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Stop spraying and apply your coatings and adhesives digitally

From footwear to cars, wherever coatings and adhesives are applied manually, digital printing changes the game. Covestro offers raw materials suited for digital processing, from Desmomelt® U adhesive solutions for precise, automated bonding to Desmodur® based coatings for maskless digital printing.
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Manually applied coatings and adhesives: major opportunity for 2D printing

High precision is what differentiates the top tier from the followers in almost any industry. Sport apparel manufacturers, car makers, electronics and footwear suppliers are all focusing on frictionless machine processes that can deliver precision, quality and ease of production, and achieve this combination cost-effectively.  
 
This makes the digital application of coatings and adhesives the next logical step for forward-looking businesses. With more control and greater flexibility, producers and designers alike have the freedom to be as precise as possible in creating better products. 
 
Covestro is a reliable partner for high performance polyurethane (PU) raw materials for coatings and adhesives, offering digital printing know-how that can bring 2D printing forward into everyday use.

Digital printing of adhesives: Precise, automated glue application enabled by Desmomelt® U

Product design and production steps are increasingly shaped by digital processing, so the digital application of glue is an important part of the transformation in manufacturing. Yet in many sectors, adhesives are still applied manually. 
 
Desmomelt® U based hot melts enable the highly automated, precise digital printing of adhesives, resulting in greater design freedom.
 
From footwear to textiles or electronic applications, our goal in every customer collaboration is to reach that sweet spot of high quality and cost-effective production without having to make any compromises.

Digital printing of coatings: Avoid overspray, masking and production complexity

Covestro provides high-performance polyurethane (PU) based raw materials for coatings, including Desmodur® crosslinkers. Our digital printing know-how enables Covestro customers to formulate high-performance coatings that can be used in precise, digital, maskless and overspray-free applications. This offers increased opportunities for quality control, while matching the trusted properties of conventional polyurethane coatings.

Footwear: Increased production efficiency through automation enabled by Desmomelt® U

Shoe assembly is a complex, labor-intensive process, in which adhesives are still nearly always applied manually. 
 
With Desmomelt® U, Covestro offers aliphatic hot melt adhesive raw materials that can be applied automatically via 2D digital printing. This means fewer processing steps and less waste without compromising quality.
A game-changer in shoe manufacturing: Digital printing can reduce the amount of manual labor required and speed up the production process.

2D printed hot melt adhesives enable high precision in electronics assembly

Assembly of electronic parts requires highly precise glue application, even on increasingly complex structures such as smartphone displays. Adhesives based on Desmomelt® U give electronics producers a high-performance solution that can be applied precisely in a digital process.
 
If used as a thermoplastic hot melt, this aliphatic adhesive can make end-of-life considerations and recycling easier.

Digital printing for automotive coatings: Covestro expertise paves the way

Today, automotive coatings are applied by spraying, resulting in overspray, high energy costs and often the need for masking. Desmodur® based material solutions from Covestro enable automotive OEMs and coating suppliers to apply polyurethane coatings with precision using digital printing, while keeping the quality of standard spray application.

“Our PU raw materials combined with our expertise in 2D digital printing make us a trusted partner for forward-thinking companies who adopt 2D printing technology for their coating and adhesive solutions. ”

Dr. Ann-Christin Bijlard-Jung

Business Development 2D Digital Printing, Covestro

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Key Benefits

  • Cost-efficient: test application automates, reduces production steps and minimizes overspray.
  • Precise: Adhesives and coatings can be applied exactly, without overspray or masking.
  • Automated: Automated, precise digital glue application reduces manual processes.
  • High-performance: The trusted performance of polyurethane is possible for digital applications.
  • Individualization: Digital application means products can be individualized cost-effectively.
  • Design freedom: Complex CAD-based 3D geometries can be applied precisely.
  • Enabling partner: Covestro offers deep expertise in raw materials and digital processing.
  • Easier recycling: Desmomelt® U adhesives can be calibrated for easier end-of-life disassembly.
  • Less waste: Rejects and waste due to overspray or adhesive failure can be minimized.
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