Spray adhesives are excellent tools for sticking materials together. They are also convenient during clothing production, helping join fabric layers. When it comes to spray adhesives, open time is a key parameter that one must consider. However, the question is: What is spray adhesive open time for efficient clothing production?
Knowing the open time is of the utmost importance. Using spray adhesive without knowing its open time would result in a poor-quality bond. The glue can either dry too quickly or too late, affecting the quality of the bond. This article will discuss everything related to spray adhesion for clothing production.
What is Spray Adhesive Open Time?
Before diving into clothing use, let’s start with a basic overview of spray adhesive open time.
Spray adhesive open time is the duration in which spray or glue remains sticky. After that, the glue undergoes curing and becomes dry. Suppose a spray adhesive has an open time of 3 minutes so that this glue will remain sticky for three minutes only. After that, its stickiness will go, and you won’t be able to join two fabrics together.
Notably, open times that are too short or too long are not good. However, the performance of spray adhesives can vary depending on their use and quality. Some adhesives have an open time of 1 to 30 seconds. Conversely, the other spray adhesives can remain stuck for 2 to 5 minutes.
When using spray adhesive, you must join material within the open time. For example, if spray adhesive has an open time of 1 minute. You must place two fabrics together and press them within 1 minute. If you don’t do this, the glue will undergo curing and become dry. As a result, it will lose its stickiness and become useless.
Many factors affect the open time of spray adhesive. For example, high temperatures increase the curing time. Under high temperatures, the spray adhesive remains sticky for longer, and vice versa. Humidity, pressure, and moisture also impact the open time of spray adhesive.
Why is Open Time So Important For Clothing Production?
Open time plays a key role in the application of spray adhesives. It helps achieve higher efficiency, quality, and precision in fabric bonding. Very high or too low open time is not good when you’re into clothing production. For example, if you have spray adhesive with 10 seconds of open time.
This means you’ll have to place two layers of fabric very quickly. If you fail to join layers in 10 seconds, the glue will dry and won’t stick. In this hurry, you can make mistakes and misalign the layers. This will affect the overall precision and quality of bonds joining two fabrics. The second case is having spray adhesive with very high open time.
In such a case, you must wait for glue to dry when you combine two fabrics. In some cases, the glues can cause leaking or seepage in the fabrics before passing open time. Ultimately, it would affect the quality bond between the layers of fabrics. Moreover, it also reduces production speed as you’ll have to wait for it to dry.
How can we forget the dust factor? If the open time is too long, you’ll have to leave the fabric layers for an extended duration. During this time, dust and other contamination can come into contact with the glue. As a result, its stickiness can be affected. So, it won’t create strong and reliable bonding between layers of two fabrics.
What is Ideal Spray Adhesive Open Time for Efficient Clothing Production?
There is no one fit for all regarding the open time of spray adhesive.
Different fabrics and clothing require different open times for spray. The production process, labor speed, and environmental conditions also affect the open time. On average, a spray adhesive with an open time of 20 seconds to 1 minute is suitable for efficient clothing production.
However, you should never rely on a specific open time when producing fabrics. As I said, multiple factors define an ideal open time for clothing production. For example, cotton fabric requires a short open time, while polyester requires longer. Similarly, we discuss a few more factors in the section below.
1- Process Type and Open Time Needs
During clothing production, manufacturers follow different processes. All those processes vary from one another and help them create clothing of different qualities. Each of those processes has a unique requirement of spray adhesive open time. Here are the prominent types:
- Seamless Bonding
- Temporary Bonding
- Permanent Bonding
Seamless bonding is a process in which no stitching or sewing is done. Instead, spray adhesive joins the fabrics and decorations, such as sequins or rhinestones. This type of fabric processing requires longer open time.
The manufacturers need more time to adjust and position the pieces. So, the longer the open time is, the more time they have to change the pieces to the perfect position. The permanent bonding also requires more open time. In this type of processing, the fabric pieces are permanently joined using spray adhesive.
Conversely, temporary bonding does not require a high open time. Instead, manufacturers prefer the spray to be opened in less time. This type of bonding is generally done to position the fabric before sewing it. The short open time helps increase the speed. So, you must analyze the processes you’re using for clothing production.
2- Material Type and Open Time
Different types of fabrics are available in the market. Each has unique properties and characteristics. For example, cotton and linen are natural fibers. They are very soft and absorb the spray adhesion quickly, so they don’t need long open time.
Instead, an open time of 10 to 30 seconds is enough for them. On the flip side, some synthetic fabrics are available. They are more rigid and don’t absorb the spray adhesion. If you are joining synthetic fabrics, you’ll need more than 2 minutes of open time. Similarly, all fabric types can demand different open times depending on their characteristics.
3- Production Efficiency and Environmental Conditions
The key factor defining the open time is the production speed. For example, manufacturers generally prefer high open time if your speed is slow. This gives them more time to adjust and position themselves when joining two fabrics. However, if the production is fast, they need short open time.
This allows them to join the two fabric layers quickly and complete cloth production quickly. Remember, short open times are preferred in fast-moving lines. Environmental conditions are another critical factor that affects the open time.
For example, manufacturers need more open time at high temperatures. This is because high temperatures do not allow glue to dry. Conversely, short open time is required if clothing is produced at low temperatures. Apart from temperature, humidity, and pressure also affect the duration of open time.
4- Manual vs Automated Work
In the past, clothing production was more manual work. It needs extensive labor, which makes the overall production process less efficient. However, modern manufacturing depends on heavy-duty automated machines. If you’re producing cloth using a machine, you’ll need shorter open time and vice versa.
Automated machines are very accurate. They don’t need to adjust the position of the fabric layer before pressing it. Once they join the fabric layers, the spray dries to complete the process. On the flip side, manual clothing production processes require longer open time. As you know, human efforts are always full of mistakes.
You will have to adjust the position of the layers before pressing them. The long open time gives you extra time to adjust. Generally, this type of production requires an open time of 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on labor expertise. Therefore, the manual production of clothing is always very slow and time-consuming.
Open Time Comparison of Clothing Production With Respect to Different Factors
I explained how each factor and production type affects open time in the section above. Remember, different factors affect the open time required for spray adhesive. Here is a table comparing the open time of various processes involved in fabric production.
| Factor | Estimated Open Time |
|---|---|
| Cotton / Linen (Natural fibers) | 10–30 seconds |
| Polyester / Nylon (Synthetic fibers) | 1–2 minutes |
| Temporary Bonding | A few seconds to 1 minute |
| Permanent Bonding | 1–5 minutes |
| Seamless Bonding | 30 seconds to 2 minutes |
| Manual & Slow Production | 30 seconds to 5 minutes |
| Automated & Fast Production | 10–30 seconds |
| High-Temperature Environment | Longer open time needed |
Practical Tips for Choosing the Right Spray Adhesive for Clothing Production
Different types of spray adhesives are available in the market. They vary in terms of their properties and open time. Some have very short open times and are used in quick production lines. On the other hand, some have a longer opening time. So, their usage is more common when adjustments or repositioning of fabric layers are needed.
You should choose adhesive with a short open time in the following conditions:
- Fast production lines
- Temporary bonds are required
- The temperature of the factor is too low.
- You’re joining synthetic fabrics together.
You should choose adhesive with longer open time in the following conditions:
- Slow or manual production lines
- The temperature of the factor is very high
- When you require more adjustments or repositioning
- You’re making clothing by joining multiple layers together.
I highly recommend you test the spray on fabrics before using it. The testing shows how much open time you need to create clothing. Moreover, you should also share your requirements with the spray adhesive supplier. This will help you get the perfect spray adhesive for your specific needs.
perguntas frequentes
Why is open time important in clothing production?
Open time indicates the duration in which the spray or glue remains sticky. Once this time has passed, the glue will no longer be sticky and will no longer join two fabric layers.
Do different fabrics need different open times?
Yes, each fabric has its unique characteristics that affect its open time. For example, cotton requires a short open time. On the flip side, synthetic fabrics require longer open time.
How does temperature affect open time?
Higher temperatures will not allow the spray or glue to dry. Therefore, you should use the spray with a small open time. On the flip side, if the temperature is low, I recommend choosing spray adhesive with a longer open time.
Conclusão
O spray adhesive has many benefits, especially for clothing production. It allows us to create a strong bond between the two fabrics. However, many seem to be confused about open time for clothing. This article provides a detailed explanation of the need for clothing production during open time.
Remember, each fabric requires a specific open time ranging from 15 seconds to 5 minutes. Moreover, the production process, fabric type, and speed also affect the open time. If you need to produce clothing quickly, you’ll need shorter open time, and vice versa.