The difference between UV glue dispensing and AB glue dripping

The difference between UV glue dispensing and AB glue dripping: Detailed explanations of applicable processes for various accessories

Customers engaged in accessory processing, handmade accessories, and accessory products all know that dispensing glue and dripping glue are the most commonly used techniques. The mainstream glues on the market basically use UV glue dispensing and AB glue dripping.

Many customers often make mistakes when choosing glue, resulting in problems such as blistering, whitening, yellowing, overflow, poor curing, poor quality and texture, and high defective rate of accessories. To achieve good accessory appearance and increase production, choosing the right glue and process is crucial. 

Among WELDO's customer base, customers who make jewelry have largely abandoned the traditional manual dispensing method. The Visual Dispensing Machine has become a standard automated equipment in the industry. It uses intelligent visual positioning and computer program control for dispensing, ensuring precise and stable dispensing. It can perfectly adapt to the different properties of UV glue and AB glue. 

The main differences between UV glue and AB glue lie in the aspects of curing speed, operation difficulty, final product effect, and applicable scenarios. When used with a visual dispensing machine, the corresponding production mode is completely different.

1. UV Glue

UV glue is a one-component adhesive that does not require manual mixing or proportioning. The operation is extremely simple.

It only dries and solidifies under the irradiation of ultraviolet light. With a regular UV lamp, it can become fully hardened within 2 to 5 minutes. Even strong sunlight on a sunny day can initially solidify it.

The advantages are obvious: high transparency, thin adhesive layer, quick drying, almost no shrinkage, resulting in clean and transparent accessories without any obvious glue marks.

When used with our UV Glue Dispensing Machine, the effect is even better: the equipment can precisely target the tiny positions of the accessories for micro-dosing of glue, without sagging, overflow, or accumulation of glue. No heating is required, and there is no need for long waiting times. It is highly suitable for large-scale and rapid production.

Disadvantages: It is not resistant to long-term exposure to wind and sunlight, and is not suitable for thick adhesive layers or large-scale pouring. 

2. AB Glue

AB glue is a two-component epoxy resin glue. It must be mixed and stirred evenly in the proper proportion (usually 3:1) before it can be used.

It undergoes chemical reaction when the A agent and B agent are mixed together to achieve curing. The curing process is relatively slow. It takes about 6 hours in summer and 12-24 hours in winter for complete drying.

The glue body of AB glue is thick, has strong shaping ability, good toughness after drying, resistant to dropping, wear-resistant, and does not age or turn yellow easily. It hardly deforms or shrinks when used for thick parts or three-dimensional parts.

When paired with AB glue Epoxy dispensing Machine, it can automatically mix, stir, and eliminate bubbles, solving the common problem of uneven manual stirring and easy bubble formation. Although it dries slowly, it can be used for thick glue, large pieces, and three-dimensional shapes, making it the preferred choice for high-end customization and heavy industry jewelry. 

Which kinds of jewelry can be made with UV glue and WELDO's Visual Dispensing Machine?

Jewelry that is thin, small, transparent, delicate, and requires rapid mass production should use UV glue. By combining UV glue dispenser for precise dispensing, the finished products are exquisite, have a high yield rate, and are delivered quickly.

A. Small and delicate jewelry

Earrings, small earrings, thin ring bands, mini bracelet accessories, etc. are all suitable for UV glue.

These types of jewelry have a small surface area and require high levels of flatness and transparency. The UV resin doming machine precisely locates and dispenses the glue, ensuring uniform glue application without unevenness, and the curing process is fast, making it suitable for large-scale factory production. The finished products are clean and free of marks.

B. Jewelry with diamonds, glued diamonds

Necklaces, hair clips, brooches, headpieces, almost all of these are fixed with UV glue. The effect of UV glue on crystals, glass, and acrylic is very good. After drying, they are transparent and do not block the luster of the diamonds.

By using the UV Glue Dispenser for intelligent positioning of the diamond positions and quantitative dispensing, there will be no overflow of glue covering the diamonds, and the glue will not be foggy and white. This significantly reduces defective products.

C. Lightweight and Transparent Accessories

Transparent small pendants, small phone accessories, nail art accessories, mini keychains, etc., are lightweight accessories that are suitable for multi-layer thin coating with UV glue.

hot melt adhesive dispensing systems can layer and apply glue one by one, and after drying, it is clear and has distinct layers, avoiding common problems such as bubbles and uneven thickness in manual operations.

D. Sealant Protection for Hardware Accessories

Surface sealing, color fixation, and rust prevention for alloys, stainless steel, metal earrings, and bracelets. UV glue is the first choice.

The automated glue dispenser Machine can apply glue evenly, making the appearance of each hardware accessory uniform and the texture better. Because the curing speed is fast, it will not pick up dust during the drying process, and the glue layer is bright and transparent. 

Which kinds of jewelry can be made with AB glue and WELDO's Visual Dispensing Machine?

Thick, large, three-dimensional, heavy-duty, custom-made, and those requiring wear resistance and durability should use AB glue. The AB Glue epoxy dispensing machine automatically mixes and dispenses the glue, resulting in a full and three-dimensional finished product that is not easily damaged.

A. Three-dimensional resin jewelry

Large resin pendants, three-dimensional ornaments, thick bracelet plates, flat decorative jewelry - these can only be made with AB glue. UV glue cannot handle thick layers, but AB glue can pour a 5-20mm thick layer at one time and will be fully three-dimensional, not collapsing or deforming after drying.

The ab glue dispenser machine evenly dispenses the glue, solving the problems of easy collapse, many bubbles, and uneven thickness when using thick glue manually. The finished product has higher stability.

B. Customized dried flowers, specimens, jewelry

Plant specimen pendants, dried flower inlay ornaments, gradient color jewelry, commemorative custom accessories - all of these can be made with AB glue. AB glue can be mixed with glitter, color pigments, and night light powder at will, providing a large color mixing space and resulting in jewelry with rich layers.

The dispensing equipment can control the speed and trajectory of the glue dispensing, making the color mixing more uniform and avoiding local color differences, glue accumulation, and uneven surfaces.

​C. Accessories for Hanging Items

AB glue is suitable for thickening keychains, large-sized bag hanging decorations, outdoor decorative accessories, and accessories that are frequently used on a daily basis.

AB glue has high toughness, is resistant to impact and pressure, and is resistant to aging. It is unlikely to crack, turn yellow, or lose adhesion over a long period of use. The AB Glue Epoxy Dispensing Machine can dispense glue in a quantitative and large-area manner, ensuring uniform thickness of the glue layer. The finished product is more durable. 

Tips for Using WELDO Visual Dispensing Machine

Whether it's UV glue or AB glue, using the correct machine parameters will significantly improve the final product quality and efficiency:

1. For UV glue process: Turn on the machine's precise micro-dispensing mode, activate the constant-temperature glue output, and ensure the stability of the glue flow; combine with UV curing lamps, and the dispensing and curing can be completed in one step, suitable for rapid batch production.

2. For AB glue process: When dripping glue over a large area, slow down the glue output speed, and during the curing process, keep it flat and stationary to avoid bubbling and deformation.

3. For mixed process for accessories: For some products with detailed point dispensing and local thick-layer shaping, you can directly switch to the visual dispensing machine program. With one piece of equipment, you can handle both processes, saving equipment costs. 

In simple terms:

For small and delicate parts, transparent parts, and those requiring quick production, UV glue should be chosen; For large, thick, and three-dimensional parts, AB glue should be selected for durability.

Combined with the visual dispensing machine for automated operations, it can completely solve the problems of bubbles, overflow, uneven thickness, and low efficiency caused by manual dispensing, significantly improving the appearance quality and yield of jewelry products. It is highly suitable for long-term standardized production in jewelry factories, processing workshops, and manual workrooms.