Calculate the required melt rate capacity for your hot melt system based on your production parameters. This tool helps manufacturing engineers size melt tanks and estimate adhesive consumption.
Hourly Melt Rate (Metric):0 kg/hr
Hourly Melt Rate (Imperial):0 lbs/hr
Consumption per Shift:0 kg
Estimated Cost per Shift:$0.00
Understanding Hot Melt Adhesive Consumption
In industrial packaging and assembly, accurately calculating the adhesive melt rate is critical for system sizing and inventory management. Whether you are applying beads for case sealing or spray for non-wovens, the capacity of your hot melt tank (melter) must exceed your maximum consumption rate to prevent production stoppages.
Engineering Tip: It is generally recommended to size your hot melt tank such that your required melt rate is no more than 75-80% of the tank's maximum rated melting capacity. This ensures thermal stability and prevents "shocking" the system with cold glue.
How the Calculation Works
This calculator uses the basic mass-flow formula widely used in manufacturing:
Step 1: Calculate grams per minute = (Grams per product) × (Products per minute).
Step 2: Convert to hourly rate = Grams per minute × 60.
Step 3: Convert units (1 kg = 1000g; 1 kg ≈ 2.205 lbs).
Why accurate melt rate calculation matters?
Equipment Sizing: Buying a melter that is too small leads to downtime while waiting for glue to melt. Buying one that is too large wastes energy and causes adhesive degradation (charring) due to long residence times.
Cost Analysis: Knowing your exact consumption per shift allows for precise budgeting and contract negotiation with adhesive suppliers.
Quality Control: If the pull rate exceeds the melt rate, the adhesive temperature drops, leading to poor bonding (pop-opens) and increased scrap.
Example Scenario
Imagine a beverage packaging line:
You apply 1.2 grams of hot melt to every carton.
The line runs at 200 cartons per minute.
Shift duration is 8 hours.
Calculation:
1.2 g × 200 = 240 grams/minute.
240 g/min × 60 min = 14,400 grams/hour (14.4 kg/hr).
Result: You need a melter capable of melting at least 14.4 kg/hr (approx 31.7 lbs/hr). A standard 20lb/hr unit would fail; a 50lb/hr unit would be ideal.
function calculateMeltRate() {
// Get input values
var weightPerUnit = document.getElementById('adhesive_per_unit').value;
var speed = document.getElementById('production_speed').value;
var hours = document.getElementById('hours_per_shift').value;
var cost = document.getElementById('cost_per_kg').value;
// Validation
if (weightPerUnit === "" || speed === "" || hours === "") {
alert("Please fill in all required fields (Weight, Speed, and Hours).");
return;
}
var weightNum = parseFloat(weightPerUnit);
var speedNum = parseFloat(speed);
var hoursNum = parseFloat(hours);
var costNum = cost === "" ? 0 : parseFloat(cost);
if (isNaN(weightNum) || isNaN(speedNum) || isNaN(hoursNum) || weightNum < 0 || speedNum < 0 || hoursNum 0) {
document.getElementById('res_shift_cost').innerHTML = "$" + totalCost.toLocaleString('en-US', {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
} else {
document.getElementById('res_shift_cost').innerHTML = "N/A";
}
// Show result box
document.getElementById('results').style.display = "block";
}