Reliable connections H.B. Fuller

RELIABLE CONNECTIONS

H.B. Fuller adhesives are an integral part of nearly every kind of finished good in the marketplace – from electronic devices and building materials to packaging and filters and many others. With the increasing focus on sustainability and environmental protection, the company is at the forefront of innovative solutions that prolong product life with a limited environmental footprint. Romana Moares reports.

Since H.B. Fuller’s beginnings as a one-man paste shop in 1887, the business has maintained a tradition of developing innovative solutions to meet the needs of a wide range of customers across many industry sectors.

H.B. Fuller’s expertise is about more than understanding adhesives. With 55 manufacturing sites in 42 countries, it continually advances scientific and technical innovations. Around the world, the company’s Technology Centers of Excellence are connecting adhesive technology and market experts to its customers’ product design and development experts. The aim is to find new ways to bond complex substrates that result in lighter, faster, safer, smarter and less expensive consumer and durable goods.

Proven resilience

Last year, the company took an active approach to participating in the effort to ease the Covid-19 pandemic, by developing special adhesives to be used in the pharmaceutical industry.

As proper packaging is essential to securely and reliably preserve and transport pharmaceutical products, including vaccines and medication, adhesives play a key role in packaging performance, especially in the face of strict storage requirements and the need to set up ultra-low-temperature freezers at vaccination centres.

With Advantra 9280 EU and Advantra BOLD™ 9480, H.B. Fuller offers readily available extreme cold-resistant adhesive grades. These have been designed for tough surfaces and harsh conditions such as high-speed pharmaceutical packaging lines without counterpressure. Both solutions are commercially available in Europe, India, Middle East, and Africa, with equivalent performance grades available globally.

In general, in 2020 the company demonstrated the resilience of its business strategy. Jim Owens, H.B. Fuller President and CEO affirmed that the company exited the unprecedented year much stronger.

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, adhesives have proven their enduring importance in the supply chain for essential goods around the world. As the leader in adhesive innovation for hygiene, health,

consumer products and advanced adhesive applications, H.B. Fuller is well positioned to continue to create value for shareholders in 2021 and beyond.”

Minimising environmental footprint

The pandemic has not been the only issue that has been a concern for the company in recent months. The increasing environmental awareness of consumers, strict legislation, and the move towards a circular economy is significantly affecting both markets and trade. In line with these developments, the company has mobilised its research capability to come up with several new products.

February 2021 saw the launch of a new generation of highperformance adhesives to create consumer-safe, liquid-resistant paper straws designed for fast-moving machines and improved sustainability. This technology offers paper straw producers superior performance in terms of consistent, easy machinability, cleanability, and overall productivity in response to the increased demand for safe and sustainable paper straws.

The Swift tak 5730 water-based adhesive offers paper straw producers superior performance in terms of consistent, easy machinability, cleanability, and overall productivity in response to the increased demand for safe and sustainable paper straws. This new generation of plasticizer free, three-hour liquid resistant adhesive, which exceeds the liquid resistance market requirement for cold beverages, enables a high-quality durable straw and reduces operational downtime.

Another innovation was introduced for packaging materials, a sector that has become of prominent importance as a result of the steep growth of e-commerce during the pandemic.

In April, H.B. Fuller announced the launch of game-changing adhesives for flexible packaging under its worldwide renowned Flextra Evolution brand, addressing the topics of recyclability and compostability. In flexible packaging, the adhesive holds the whole structure together and, to make the whole package compostable, the adhesive must also be compostable.

Competing in a changing world

According to the company, these new solutions have similar performance to conventional multi-layer packaging adhesives, show great printability and appearance, and work seamlessly with

standard equipment. Most importantly, in industrial composting facilities, the adhesives decompose with no toxic residue, microplastics, or other pollutants.

Jim Owens affirmed that in 2021, the company will focus on continuing to grow its business profitably by innovating and supporting its customers’ success in the current, high-demand and supplyconstrained environment.

He further pointed out that leveraging the momentum that the company created throughout 2020, the H.B. Fuller team delivered exceptional financial performance of 30% growth in EBITDA in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

“We have done a remarkable job in supporting customers through effective sourcing strategies and supply chain management. In the second quarter of 2021, we have implemented significant price adjustments which will enable us to continue to seamlessly serve our customers in the coming months.”

“It is clear that our diversified business model, coupled with a global focus on operational agility and market-driven innovation, are competitive advantages for H.B. Fuller in the adhesives industry, especially in a changing world.” n