K Thermo: hot melt adhesive for footwear

What a hot melt adhesive is

A hot melt adhesive is a thermoplastic polymer that melts with heat, is pressed onto the parts and forms the bond as it cools. Kyotex sums it up in three steps: melt, press, cool.

Unlike a solvent-based shoe cement, it doesn't rely on a solvent flashing off. That makes hot melt adhesive for footwear one of the main ways to cut volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions on the line while keeping bond strength.

See the side-by-side comparison in hot melt vs. solvent-based shoe adhesive.

K Thermo formats

K Thermo hot melts come in five forms, all of which bond surfaces with heat and pressure:

• Granules.
• Powder.
• Film.
• Web, a fine mesh of adhesive fibers.
• Net, an open mesh.

The right format depends on your equipment, your materials and how the adhesive needs to be spread across the part.

Hot melt powders

Within the powder range, Kyotex works with several polymers: TPU, PES, PBS — a biodegradable option — and EVA.

According to Kyotex, insole bonding is where powder hot melts show what they can do best. EVA powder is also used in large volumes in leather, footwear, filtration, luggage and carpet manufacturing.

Where hot melts fit

• Solvent-free insole bonding with powder or film.
• Lamination with film, web, net or powder.
• Leather goods, bonding leather and other materials.

Choosing a format

To recommend a format, we need to know your materials, the temperature they can take, the press you run and your production volume.

If your material can't be heated, look at K Next or K System.