Today we’ll take a look at the GAR-GU2-0104 Gartech Glue Reservoir Assembly (or Glue Tank) as used with a float valve on the Gartech Glue System for patterns gluing up to a 4″ glue tab.
Every Gartech Glue System includes a 7.5-gallon reservoir of gravity-fed, constantly-circulated glue, making this an interchangeable inventory item.
As shown in the image above, there are (3) three major ports necessary for the function of the reservoir:
The first port allows for the incoming delivery of glue into the reservoir (item 1) from your plant’s central glue source. This connection includes items 2-10 and item 14 and may change locations based on where in your plant the central glue source comes from. It’s this connection that relies on simple float valve technology. When the glue supply within the reservoir decreases, the float valve drops and opens the valve letting a refill of glue occur. When the volume increases, the float valve rises and closes the valve. Note: If your plant runs a scale monitoring option with your Gartech Glue System, items 2-4 and 14 would be replaced with an additional set of items 7-10.
The second port allows for the outgoing delivery of glue from the reservoir to the GAR-GU-0103B Gartech Glue Manifold. We discussed how this flow is controlled by the manifold and proximity sensor in this entry. For this connection, we’re focusing on items 9, 10, and 15-19. Item 19 is the PVC Ball Valve, shown here with a red handle. It controls the volume of glue sent to the manifold and can be adjusted according to the thickness of your plant’s glue formula versus the volume you’ll need at your glue system.
The third and final port allows for the returning glue that’s cycled but not been used during a rotation of the glue wheel. This leg is shown in items 7-9 and 11-13. It’s fed from the Glue Manifold into the glue shoe and then pulled back out of the shoe by way of the Glue Pump. Once the glue cycles through the 3-way Diverter Valve atop the Glue Pump, the uncontaminated glue is sent back to the Glue Reservoir as a way of reducing waste.
We do recommend that you inventory a second Glue Reservoir Assembly. This allows for better maintenance without reducing run time. These assemblies should be cleaned every 3-4 months depending on formula and housekeeping.
Access a downloadable PDF of the Glue Reservoir Assembly layout.