Adhesive and Sealant Applications & Tools

When your sealant or adhesive dispensing project would benefit from a powered tool how do you choose between cordless, battery and air?  Each has inherent advantages and disadvantages.  Following is a summary to help you make a decision that will help you increase your output & efficiency while reducing hassle & frustration.

Firstly, when do you choose a powered gun?  They are best for:

1.       High volume applications (wide joints, etc.)
2.       Where a smooth bead is desired (less tooling because there are no globs resulting from stop / start)
3.       Thick materials
4.       2-component materials with static mixing nozzles
5.       Applications involving long nozzles

Secondly, what are the requirements of the applications?

Mobility: With its go anywhere, do anything convenience, cordless is the clear winner here. Cordless guns have no air hose to hold you back or get dragged through wet product;  No compressor to pull around; and no searching for AC outlets to plug in.

Dispensing Control:  Since the trigger on an air gun is basically an on / off switch it can be challenging to do fine work, even if your pressure regulator is mounted just below the handle as we recommend. In contrast, the variable speed trigger on Albion battery powered guns, used in combination with the max speed limiting dial, gives you total control. Both battery and air powered style guns are drip-free.

Weight: A cordless tool typically weighs 4 or 5 pounds more than a comparable air tool, not including the hose.

Cost: This is a toss-up, depending on your starting point.  If you include the cost of the entire setup for an air powered tool (Compressor, hoses, regulator & gun), it is more expensive than a cordless gun including battery and charger.  However, since many contractors already have access to an air source and hoses they will only consider the cost of the gun and regulator which is 40% less than a cordless setup.

Power: Since the launch of our 18V platform with 950 pounds of force, this has become a minor issue. One exception is 2-component twin cartridges where the 4” diameter air cylinder can deliver more force but in some cases we are surpassing the pressure ratings of the cartridges!  Air powered is still best option for twin sausage packs because the aluminum barrels safely contain all the pressure.

Durability: Battery powered guns are comprised of motors, triggers, batteries and electronics which makes them more complex than air tools, which contain mostly valves and hoses.  Therefore, battery powered guns will require maintenance sooner.

Other Considerations: Because cordless tools are designed to dispense at a continuous rate they are not recommended for crack injection.  Air powered guns are a much better choice for that type of application.  They comfortably hold a constant pressure without over stressing the tool.

Cordless Battery Powered	Feature / Requirement	Air Powered
ü	Mobility
ü	Dispensing Control
	Weight	ü
?	Cost	?
	Power	ü
	Durability	ü

Air Powered (Pneumatic)Pros·         Lighter weight
·         Simpler construction, fewer moving parts
·         Less expensive (assuming that you already own a compressor, hoses and regulator)
·         More powerful in some applications
Cons·         Less dispensing control
·         Mobility limited by air hose length & compressor’s need for power
Cordless Battery PoweredPros·         Unlimited mobility – go anywhere
·         Total dispensing control with variable speed trigger and speed limiting dial
Cons·         Initial Purchase Cost
·         Weight