Hot melt glue gun glossary.
The words you meet when choosing and using a hot melt glue gun, in plain English. Each one links to the page where it matters.
- Adapter
- A small threaded part that joins a nozzle to a gun with a different thread. Without it, the nozzle will not fit. More on adapter
- Bead
- The line or dot of glue a nozzle lays. Its size depends on the nozzle bore, the temperature and how hard the glue is pushed. More on bead
- Bulk gun
- A gun with a tank you top up with granulate, pillows or sticks, as opposed to a cartridge gun. More on bulk gun
- Cartridge
- A sealed 310 ml aluminium tube of adhesive that goes into a cartridge gun. Reka also makes a refillable cartridge that takes granulate and pillows. More on cartridge
- Cartridge preheater
- Keeps filled cartridges hot and ready, so when the one in the gun runs empty, a hot one goes in with very little wait. Reka's is the KVG.LCD, #5143. More on cartridge preheater
- Charring
- Hot melt kept too hot, or hot for too long, burns into brown or black flakes that can block the nozzle. More on charring
- Electronic temperature control
- The temperature is set and held by electronics, more closely than a thermostat. The LCD models show it on a display. More on electronic temperature control
- EVA
- Ethylene-vinyl acetate, the everyday packaging hot melt for paper, cartons and board. It softens with heat. More on EVA
- Granulate
- Hot melt as small pellets, poured into the tank of a bulk gun. More on granulate
- High temperature on request
- The TR 55.2 LCD, TR 60 LCD, TR 70 LCD and TR 80 LCD normally run from 50 to 210 °C. On request they are supplied for up to 250 °C, for adhesives that need more heat. More on high temperature on request
- Hot melt adhesive
- A glue that is solid at room temperature. It is melted in a gun or melter, applied hot, and bonds as it cools. More on hot melt adhesive
- Hot melt system (melter)
- A tank, pump and heated hoses that feed one or more applicator heads, for continuous lines. Mahisa builds these. More on hot melt system (melter)
- Melt rate
- How much adhesive a gun or melter can melt in an hour, usually in kg per hour. It limits how much glue you can lay without a pause. More on melt rate
- Nozzle thread
- The screw thread where the nozzle meets the gun. Reka guns use M10, M12 × 1.5 and M14; an adapter joins a nozzle with a different thread. More on nozzle thread
- Oil and water separator
- A filter on the compressed air line that keeps oil and water out of an air-driven gun. More on oil and water separator
- Open time
- How long the glue stays tacky enough to bond after it leaves the nozzle. The parts must be joined within this time. More on open time
- Pillows
- Hot melt as small cushion-shaped pieces, poured into the tank like granulate. More on pillows
- Polyolefin (PO)
- A hot melt with low odour and better heat and cold resistance than EVA, good on coated and difficult board. More on polyolefin (PO)
- Pre-melter
- A separate unit that melts adhesive in bulk, for example to fill refillable cartridges. Reka's is the VSB 40 pre-melter (4 L, also takes blocks), #5563. More on pre-melter
- Pressure regulator
- Sets the air pressure that feeds an air-driven gun. Reka's stand #1266 carries one with a gauge. More on pressure regulator
- Pressure-sensitive hot melt (PSA)
- A hot melt that stays tacky after it cools, used for labels, tapes and bonds that can be pulled apart. Slot nozzles suit it. More on pressure-sensitive hot melt (PSA)
- PUR
- Reactive polyurethane hot melt. It is applied like hot melt, then cures with moisture into a stronger, more heat-resistant bond. Because it reacts with moisture, it is kept sealed and used from a cartridge. More on PUR
- Set time
- How long the bond takes to hold after the parts are joined, before they can be let go. More on set time
- Slot nozzle
- A nozzle with a wide, flat opening that lays a band of glue instead of a bead. Slot nozzles suit glues with long open times. More on slot nozzle
- Spray air
- On the TR 60 LCD and TR 80 LCD, heated air that breaks the glue into a spray pattern. It is set separately from the glue. More on spray air
- Sticks
- Hot melt formed into solid rods. Some Reka tank guns take large 43 mm sticks as well as granulate and pillows; craft guns take thin ones, commonly 11 mm. More on sticks
- Thermostat control
- The temperature is held by a thermostat, within a wider band than electronic control. More on thermostat control
- Vent valve (SEV)
- The valve on the lid of an air-driven Reka gun that lets the air out when you release the trigger. A clogged one makes the gun drip. More on vent valve (SEV)
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Tell us what you are bonding and how many a day. We will suggest the gun, nozzle and glue, with prices.
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