How to Address Market Challenges in Backbedding Applications

  With demand for windows and doors rising and governmental regulations increasing, manufacturers are faced with several challenges to meet societal pressures and high output needs. Gain insight into four challenges currently impacting the window and door market and how they can be addressed for backbedding applications. 

Challenge #1: Environmental Health Concerns

Maintaining a sustainable environment is increasingly important, especially as governmental and societal concerns for health risks rise. In an effort to reduce exposure to toxic substances, new legislation is being enacted to limit the types of chemicals and materials that can be used.

• How to Address This Challenge

To address environmental health concerns, ensure backbedding products are isocyanate and MEKO-free. However, not all options currently available meet these requirements. It’s important to determine if products are safe for worker and occupant health before beginning window and door installation.

Challenge #2: Energy Usage

Window and door manufacturers must reduce energy usage and aid in sustainability. This can be difficult to achieve, especially since many backbedding products require heat to be applied. The higher the heat, the more equipment that is needed during the manufacturing process. This, in turn, means higher energy use and associated costs.

• How to Address This Challenge

To help reduce energy use, window and door manufacturers should consider using backbedding products that don’t require heat for the application process. Instead, ambient-applied options that can be applied at room temperature with less equipment help decrease energy costs while also improving worker safety.

Challenge #3: Production Speeds

As the window and door market grows, manufacturers must increase production speeds in order to keep up with demand. However, faster manufacturing can often be difficult to achieve. This is because many backbedding products require additional production time to cure before completion, which can slow down production time and decrease efficiency.

• How to Address this Challenge

To maintain fast production speeds, it’s important to use backbedding products with high green strength. This means they are able to reach their final bond strength quickly without slowing down production. By alleviating long wait times with high green strength products, window and door manufacturers are better able to meet high output demands.

As demand for new windows and doors grows, manufacturers need an increased supply of products to address it. This can be particularly challenging for backbedding applications, given certain product supply limitations and concerns. If product is not readily available, it can delay manufacturing completion or cause performance issues.

• How to Address this Challenge

One way to address this challenge is to ensure the chosen backbedding products have a global supply security prior to selection. In addition to worldwide supply security, it’s also important to consider using backbedding products that can come from multiple domestic manufacturing sites. That way, in case of an issue or last-minute supply need, solutions are readily available to meet manufacturing demand. -- Bostik formulates smart backbedding solutions that help window and door manufacturers address these challenges. Contact an expert today for more information on how we can help your processes.