tesa Reaches for the Skylight

The market leader in its sector,the Suffolk-based company is the only flat roof skylight manufacturer in the world to have been awarded a BSI Kitemark for a rooflight.

Sunsquare visited the tesa stand at a trade exhibition to learn more about the advances in adhesive tape technology. During the initial discussion it emerged there was a lengthy cure time required for a modified Silane adhesive that was used to structurally bond the insulated glass unit (IGU) to a frame in the design of their Flat and Pyramid products which resulted in factory space being taken up and an unavoidable extension to the lead time before shipping to their customer. A double sided thermal spacer tape was also used to hold the IGU during this cure time but it did not create a strong enough bond for the product to be moved.

tesa’s customer team presented a high performance acrylic core tape called tesa® ACX^plus which is ideal for structural bonding applications. They explained how this could also provide a thermal break and also the required gap for the Silane adhesive to flow. Subsequently, tesa visited the Sunsquare factory in Bury St Edmunds, and conducted product tests to demonstrate the high immediate bond that tesa® ACX^plus could provide. This was supported by extensive laboratory tests to demonstrate the products performance and durability over time via accelerated ageing tests

Clive Howard, Technical Director at Sunsquare, is delighted with the outcome, commenting “The introduction of tesa® ACX^plus into our production process has increased individual unit manufacturing output, enabling shorter lead times for delivery to the customer.”

tesa’s Mat Lord summarises. “By replacing the existing bonding application with tesa® ACX^plus, Sunsquare has reduced cure times, streamlining production and shortening delivery times, all elements that are key to ensuring customer satisfaction and repeat orders.”