions in 32% of unsatisfactory reviews.

 We presented these findings in Capturing the Voice-of-Consumer and Addressing Their Key Pain Points Through Core Adhesive Innovations at Hygienix 2018. You can learn more about the study here.

In these consumer reviews, elastic features were one of the critical indicators of overall diaper performance. For example, multiple consumers described leaks occurring more frequently after their babies started to move more, causing the leg and waist elastic attachment to loosen over the wear cycle.

Adhesive Requirements for Elastic Attachment

We have identified three critical types of applications and elastic adhesive requirements to address the key pain points indicated by consumers:

  • Elastic attachment applications that require elastic attachment adhesives with excellent creep resistance to ensure fit and minimize leaks.
  • High stress applications that require adhesives with sheer strength to ensure reliable bond for product integrity.
  • Curved elastic attachment applications that require adhesives with specific viscosity and green tack to hold elastic strands in place and provide secure article fit throughout.

No More Creep – All-in-One Elastic Attachment Solution

We are proud to introduce the newest generation of H.B. Fuller elastic attachment adhesives - Full-Care ® 8220. This is an all-in-one elastic attachment adhesive with best-in-class creep and sheer strength performance across all key adult and baby diaper applications. Manufacturers of absorbent hygiene articles no longer need to compromise or use multiple adhesives across various elastic and high stress applications.

When tested against the industry standard elastic adhesive, Full-Care 8220 demonstrated:

  • Best-in-class creep resistance at lowest in the industry coat weights;
  • Robust sheer strength for high-stress tear, tab and insert attachment applications;
  • Reliable curved elastic attachment performance on high-stress curved application for improved article fit;
  • Potential for measurable savings with up to 25% add-on reduction on key industry substrates;
  • Excellent processability across various machine types, allowing for higher productivity and minimized downtime for hygiene manufacturers.
Full-Care 8220 was recently tested against other leading adhesive suppliers in an elastic adhesive benchmarking study, conducted by a North America adult incontinence product manufacturer. In a third-party lab, Full-Care 8220 outperformed four leading competitive elastic adhesive products, delivering zero creep. The manufacturer and third-party OEM were impressed with the product’s smooth machining and robust
performance on their lines.

Full-Care 8220 is just one adhesive in our full line of Full-Care® 8000 Series elastic attachment adhesives. Our elastic attachment solutions are designed to minimize your total cost of ownership while producing better fitting absorbent hygiene products.

Whether you are just starting to work on the new product design or looking to improve the performance of the existing product, H.B. Fuller is here to help find the best solution that addresses your performance, efficiency and profitability requirements.

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