Risdon International Inc. (Watertown, CT) manufactures containers and bottles for the cosmetics industry. Customers include Chanel, Avon, Mary Kay and Proctor & Gamble.

Recently, the company set about finding a UV-curable material for use on a line of new polypropylene cosmetics containers. Among other requirements, the company wanted a material that would be easy to dispense and not contaminate the bottles’ contents. The company also wanted a material with a short cure time.

Ultimately, Risdon went with a UV-curable formulation from Tangent Industries Inc. (Winsted, CT), a company that specializes in UV-curable adhesives, sealants and coatings used in a number of industries. Among other products, Tangent Industries manufactures glass-to-glass bonders used by the glass furniture industry in Italy; plastic bonders used in disposable medical device packaging; and a number of different pour-in-place gasket products.

During the evaluation process, Tangent engineers not only demonstrated their product’s effectiveness with respect to the bottles’ substrate material, they also worked with Risdon’s automated equipment supplier to optimize the material’s dispensing characteristics. The UV light source and photoinitiator system in the sealant formulation were also coordinated to make sure the system met Risdon’s high-speed production targets.

At one point, Tangent prepared a number of cured samples, which Risdon then submitted to its customers, so that they could confirm the cured sealant would be inert to any materials placed in the bottles.

Shortly afterward, one of Risdon’s customers asked for a design change that required a number of other modifications throughout the manufacturing process. However, by carefully coordinating the variables involved, Tangent engineers were still able to create an adhesive that helped make for a successful new product launch.

For more on UV-curable adhesives, visitwww.tangentindinc.comor call 860-738-7449.