Chemque, Inc. - News and Articles - Manufacturer of Instant Cure Doming Resins and Systems, Wood Flooring Adhesive System, Composite Utility Pole Backfill, Encapsulants, Expanding Foams, Patented 2-Component Dispenser

Current News & Articles

Opportunities in UV Doming Technology
July / August 2010

When it comes to avenues of maintaining and growing a business, there are two pervasive attitudes: Bring more services in-house to keep costs down, or add unique products or services to your business. With the new UV-cured resins on the market today, doming or a 3-D tactile finish can offer you both of these advantages.

Doming is the application of a polyurethane resin to add a glossy coating and greatly enhance the appeal of an otherwise conventional, flat label. Typically, it is used in industrial graphics and product identification labelling for equipment manufacturing and promotional products. However, the new UV-cured resins are creating opportunities for many other specialty graphic printers to expand their business.
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E-Dome™ 2-Component, Instant Cure Resin by Chemque
A Just-In-Time Solution for 3D Tactile Finishers

Rexdale, ON, Canada, March 23, 2010 - Chemque announces the availability of its newest UV cured resin marketed under the E-Dome™ brand. The E-Dome™ 2-Component Instant-Cure polyurethane resin becomes fully cured at room temperature in only 15-30 minutes after it is passed through the UV oven.

The instant cure resin can be used with virtually any part size and dramatically increases production capacity. It minimizes the risk of part contamination, requires less handling than standard resins and parts can be packaged quickly thus reducing staffing needs and also making it ideal for tight deadlines and rush orders.

The E-Dome™ 2K resin technology offers many improvements over the standard 2-component resins out in the market today. The resin is less sensitive to moisture, and has an extremely long gel time without UV exposure in the static mixer. It therefore requires less purging and solvent flushing than with regular 2K polyurethane resins which reduces costs associated with wasted resin and solvent usage.

In addition to traditional doming applications, this very long gel time resin can also be used in more complex applications, such as micro-doming, scripting small parts and intricate shapes like cell skins, dashboards and wall graphics. The new product can be used in any of Chemque's 2-component resin dispensing systems after minor adaptations and only requires the addition of a compact, energy-efficient UV cure system.

"UV cured resins have greatly evolved"; Chemque's Marketing Manager, Amy Egerter observes, "E-Dome™ 2K resins are ideal for doming users or 3D tactile finishers in today's print environment where the capacity to uniquely finish a variety of products and to with ultra-fast delivery times are deciding factors in customer acquisition and retention. E-Dome™ 2K resins provide users a distinct competitive advantage."

All E-Dome™ resins are a part of Chemque's EARTH APPROVED™ environmentally friendly products initiative, since the resins do not contain mercury, mercury salts or any other heavy metals. E-Dome™ 2K shows excellent weatherability and is JIG-101 ED 2.0, RoHS, ELV, and WEEE compliant making it ideal for OEM applications.

The product is available for demonstration at Chemque's Toronto showroom. Anyone who would like to schedule a demonstration of this innovative product call: 416-679-5676 ext. 284.
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Chemque Reveals Its Greenest Adhesive
Fortane Zero™ offers superior value for green builders.

Toronto, ON, Canada, February 17, 2010 - Chemque, the manufacturers of Fortane™ Wood Floor Adhesive Systems introduced its most environmentally friendly wood floor adhesive at Surfaces 2010. Fortane Zero™ contains zero VOCs, zero isocyanates and zero hazardous ingredients offering the greatest safety measures against indoor air pollution.

Revolutionary 1-Component, Instant Curing Resin By Chemque
3D Tactile Finish Now Available for More Products

Chemque, Inc. now offers an innovative, 1-component polyurethane resin as well as a manufacturing line that dispenses the resin and instantly cures parts after passing through a specially designed UV curing tunnel. The manufacturing line, called E-Dome™ 3100 XYZ Motion Dispensing System and 1-component UV instant curing resins can produce attractive 3D tactile high gloss finishes that can vary in thickness for outdoor or indoor applications.

Fortane™ Adds Value At All Levels Of The Project Art Gallery of Ontario recent Transformation

Situated in downtown Toronto, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is the 8th largest Art Gallery in North America. It recently underwent a $276 million transformation that included over 280,000 sq.ft. of renovated and newly built space designed by Frank Gehry, the well known architect of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

Barwood Flooring won the contract to install the hardwood floors found throughout the space using Fortane LD™ Wood Flooring Urethane Adhesive.

For the AGO project, Barwood installed 1/2" x 5" engineered white oak plank for a timeless look with a contemporary edge. The project specs called for the floor to be laid with a urethane adhesive that contained no water, such as Fortane LD™.

"If a product performs, gives value to the project and allows for profitability, I stick with it. Fortane™ never fails."

Barwood Flooring is one of the largest retail/wholesale distributors of hardwood flooring and accessories in Southern Ontario. Located in North Toronto, Barwood boasts a staff of over 100, including a team of skilled flooring professionals for retail, commercial, residential, sports and restoration flooring installations. With a reputation for quality, reliability and expertise, Barwood has won the flooring contracts on dozens of high profile projects including notable landmarks such as the Royal York Hotel, Queen's Park (Ontario's government buildings), the National Ballet of Canada and the recent transformation of the Art Gallery of Ontario(AGO).

Why Fortane™
Vito Di Franco is the owner of Barwood Flooring. As a successful businessman with a reputation to uphold, his biggest everyday concerns are: having supplies on hand, quality of the material, quality of the workmanship, and the profitability of each project. With Fortane™ Wood Flooring Adhesive Systems, he never has to worry about these issues.

Barwood started using Fortane™ products several years ago and has never looked back. His reasons; "I want a product that works. I don't need any headaches. If a product performs, gives value to the project and allows for profitability, I stick with it. Fortane™ never fails."

Di Franco also notes that it's a product that makes his installers happy. "Fortane LD™ is easy to use, has almost no smell, there's no flash time required and my guys like to work with it so it helps with the workmanship."

When specifying a flooring project, architects are looking for good performance; especially in projects where there will be high traffic like the AGO, so there can be no glue failure. Fortane™'s powerful bond strength, excellent ridge retention and NO HOLLOW SPOT™ technology made it the best choice for the job. As Vito explains, "It's not always about having the lowest bid. Profitability is not just about the price of the product, you have to factor in the call backs. Glue is one thing you don't want to mess around with. There are cheaper products out there, but it's not worth taking the chance."

"Profitability is not just about the price of the product, you have to factor in the call backs...There are cheaper products out there, but it's not worth taking the chance."

The task of laying the floors in the AGO took almost 6 months. But with another product it could have taken much longer. Fortane™'s easy to spread formula kept the project on track and on budget allowing the installers to concentrate on their overall workmanship and making sure the job got done right the first time.
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December 4, 2008 - RAMPF Group acquires the Form-In-Place Gasketing Division of Chemque Inc. Comprehensive product portfolio paves the way for the RAMPF market leadership whereas a strategic focused approach to growth makes Chemque even stronger
Grafenberg/Wixom/Rexdale - So far, everyone has been keeping it to sealed, but now it is official: the Form-In-Place Gasketing Division of Chemque Inc. from Rexdale, Ontario, Canada will be integrated on 1st January 2009 into the RAMPF Group. The managing directors of both companies have agreed that the combined know-how and the worldwide sales and service network of the RAMPF Group will bring watertight advantages to customers. Details of the transaction are confidential.

Starting January 2009, the RAMPF Group will take over the Form-In-Place Gasketing Division of Chemque Inc. A win-win situation! RAMPF wants to establish market leadership worldwide within the field of foam gaskets. Chemque wants to focus on the Specialty Graphics, Construction and Telecommunications divisions. The addition of the Chemque materials will optimally enhance the comprehensive product portfolio of RAMPF. Thus, FDA and UL-listed systems will now be part of the product line of the RAMPF Group. The European market will be supplied by the German RAMPF Giessharze GmbH & Co. KG. The US subsidiary, RAMPF Group, Inc. (Wixom, Michigan), will service customers in the NAFTA region.

"We approached each other quite openly", commented Michael Rampf, acting partner of the RAMPF Group, about the negotiations. Chemque has a first-class name within the sealing foam and other businesses and is well-known far beyond the borders of North America. Many years of experience and high-quality products, which stand for quality and high technical utility, are now expected to open up new growth potential to RAMPF. Chemque"s CEO Alex Botrie knows that the company successful Gasketing Division will continue in good hands: "We are glad to have found such a reliable partner. The worldwide network of the RAMPF Group and the comprehensive know-how, not only in the area of foam gaskets, but also in application technology, are a real advantage to customers of our Gasketing Division. We maintain a very close relationship with our customers. So it was important for us to ensure that our long-standing customers are further personally looked after properly and receive perfect quality. We are very excited about the growth opportunities that an even more focused Chemque will enjoy with our diversified product line and worldwide customer base. When we strategically decided to focus on our other successful divisions to pave our growth, we had other prospective buyers for the Gasketing division, but we decided to partner with RAMPF as we understand how well served our customers will continue to be with such an innovative and world leading player."

Alex Botrie and Michael Rampf have known each other for a long time. For years, the companies have co-operated very closely and also developed a new patented technology in a joint project. "We will continue development of Co-Dispense technology to the production stage and establish this exciting technology in the sealing market", a self-confident Michael Rampf reported.

The RAMPF Group is a family-run company just like Chemque. Similarly, the employees and closeness to the customer are the focus of business philosophy: "We develop customized solutions. We listen carefully and create products with the properties our customers need for particular applications", said Franz-Josef Giesen, Product Manager for sealing foams at RAMPF Giessharze.

RAMPF is represented with six companies from the head office in Germany, as well as the subsidiaries in the USA, Japan and China. In addition, there is a close network of reliable part-ners to ensure worldwide support. RAMPF Dosiertechnik (dispensing technology) GmbH & Co. KG is also a member of the RAMPF Group. With worldwide more than 1,700 installed solutions in mixing and dispensing equipment, as well as patented mixing systems, RAMPF has demon-strated its ability often. "Customers have a real advantage from the service we offer to providing machine and material out of one hand", stated Michael Rampf emphasizing the advantages of the company group.

The RAMPF Group, Inc. was founded in 2003 in Toledo, Ohio and moved to the current location in Wixom, Michigan in 2004. The resident managing director, Jürgen Penker, is proud of his team: "I have an experienced team. We represent the best possible alternative for system solutions from a single source in the North American market, where components for casting, sealing or bonding are concerned."

Casting resins and foam gaskets have been produced since March 2008 at the Wixom facilities in a state-of-the-art production plant. "Everything is perfectly prepared. We can now react even more flexibly to the inquiries of our customers. We are looking forward to the new products. The takeover of the Chemque sealing division is a big step and will open up new opportunities to us", according to Penker.

Chemque, Inc., whose head offices are in Rexale, ON, is a manufacturer of chemical specialties and equipment used in a variety of industries including printing, construction, automotive and telecommunications. For over 35 years and with a sophisticated research and development structure, the company has developed numerous market-leading solutions that have helped their customers on every single continent around the globe to succeed. With a worldwide team of specialized sales and technical representatives, Chemque products range from specialty resins, adhesives and foams to advanced machines and compact manufacturing lines.

For additional information, please go to:
www.chemque.com
www.rampf.com

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The Three Things You Need To Know About Doming
July / August 2008

Doming (also known as lensing or capping) is the process of applying a clear resin onto a two-dimensional decal, nameplate or label to create a 3-D artwork that adds protection, value and "pop" to the finished work. This dome can be scratch and weather-resistant while enhancing a bold image that stands out from any angle. Three-dimensional parts always look more natural to the human eye because we live in a three-dimensional world. For example, think how a sculpture looks more realistic than a picture.

Basic knowledge of doming starts with:

Doming environment
Composition of the item you wish to dome
Doming system

The success of these factors is determined by the overall commitment to doming. If there are any concessions or shortcuts taken, the shortcuts will be evident in the results.
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Installing Wood Flooring Using Adhesive
July / August 2007

In January at the Surfaces show, NOFMA released a new Technical Publication titled "Installing NOFMA-Certified Solid Wood Flooring Directly to a Slab Using a Wood Flooring Adhesive." This is a completely new NOFMA position on adhesive installation for NOFMA certified solid wood products. Until this time, direct glue-down of solid wood was an approved method of installation only for parquet flooring products.
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April 18, 2008 - Chemque wins a Preferred Supplier rating from a global leader
A multibillion dollar global leader in the health care industry that uses Gasketing System products gave Chemque the Preferred Supplier rating after a faultless performance score in Delivery, Quality and Service.

"Congratulations, you have earned the performance rating of Preferred Supplier. Your efforts have earned you a performance score of Delviery 100%, Quality 100% and Service 100%. Please accept this Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of your valuable contributions"
Materials Manager
Senior Buyer
Multibillion dollar global healthcare products leader (Gasketing System division customer)

Chemque wins prestigious Vendor of the Year Award
Rainbow Technology, a leading master distributor of specialty products and service to the utility and industrial markets nationally and internationally, presented Chemque with the prestigious 2007 Vendor of the Year Award.

Rainbow Technology's Penny Causey, Vice President of Sales, and Natalie Garrard, Contract Administrator, described some of the reasons why Chemque won this award: "Chemque provides excellent Customer Service, when dealing with Rainbow's very specific needs, in a very timely manner and with flexibility", says Gerrard. Causey adds, "The people at Chemque are problem solvers in everything that we need, from product development to shipping to invoicing and competitive pricing".

Chemque joins NWFA to Teach the Basics of Wood Flooring
NOFMA: The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association, the National Wood Flooring Association and the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association held a Wood Flooring Basics School on March 20-23 in Chesterfield, Missouri, USA. Chemque, Inc.'s Sales Engineer, Mark Long, was a volunteer instructor for the school.

The NWFA held a Subfloor Solutions School on March 27-28 and an Engineered Installation School on March 29 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Close to fifty students attended both schools. Keith Bechamp, Sales Engineer with Chemque, Inc., was a volunteer instructor.

SGIA - Doming, molding, and chrome emblem technologies are now more productive and cost-effective with new advances in equipment and resins
March 28, 2007

Chemque says its three recent product launches will make doming, molding and chrome emblem technologies more productive and cost-effective, thanks to advances in equipment and resins.

E-Dome™ 1-component, mercury-free resins instantly cure after a few seconds in a UV curing tunnel. No mixing is required, which eliminates the risk of striations. Chemque adds that E-Dome™ 1-component resins do not have to be purged.

Q-Plant™, a compact and versatile manufacturing line, can be used for a range of applications including doming, molding and backfilling. It's equipped with auto-registration technology, an advanced vision system to locate sheets at virtually any angle, an XYZ-motion dispenser, UV curing tunnel and a conveyer belt system.

HD Graphix™ and Micrographix™ are chrome and non-metallic emblem production systems that can be used for manufacturing almost any flexible or rigid emblem design. Both systems elimate tooling and other costs associated with injection molding and other costs associated with injection molding and chrome plating.

Doming, molding, and chrome emblem technologies are now more productive and cost-effective with new advances in equipment and resins
Chemque launches a 1-component, mercury free resin that cures instantly, a compact manufacturing line with an auto-registration technology, and chrome emblem technologies that do not use chrome plating or injection molding.

Economical Wood Flooring Urethane Adhesive Promises to End the Battles with Hollow Spots and Plank Separation
Chemque launches an economical urethane adhesive for wood flooring installations specifically formulated to better hold ridges and not separate planks during installation. Adhesive ridges that go flat and adhesive plank separation memory are two of the major causes of hollow spots and installation delays.

Clean up with Fortane CL
Fortane CL is an environmentally friendly cleaner that does not contain chlorinated solvents and works even after any Fortane product has cured for 24 hours on most wood flooring finishes. Its sweet, mild odor makes this cleaner a favorite amongst installers. Fortane CL can be purchased in 1L, 1Gal, and in the form of wipes.

Fortane & Fortane LD now available in 28oz tubes
Chemque's popular Fortane and Fortane LD wood flooring urethane adhesives can now be purchased in 28oz tubes. Excellent for small jobs (including repairs and medallion installations) or finishing up an installation.

Labels & Labeling - Chemque launches manufacturing line with mercury-free resins
December 2006

Chemque, Inc. has launched a compact manufacturing line with an advanced vision system that dispenses resins, transports and instantly cures parts using only one operator. The company has also started to manufacture 1-component, mercury free, instant cure resins for doming, molding and chromed emblem backfilling applications.
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Chemque's new patent for 1-component moisture cured doming resin (Registration required)
November 16, 2006

A one component, moisture-cure, colorless or colored, protective or decorative high-build lensing or doming resin system is described. Use of these polymer systems have the advantage of eliminating ...
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Signs of the Times magazine - Doming, Part 1
February 2006

Lately, our customer-service and sales representatives have been fielding numerous questions about doming. "What is doming?" "What materials can be domed?" "Can you dome printed vinyl?" "What type of doming resin should you buy?" And, finally, "How do you do it?"

This two-part article will provide answers to such questions, so you can decide whether doming is suitable for your business, and, if it is, should you attempt doming in-house or subcontract?

Doming is the process of adding a glass-like, plastic-resin bubble to a 2-D surface, which transforms it into an eye-catching, 3-D product. For a small, additional price, you can simulate the appearance of a vacuum-formed or molded part, without having to purchase expensive tooling and production equipment.
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Signs of the Times magazine - Doming, Part 2
February 2006

Last month, Jim discussed doming basics, resin types and shop-safety tips. This month, he'll focus on shop preparations, proper doming procedures and estimating job costs.

Controlling a finished product's quality demands controlling your work environment. Companies that specialize in domed graphics conduct their doming operations in a clean room with controlled temperature and humidity to keep their scrap rates down.
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Chemque introduces E-Dome™ at LabelExpo (Registration required)
January 2006

Chemque introduced E-DOME™, a one-component resin and instant skinning doming technology. Chemque claims that E-DOME™ solves the problems associated with a traditional two-component doming polyurethane resin system, including slow set-up, mixing problems, striations, bubbles and material waste. Domed parts pass through a short UV-curing tunnel and smaller pieces can be packed and shipped immediately. Larger pieces may take longer to cure. The E-DOME™ resins do not require mixing or solvent flushing and no mercury, heavy metals or isocyanates are involved. The dispensing machine can be stopped indefinitely without the resin thickening in the lines, eliminating waste. The E-Dome™ 100 series uses 1k doming resin and the 200 series uses 2k instant skinning doming resin.
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Chemque launches manufacturing line with mercury-free resins (Registration required)
December 2006

Chemque launches a compact manufacturing line with a Vision System and 1-component, mercury-free resins that cure instantly and are ideal for doming and molding applications, and for backfilling chromed 3D emblems.
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Jobsite Flooring Magazine: Chemque's Pro-line
October 2005

FORTANE™ Wood Flooring Adhesive: User-friendliness meets extraordinary strength.
Utilizing an advanced formulation that took years of expertise to perfect, FORTANE™ is the wood flooring urethane adhesive of choice of a growing number of installers. Experienced installers from coast to coast endorse the benefits of FORTANE™.
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Labelexpo takes off - Singapore 2004
October/November 2004

... Also present at the show is Chemque, which develops and manufactures more than 70 different formulations of doming resins for all applications, including clear, colored, molding, sparkling, and fluorescent. The company also manufactures a series of resin dispenser machines.
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Screen Printing Magazine: Raising Product Appeal Through Doming
June 15, 2004

We live in a three-dimensional world, which may explain why we often consider two-dimensional objects to be plain and uninteresting. Sometimes even the most vibrant, colorful decals, nameplates, tags, promotional items, and labels go without a second glance because they lack that certain something. The missing link between nice and noteworthy can be filled by doming these types of products. Doming is a finishing process that not only enhances the appearance of printed items by producing a three-dimensional look, but it also makes them more durable. And most importantly, doming creates an impression of value and quality in your products that quickly translates to greater profits for your business.
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Chemque showcases EMI foam gasket at SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo
May 11, 2001

Outside Plant Magazine: Selecting an encapsulant (Re-enterability and protection)
1997

The selection of an encapsulant depends on many factors, including the commonly considered ease of re-enterability and the degree of protection required. The generic requirements and test methods set forth in Bellcore's TR-354 specify the product development standards to be met in the global marketplace. Specifications such as TR-354 were created with the assistance of a wide variety of telco and industry groups, including SMEs, purchasing, materials, management, transporation, and many other departments. For the end user and engineer, the manufacturer's strict compliance with TR-354 gives reassurance of product suitability and quality.
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