Mativ offers an extensive range of adhesive technologies for a wide range of industries and applications. Rachael Morling finds out more from Vishal Rao, president of Industrials.
As a global leader in specialty materials, Mativ was formed in July 2022 after the successful merger of equals between SWM International and Neenah, Inc. Today, the company offers a wide range of critical components and engineered solutions to solve its customers’ most complex challenges. Its broad portfolio of technologies combines polymers, fibres, and resins to optimise the performance of products across multiple stages of the value chain.
Adhesive solutions
Rao: Mativ’s proprietary adhesive technology offers a range of performance features, including stretch, flexibility, waterproofing, and antibacterial properties.
For instance, our Scapa range of tapes and adhesives offers products and solutions that have applications in many industries and markets. Produced in our globally-located manufacturing facilities, these products have become a go-to for customers all around the world.
We offer a variety of adhesive technologies – both pressure sensitive adhesives like rubber, synthetic rubber, acrylic and silicone; and heat sensitive adhesives like nitrile-phenolic, polyurethane and polyamide. These adhesives, coupled with high performance substrates like films (PVC, PU, PET etc.), foams, metal foils and fabrics, make our products a reliable choice.
In addition, we have technical experts, located around the world, who can help engineers and designers meet various project specifications, recommending the ideal coating and converting technologies for their unique design challenges.
Industry applications
Rao: Our extensive range of technical adhesives, tapes, films and foams are designed to meet the specialist requirements of a wide range of industry segments. They cover a wide variety of product types that are used for the permanent or temporary assembly and fabrication of products and components.
Here are some markets which rely on Mativ:
• Manufacturing
• Building and Construction
• Cleanroom
• Electronics
• Flexographic Printing
• Manufacturing
• Specialty and Assembly
Mativ also offers a variety of other solutions for a diverse range of industries, from automotive and construction to healthcare and retail. For example, in healthcare, our portfolio includes advanced wound care solutions using a trio of technologies: Delstar engineered composites, Delnet apertured films, and Argotec breathable films. To minimise discomfort when removing a bandage, we customise the adhesiveness of Argotec film, and add a layer of Delnet apertured film to our foam pads – making the resulting bandages breathable, sanitary and easy to remove.
Specifying the right solution
Rao: Mativ’s purpose is to help our customers solve their complex challenges by finding the potential in the impossible.
With customer and market understanding as our guiding principles, we’re committed to a partnership approach to research and development for the benefit of all our customers. Our pioneering approach brings even more new product initiatives, new patents, and new products.
We also work closely with the world’s leading adhesive, raw material, and equipment suppliers to develop the best product solutions for our customers. Mativ has the development and manufacturing capabilities to service our customers’ needs efficiently and effectively as our portfolio includes films, nettings, and release liners – delivering a complete adhesive systems solution.
Meeting market demands
Rao: Innovation is core to what we do to be a successful specialty materials company. By understanding the markets in which we compete – and how our customers win in those markets – we can identify opportunities that ultimately benefit the end consumer. Many of our solutions are co-developed with our customers to address consumer demand, from smart glass for autonomous vehicles and medical-grade paper that doesn’t shed any fibres, to fibre-based durable labels and Recycotape, a 100% recyclable packaging tape backing.
Virtually every industry has its own unique needs for innovative adhesive solutions, from contamination control products for cleanroom environments to flexographic printing. Mativ is able to support customers across various industries, whether it’s automotive, consumer markets, building and construction or niche specialty markets, achieve their bonding needs.
Adhesives for sustainability
Rao: We live in a world of great expectations coupled with a growing awareness of its limitations and our responsibilities. At Mativ, we see these challenges as immense opportunities. We believe sustainable development is a good business practice for manufacturing companies and that our industry has a duty to protect the environment. Manufacturing companies must put their best minds to work in utilising resources more wisely, changing the way we, our customers, and our partners, work.
Adhesive design will continue to evolve to better enable sustainability, particularly in the automotive, construction and energy markets. Adhesives will be required to meet very demanding requirements to provide reliable fastening methods in more difficult and challenging conditions than what has been historically expected.
As the diverse impact of climate change becomes more evident, these designs will be required to replace typical fasteners and perform in extreme conditions like corrosive environments (such as saltwater applications for offshore electrical projects) and a wide spectrum of weather conditions in the automotive and construction markets. Furthermore, the use of adhesive technology will continue to grow in the manufacturing sector as it strives to meet sustainability targets in the coming years.
