Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/579391
36 SMT Magazine • October 2015 by Stephen Las Marias i-connecT007 For more than 50 years, Delo Industrial Ad- hesives has developed tailor-made special adhe- sives and application technologies for the au- tomotive, aviation, optoelectronics, as well as consumer and industrial electronics industries. The company also offers select equipment like a pneumatic microdispensing jet-valve or LED curing lamps that match its adhesives with its customers' processes. Headquartered in Germany, Delo has sub- sidiaries in the United States, China and Sin- gapore, and offices in several other countries. With 400 employees worldwide, Delo generat- ed sales revenue of nearly $93 million in fiscal year 2014–2015. Focused on innovation, Delo allots about 15% of its annual revenue—much higher than the industry average of 3 to 4%— for R&D. And so far, its biggest growth comes from innovative products developed within the last three years—accounting for 30% of its total sales revenue. As a mid-sized company, Delo has strategi- cally opted to concentrate on specific bonding applications with the highest challenges. These unique applications all meet a three-fold re- quirement. Each needs a small amount of ad- hesive that must cure quickly, the capability to produce high-volume in fully automated pro- duction processes, as well as the ability to be ex- posed to harsh thermal, mechanical or chemi- cal conditions. In an interview with I-Connect007, Gudrun Weigel, head of engineering and a member of the board at Delo, talked about the importance of cycle time reduction, and how the company is helping its customers address this issue. Stephen Las Marias: how do you define cycle time? Gudrun Weigel: We see cycle time as a part of an overall process. When planning the production of parts or of assembly groups, it is important to first analyze the whole process, and then split it into different steps. At the very minimum, when looking at the application of adhesives or encapsulants, pro- cess time is composed of the sum of dispensing the adhesive, joining the parts, and curing. In some cases other processes, such as surface pre- treatment or subsequent tasks like demolding or in-process inspection, can be added. Depend- ing on the industry and the application, cycle Reducing Cycle Times with Innovative Bonding Solutions FeATure inTerview