The Headliner That Wouldn't Bond: A Retrofit Story with the Meltax 20L

This account is based on a documented customer case from Guangzhou Keqirui's application files. Names are withheld at the customer's request.

The situation

The plant manufactures automotive interior components, and one of its key processes is headliner lamination — bonding the fabric and foam layers that form the visible ceiling of a vehicle cabin. The adhesive is a 100,000 cps polyolefin hot melt, chosen for its temperature resistance and long-term durability in a vehicle interior that will see summer dashboard temperatures and winter cold.

The problem

The line was running a gear pump melter. On paper, the machine's specifications looked adequate. In production, it was not. The thick adhesive did not deliver evenly. Operators described the bead as "patchy" — heavy in some sections, thin in others. Bond strength varied along the same panel. Defect rates climbed, and rework became a routine part of the shift.

The root cause was not the adhesive and not the operators. It was the pump's inability to generate enough consistent force to move a 100,000 cps material at line speed.

The evaluation

The plant's engineering team reviewed several options. The requirement was specific: a melter that could handle ultra-high viscosity adhesive, deliver a uniform bead, and fit into the existing line without a major layout rebuild. They settled on the Meltax 20L Touch Sensitive 14:1 Piston Pump Hot Melt Adhesive Machine.

Three features drove the decision:

The 14:1 pneumatic piston pump, rated for adhesives up to 120,000 cps at 4–6kg/cm² working pressure

Compact dimensions of 950×470×621mm and 80kg net weight, which allowed installation in the narrow reserved space beside the existing conveyor without modifying the layout

Dual voltage support at 220V/380V, 50Hz, which matched the plant's 380V supply without additional electrical work

The result

After commissioning, the stable working pressure transported the high-viscosity adhesive smoothly. Coating uniformity improved noticeably, and with it, bond performance. The plant reported a product defect rate reduction of nearly 20%, and the output now meets the high and low temperature resistance requirements specified for automotive interior components.

What the plant learned

The operations manager's summary was concise: the adhesive had never been the problem. The line had been specified around a pump that could not handle the material it was being asked to run. Matching pump type to viscosity — rather than matching price to budget — was the fix.

About the equipment supplier

The Meltax 20L is manufactured by Guangzhou Keqirui Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. , a hot melt glue machine equipment manufacturer integrating research and development, manufacturing, sales and service. Since the establishment of the company, Keqirui has been delivering quality hot melt machine products to the majority of users and has won the trust of customers. Sincere cooperation and common development is the business philosophy of Keqirui Machinery; the company has won praise from customers through high-quality product quality and honest business services, while creating maximum value for customers.