JOWAT INTERNATIONAL Together with the customer, the Jowat team analysed their laminating process in detail and eventually advised them to go with Jowatherm-Reaktant® 609.40. This was rec- ommended as the production of high-gloss fronts is a demanding adhesive application, and the suggested PUR laminating adhesive is specially optimised for processes such as these. “A universal adhesive is only suitable for high gloss lamination to a limited extent,” ex- plains Tim Martin. “Our adhesive, for example, is processed at a lower temperature than the product our customer was using before. This alone can prevent the orange peel effect.” It goes without saying that the enthusiasm was huge when the first flawless furniture parts came off the laminating line. Since then, the cabinet door manufacturer has repeatedly relied on Jowat’s expertise, for example in the progressive switch to PUR 28 »We are the first adhesive supplier to be called in to provide customer support.« Tim Martin, National Sales Manager, Jowat Canada hot melt adhesives as a state-of-the-art solu- tion in the field of edgebanding. After exten- sive testing of various products directly on the job, the Jowatherm-Reaktant® 608.00/.01 formulation finally came out on top. What’s more, the colourless, thin ‘zero joint’ meant further quality advances could be achieved with the unfilled PUR hot melt adhesive. Technological change in edgebanding As in this case, Jowat is assisting numerous customers across Canada with the shift in technology surrounding edgebanding. The formerly established procedure involving the roller application of EVA adhesives is gradu- ally being replaced by the precisely metered application of PUR or PO hot melt adhesives with the slot nozzle. The result is a much more delicate and cleaner bond than before, which allows permanent high-quality joints to be created in aesthetically pleasing zero-joint quality. “We are extremely well networked and cooperate closely with Canadian manu- facturers of edgebands,” reports Tim Martin. “If they launch new edgebands on the market, we are usually the first adhesive supplier to be called in to help support their customers.” This is an opportunity that the Jowat team is more than happy to take. After all, in spite of the physical distance, the Jowat Canada employees attach great importance to direct customer contact. In countries like Canada where the area of responsibility is vast, the opportunity to take part in trade fairs is worth its weight in gold. That’s something that all industry rep- resentatives can agree on, having had to miss many essential trade fairs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With this in mind, leading suppli- ers in the woodworking machine sector joined forces to organise a suitable replacement event in the form of the Woodworking Tech- nology Days in October 2020. These were, of course, held in compliance with strict hygiene measures, and as the only adhesive manufac- turer present, Jowat seized the opportunity to showcase its range. “In light of the pres- ent situation, this was the only major event in Canada in 2020 where the industry could exchange views on the latest developments and technologies,” notes Tim Martin. And it wasn’t just the suppliers who were excited by the event: plenty of potential customers were only too happy with the opportunity to take part in some lively discussions on the latest developments and technologies in laminating and edgebanding. Fortunately enough, social distancing and working from home have not prevented the experienced Canadians from continuing to maintain their usual close relationships with partners and customers. After all, Territory Sales Managers Brian Sufak and Jean Dubuc, who joined during the 2020 pandemic year, have not even met their two other colleagues in person yet. Yet this doesn’t detract from their sense of belonging. “The four of us all pull together well in spite of the circumstanc- es,” explains Tim Martin, adding with a wink: “After all, we Canadians are used to over- coming distances.”