How to Reduce Manufacturing Costs by Switching from Urea-Formaldehyde to PVA Adhesives

PVAs vs UF glues: Which one is the right fit for you? This article focuses on the cost and efficiency benefits flooring, plywood and other wood-based panel manufacturers can achieve by switching from urea-formaldehyde adhesives to polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesive solutions.

For wood manufacturers, the real cost of an adhesive is tied to how it performs throughout the manufacturing process. Adhesive coat weight, press time, press temperature, energy consumption, cleanup, and production capacity all contribute to the total cost of a finished panel. When these factors are considered together, changing adhesive systems can create opportunities to lower the total cost of producing a finished panel.

For manufacturers of flooring, plywood and other wood-based panels, switching from a urea-formaldehyde adhesive to a PVA adhesive can potentially reduce operating costs while getting more production volume from existing equipment.

Potential benefits discussed in this article include:

• Lower total glue-line costs
• Reduced adhesive consumption
• Shorter press times = increased production throughput
• Lower hot press temperatures and energy consumption
• Easier equipment and spill cleanup
• Greater production capacity using existing equipment
• Higher panel quality with improved resistance to surface checking

Lower Total Glue-Line Costs

What is the real cost of an adhesive? A lower-cost adhesive does not necessarily produce the lowest-cost glue line.

This is why manufacturers evaluate glue-line cost and cost-in-use, rather than relying solely on price per pound. Glue-line cost considers the amount of adhesive required, application rate, press temperature, cycle time, and production efficiency when calculating the final cost of manufacturing a panel. When evaluating a switch from urea-formaldehyde to PVA, manufacturers should look at the cost of producing the finished panel rather than simply comparing the purchase price of two adhesives. PVAs can help reduce total glue-line costs for some applications by combining less adhesive spread, lower-temperature processing, and shorter press cycles compared with other adhesive chemistries.

Reduced Adhesive Consumption

Adhesive consumption is one of the most direct contributors to glue-line cost. Optimizing spread rates can reduce the amount of adhesive required per panel while maintaining the bond performance needed for the application.

PVA adhesives are water-based emulsions, meaning the product contains both solids and water. As the adhesive sets, water is absorbed into the wood and/or evaporates while the polymer solids remain in the bond line to create a strong bond.

Depending on the formulation, a higher-solids PVA may allow manufacturers to achieve the required bond strength with less adhesive used per panel. This is because PVA formulations can provide strong wetting and effective bond development at optimized spread rates, allowing some applications to achieve the required bond performance with less adhesive applied per panel.

Shorter Press Times = Increased Production Throughput

Press time directly affects production capacity. When an adhesive develops the required bond within a shorter press cycle, manufacturers may be able to produce more panels using the same equipment and production footprint. Reducing cycle time can increase production throughput while helping lower the processing cost associated with each panel.

High-performance PVAs can develop bond strength efficiently without relying on the longer curing reactions required by thermosetting adhesive chemistries, creating opportunity for shorter press cycles and increased panel throughput.

Franklin aims to work directly with manufacturers to find the right adhesive for their unique application scope and manufacturing process requirements. Connect with our team to learn more.

Lower Hot Press Temperatures and Energy Consumption

The U.S. Department of Energy states that in the manufacturing sector, heating is the process responsible for the largest energy demand. Process heating accounts for 68% of the energy usage, and makes energy costs a major driver in manufacturer’s profitability and competitiveness [1].  

Unlike thermosetting chemistries that require heat to drive a chemical cure reaction, PVA adhesives primarily develop their bond through water removal and polymer film formation, allowing some formulations to achieve the required bond performance at lower press temperatures which saves on energy costs. For example, one manufacturing operation was able to reduce its press operating temperature from approximately 270°F to 210°F after changing adhesive systems.

The actual energy savings will vary based on equipment, cycle time, insulation, production schedule, and energy sources. However, reducing the required operating temperature can decrease the amount of energy needed to heat and maintain the press, creating another opportunity to reduce manufacturing costs.

Easier Equipment and Spill Cleanup

Adhesive handling impacts how efficiently a production line can operate. PVA adhesives are water-based systems, which can make routine equipment and spill cleanup more straightforward than systems requiring more aggressive cleaning methods. Easier cleanups can reduce downtime and simplify equipment maintenance.

Greater Production Capacity Using Existing Equipment

Reducing adhesive consumption, press time, or press temperature can create additional production capacity without necessarily requiring new equipment.

For manufacturers operating near the limits of existing press capacity, improvements in cycle time or process efficiency can allow more panels to be produced within the same production schedule.

Increasing output from existing equipment can provide a different type of cost advantage with greater production capacity without a corresponding increase in equipment footprint.

Higher Panel Quality with Improved Resistance to Surface Checking

For flooring, plywood and other laminated wood panels, resistance to surface checking is important for the overall quality of the end use product. Adhesive type, substrate selection, and pressing conditions are part of what influences the rate of panel checking and ultimately the finished panel cost.

A crosslinking PVA that has high solids content can potentially help manufacturers maintain consistent bond performance, reduce checking and quality issues, and ultimately enhance the rate of quality panel output and reduce rework/material waste. The combination of these reduces the total glue-line cost of a produced panel.*

^{*Stated claims rely on proper adhesive selection, spread rate comparisons, chemistry, use, and storage. Accurate pressing times, and optimal environmental conditions in the plant, equipment, and substrate are necessary to achieve performance results.}

Evaluating the Full Manufacturing Process

A complete cost analysis should consider:

• Adhesive consumption (spread rate) per panel
• Press time
• Press temperature
• Energy consumption
• Production throughput
• Equipment cleanup
• Production capacity
• Reject and rework rates
• Finished-panel quality

Together, these factors provide a more accurate picture of the total adhesive cost.

PVA adhesives can provide manufacturers with another option for evaluating adhesive performance alongside manufacturing efficiency. When adhesive selection supports reduced consumption, optimized press conditions, increased throughput and consistent panel quality, the potential savings extend well beyond the price per pound of the adhesive itself.

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Article Claim Source References

[1] U.S. Department of Energy. (2018). Finding efficiencies in process heat. Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/better-plants/process-heating

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Franklin Adhesives & Polymers delivers innovative wood adhesives, specialty polymers, and pressure-sensitive adhesive solutions trusted worldwide since 1935. Franklin Adhesives & Polymers is a division of Franklin International.

About Franklin International: Established in 1935, Franklin International is among the largest privately held manufacturers of adhesives and sealants in the U.S. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the company maintains multiple manufacturing and distribution locations in the U.S. and a plant in Guangzhou, China. The company maintains two divisions: Franklin Adhesives & Polymers provides pressure-sensitive adhesives for labels, tapes and graphics applications, and adhesives for wood assembly markets, and the Construction Division manufactures Titebond-brand wood glues, construction adhesives, sealants and flooring products.

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Core article topics: urea-formaldehyde adhesives · PVA adhesives · manufacturing costs · total glue-line costs · adhesive evaluation · flooring adhesives · plywood adhesives · press time · press temperature · energy costs · wood panel manufacturing