Ellsworth Adhesives Goes Hollywood

It had to happen. Visitors to our site were pretty clear about our vast selection of adhesives, sealants coatings, lubricants, dispensing equipment and much more. Visitors to our site KNEW they could talk to our Glue Doctor to review their application questions. Heck, our ellsworth.com visitors knew that we offered the largest MSDS/TDS library on the web. But did they really know EVERYTHING there is to know about Ellsworth Adhesives? Does ANYONE?

We’ve gone and done it. We’ve gone Hollywood (sans overpriced, temperamental acting talent). We’ve produced a video to give everyone on the web the full story of our capabilities, services, processes and more – all within the relatively short time frame of under three-and-a-half minutes. We highly recommend that if YOU want to learn everything there is to know about Ellsworth, view the video. We promise enlightenment beyond your wildest dreams. See you at The Oscars!

Parlez-vous français? Ellsworth Debuts New Website

Bonjour! Ellsworth Adhesives is proud to announce the launch of its new website in France, www.ellsworth.fr.  The website provides a comprehensive source for adhesives, sealants, encapsulants, lubricants, conformal coatings, dispensing and UV cure equipment.  Customers are able to Request A Quote on thousands of products from over 50 manufacturers.   Product filtering capabilities, which allow visitors to select desired properties when searching for product by name, vendor, type and physical attribute in any combination, make the site very useful for evaluating product options. Tres bien, oui?

New Case Study!

Just added a pretty interesting case study from Lord Adhesives – “Structural Adhesives for Wind Turbines.” Grab a copy for yourself for a bit of structural adhesive enlightenment. http://bit.ly/k3wkp6

Ellsworth Goes Live South of The Border!

Hola, Amigos! It’s 2011 – a New Year with great  news from your buddies at Ellsworth! Since last year, we’ve been hard at work getting ready to launch our newest venture. Since the Glue Doctor gets bombarded with web  traffic from South of the Border, we thought it would be a great idea to launch a website that properly services our customers in Mexico. With great fanfare, we introduce to you www.ellsworth.com.mx! This is the very first Spanish-language website in the industry to offer a great selection of products from 3M, Dow Corning, Loctite, Sika and many more. In addition, it’s the first website in this market to offer easy online quote requests. Are we excited? Absolutely! Be sure to check it out, compadres. Just further proof that Ellsworth IS the expert in adhesives known (and servicing) the world over!

One Step Into The Great Unknown

If we had a nickel for every time someone asked us if we had a page on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, all of us here at Ellsworth would be able to retire tomorrow. Sure, we got bold and set up this blog and went one step further and posted podcasts on a variety of adhesive-related technology. But going Social??? Heck – it scared the glue right out of us! How would our customers respond? What would we do for content? Who’d post what? Would our Facebook Fans OD on adhesive posts? Who REALLY knew? Now remember – Ellsworth began as a family-run business in a garage. It still is…minus the garage. We’re now known worldwide, with offices all over the US, Canada, Europe, China, South America and Mexico. We didn’t get as large as we are by throwing caution to the wind. We take our time and do things RIGHT.

So…it is with the greatest of pride and a slight bit of trepidation that we announce our foray into the “Great Unknown.” The world of online social media. Why’d we do it? ‘Glad you asked! We wanted more immediate ways to communicate with you, our valued customers. We wanted to keep you up to date on EVERYTHING that goes on here in Germantown, Wisconsin and at our global locations. New products, new pages and content, white papers or brochures on the web? Twitter and Facebook to the rescue. Are you an engineer or buyer who needs to stay up to date on adhesives, sealants, lubricants and specialty chemicals? Join our communuty on LinkedIn. Want to get the latest information about new products or trends in adhesive technology for industrial, electronic or medical device assembly? Grab a freebee subscription to our new e|Net newsletter! Check out our previous issues here. You can subscribe to our latest “Ask The Glue Doctor” podcasts on iTunes or listen on CyberEars. Want to catch videos on robotic dispensing technology and more? Sign up for updates on our Ellsworth Adhesives channel on YouTube.

As you all well know, the process of communication is a two-way street – which is why we’ll be counting on YOU to talk back to us. Tell us what we’re doing right (and wrong). Let us know what we can do for you, our customers, to make your shopping experience on our web the best it can be. Tell us what kind of products you need and we’ll add them. Let us know what resources you’d like on our site to make it your go-to adhesives portal and we’ll do the best we can to make it happen. Got a cool technology-related link for us to post? Let us know.

You see, after all this angst about social media, we figured out what it’s best used for: talking directly to you. So keep your eyes open for posts on our Facebook Fan Page. Keep your ears open for our Tweets. Don’t miss the opportunity to join like-minded professionals on our LinkedIn page. And don’t forget to stay in the loop for new podcasts, videos and blog posts. Just remember one thing – don’t forget about The Glue Doctor! He’s here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer your adhesive-related application questions. Even with our new social media channels, we don’t want him to get lonely!

Thanks for joining us on the journey!

P.S. Have you ever looked at a web page and thought to yourself, “Hmm…I wonder what this website would sound like if the page’s source code could be converted into music?” Neither have we, but every once in awhile, you come across a site so interesting, you can’t help but think to yourself, “who comes UP this stuff?” Such is the case with Code Organ. All you have to do is type in www.ellsworth.com – and you’ll get the idea. Personally, I think our website sounds like a marriage of Latin Rhumba and a spy theme. Truth be told, you can enter any URL – it’s just that ours sounds so COOL. Have fun!

Tin Whiskers – Not the Name of a New Heavy Metal Band

Tin Whiskers. The name of a new heavy metal band? The name of a feline superhero created by the fertile imaginations at Marvel Comics? A new line of jewelry for your domestic Tabby? Wrong again, my friends.

Briefly, the phenomenon of tin whiskers is a problem caused by tiny shards of lead-free solder migrating to other exposed parts of a printed circuit board once the circuit is powered up. Electromagnetic voodoo is what it is. ESPECIALLY bad in circuits involving missile guidance systems, the communications system of the next flight you take cross country or automotive safety. For example, it’s been noted in this article that this phenomenon could be responsible for the recent Toyota recalls. You’re getting the idea now, right?

If you have anything to do with the design or assembly of printed circuits, you owe it to yourself to toddle on over to Ellsworth and grab our free Multicore whitepaper detailing this phenomenon and how to mitigate it. Grab your copy here.

Here Comes A New Decade!

No big surprise that the last year is one we’re glad to leave behind. All of us faced unprecedented challenges that we thought we’d never see in our lifetimes. Here at Ellsworth we’d like to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to all of our customers who placed their trust in us in 2009 to deliver the goods to keep their businesses moving, who trusted our Technical Support personnel for the right solutions and who were responsible for helping us set records for traffic on our website. You are…without qualification…the best customers anyone could ask for.

We know we’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re confident that things will turn around for us and for you, too. As we’ve learned here at Ellsworth, the best thing to do when the going gets rough is to face the wind and keep pushing on…even taking a risk here and there. That’s our game plan for 2010. What’s yours?

By the way, our Marketing department is unleashing a slew of newsletters, all under the name of E | Net Newsletters - unique and insight full industry news tidbits for the Industrial, Electronic and Medical Device assembly industries. No fat – pure content. If you’re interested in grabbing a copy. Stop over at our site and signup.

Again, thanks to all of you for your continued trust and business. Now let’s get back to work!

A Trifecta of New Podcasts

It started out in a cube last year about this time. The usual Monday morning rehash review of website maintenance, strategies, metrics reviews…yawn. In an uncharacteristic burst of synapses (undoubtedly fueled by three Venti quad-shot lattes), the Webmaster mumbles something about adding podcasts about adhesives to the Ellsworth website. Marketing Manager mumbles something back about trying it to see what happens.

Fast forward to August, 2008. Over 1,300 (and growing every day) iTunes subscribers download Ellsworth “Ask The Glue Doctor” podcasts – an unprecedented achievement in the adhesives industry and a milestone in making the Ellsworth website the best it can be for our customers. Bite-sized, take-it-anywhere, content-rich educational content? For free? You betcha!

So…with no expense spared, we decided to give you, esteemed listeners, MORE podcasts! What kind of program topics, you’re wondering? Read on…

1. When it comes to talking about hot melt adhesives, you couldn’t find a more knowledgeable guy than Glue Factory VP of Sales and Marketing, Bruce Church. In this twelve-and-a-half minute episode, Bruce talks about hot melt adhesive technology for the packaging industry. Great information for anyone involved in hot melt adhesive applications. Check it out!
2. Being the potentate of adhesive and specialty chemical distribution means that we have to offer our customers a selection of product with the industry’s greatest depth and breadth to satisfy ALL adhesive applications. That means offering products from companies like Dow Corning. Naturally, Dow Corning is staffed with Ninja-level experts in adhesives. We were lucky to capture one such conversation with Director of Global Marketing, Electronics Division, David Hirschi about thermal bonding and adhesive applications. Listen and learn!
3. Here’s what happens when one of our listeners takes a minute out of his or her day to send in a question or topic suggestion to Ellsworth – we use it! In this case, faithful listener Dean Cuadra of San Diego, California, who works in the electronics industry, wanted to know more about oxygen Inhibition. We grabbed our new Chief Marketing Officer, Jeff Payne and picked his brain about this phenomenon. Jeff has been in the adhesives industry forever. To say he’s a walking textbook on all things adhesive might be an understatement. This podcast gives you seven minutes and three seconds of Jeff’s insight into oxygen inhibition. Don’t miss it!

And don’t forget – when you have a question about adhesive applications, or want to suggest a topic for our next series of podcasts, just drop us a line. If we use your question or suggested topic, not only do you get the cool Glue Doc bobblehead (see the entry below, “Could Anything Be Cooler?”), but you’ll also get a mention on the program. Just ask Dean Cuadra…you think fame and fortune, instantly thrust upon you, is an easy thing to deal with? Don’t YOU want to know? Sure you do.

Of course, we realize that sometimes you just HAVE to an answer NOW. Dear readers, I would be errant in my ways if I failed to mention our ultra-cool “Ask The Glue Doctor” live chat. Our Applications Experts, sitting at their computers in a Zen-like state, drawing from the industy’s deepest well of adhesive knowledge, serenely tapping their keyboards with responses to your questions. Don’t feel social? No problem. Just fire off information about YOUR adhesive application dilemma into our Glue Doctor Application Analysis form and we’ll get a solution back to you post haste! Don’t stress over those unanswered adhesive applications questions…the Glue Doctor is here to make YOUR life serene!

Enjoy the new podcasts, y’all! Thanks for making our program a great success. It’s your support that makes us the uncontested leaders in the adhesive and specialty chemical industry. Can you feel the love? We hope so!

Boldly Going Where No Adhesives Distributor Has Gone Before!

Bruce Springsteen said it best: “57 Channels and Nothing On.” Been there, done that. How many times are YOU sitting in front of your 60-inch Plasmatronic ultra-hi def, BluRay-capable, 7.1 Dolby-enabled, 1080p flat screen, mindlessly flipping through the channels – bored with “Ice Road Truckers,” Rachel Ray, “The World’s Dirtiest Jobs,” Suze Orman, Craig Kilpatrick, Big Brother, reruns of “South Park,” and everything else on MSNBC, CNN, FoodTV, DIY, VH-1, and on and on and on?

At some point, guilt starts to creep in. You sit on your couch with Cheeto-stained yellow fingers on the remote and a carbohydrate-induced glaze across your face. You can’t go on like this, day after day, any longer! You suddenly come to the conclusion that you need to do SOMETHING with your life! Yes…something fulfilling, something meaningful, something rewarding…perhaps even (gasp!) something educational!

Far be it from us to want you to go cold turkey. We’d hate to tear you away from your high definition-induced nirvana. We know that sudden withdrawl can be catastrophic, and our lawyers have STRONGLY advised us not to do ANYTHING that will jeapordize your physical and mental wellbeing. So…what if we could GENTLY transition you from your, um, dependence (addiction is SUCH an ugly word) on cable-fed diversion, to an online activity that could give you all the sensory input and satisfaction you crave while allowing you to expand your horizons, rejuvinate your brain cells and LOSE the guilt and shame of couch-bound inactivty? We’re betting you’d give it a shot if we made it easy. And we have, Dear Readers…we HAVE!

Enter the first exciting chapter in Ellsworth’s history of online educational video! There..we said it – educational. Yet another facet of the curriculum available from Glue Doctor University, Ellsworth Adhesives’ online educational resource. It’s time to get up off that couch, fellow Cable Drones and FREE YOUR MINDS! FREE YOR REMOTE HANDS! And save what precious brain cells you have left from video-induced atrophy! Can I get an ‘AMEN!’ Brothers and Sisters?

Think of this as your very own Adhesives Cable Network channel…a GlueTube, if you will. Except that you can now find our educational video content on the Glue Doctor University page linked to our very own channel on YouTube. And if you don’t have a link handy, all you need to do is go over to YouTube and type in “Ellsworth Adhesives,” and you’ll find us immediately.

The beauty of this learning process, is that we’re taking complex adhesive dispensing applications and breaking them down into easily-viewed segments that will fill your need to be stimulated with video, while expanding your knowledge of adhesives. How GREAT is that?

This month, we’re posting eleven brief examples of automated, precision adhesive dispensing applications for your review. Easy to watch and so much to learn with a small investment of your time. And best of all – NO EXAMS! Next month, we’ll put up more content, so stay tuned! As a matter of fact, just sign up as a subscriber to the EllsworthAdhesives channel on YouTube, so you can stay in the loop any time new content is added. Just be sure to wash that Cheetos stain off your fingers before you start using your keyboard and mouse, alright?

By the way – be sure to keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for two NEW upcoming podcasts: “Oxygen Inhibition,” and “Hot Melt Optimization.” Quick, bite-sized educational tidbits that you can listen to and take anywhere your iPod or mp3 player can go. Stay tuned!

At Ellsworth, we believe the best customers are informed customers, so watch for our newest podcasts here.

Having Green Moments

Has this happened to you? You’re sitting in line at the local PetroSuperCornerDeliAllinOneStop waiting to tank up your SupremoGigantoLuxoMax all-wheel drive SUV CUV SAV MPAV truck, hoping that gas prices don’t spike another 15 cents per gallon before the pump nozzle hits your fuel spout, and then it hits you: “I HAVE to replace this beast with something more environmetally friendly!” You, my friends, have had a Green Moment. Besides, you realize that your kids’ college education, your next vacation to Puerto Vallarta, or retirement is vaporizing every time you plant your foot to the floorboard to merge into rush-hour traffic. Not good, my friends. Not good at all!
 
It’s happening to us here at Ellsworth, too. As we gaze out at the forest greenery and pastoral rolling hills dotted with gentle, grazing cattle, deer, wild turkey, hawks and cranes that surround us here in Germantown, Wisconsin, we’re starting to have Green Moments, too. We know the importance of keeping the land, air and waters that surround us AND you, pristine.

Let’s look at some examples of our Green Moments, shall we?

We know that whenever you pull your vehicle out and drive to a destination, you’re leaving a big ol’ messy carbon foot print. What are WE doing to help YOU minimize this phenomenon? Glue Doctor University to the rescue!

When we created Glue Doctor University, we decided rather than having you fly in from all corners of the Earth (or drive from all corners of the Upper Midwest) to participate in our learning experience here in Germantown, Wisconsin, we’d build it online, so you could learn from the comfort of your office or home. Heck, you might take it one step further and listen to one of our podcasts or webcasts on your iPod while WALKING to the grocery store or riding your bike to the library! How GREEN is THAT? All the benefits of higher education without ever having to consume fossil fuels or emitting hydrocarbons! It’s definitely a win-win situation. You learn from our growing library of white papers, case studies, application guides, webcasts and podcasts and we BOTH help the environment. Definitely an example of a Green Moment!

Here’s another example of one of our Green Moments: We KNOW that all the products we sell meet stingent government requirements, but with everyone focusing more on preserving the environment, reducing global warming and conserving resources, we KNEW that there had to be companies out there developing products that went beyond compliance and were also beneficial to the environment – environmentally friendly, sustainable, green products.

So – we diligently searched until we found EcoGlue Green Solutions Extreme Adhesive and Sealant and EcoGlue Green Solutions Premium Adhesive. You want GREEN? You want ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY? With these products, you’re covered! How about this: EcoGlue Extreme boasts NO SOLVENTS, less than TWO PERCENT VOC and PROP 65 compliance! EcoGlue Premium boasts less than ONE PERCENT VOC, contains NO SOLVENTS, IT’S INSTANT GRAB, MOISTURE CURE, ODOR FREE, NON-SHRINK, PAINTABLE  AND…it’s NON TOXIC! Both products are extremely strong AND suitable for a wide variety of applications. You want more information? Check out Eclectic’s EcoGlue products right here – grab an EcoGlue Extreme info sheet or an EcoGlue Premium info sheet.

We also have a spot on our site where you can view ALL of our low VOC products - adhesives, sealants and conformals. Not only will these products get the job done, but you’ll feel just as good about using them as we will selling them to you. AND, you can be sure that when we DO add more environmentally-friendly products to our online store, we’ll be keeping you in the loop! If you want to catch breaking news from our site, sign up for our eNewsletter.

Finally, from the “Once In a Blue Green Moon” file, something to SAVE you some GREEN! If you’ve never seen our warehouse area, it’s like something out of the last scene from Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark - it goes on FOREVER. Except that ours is well lit, meets all OSHA standards and everyone working there jokes and smiles a lot. But every once in a great while…an item gets moved from one spot to another and might get, shall we say, FORGOTTEN. In this day of computer-monitored inventory, we’re not sure now it happens, but then, who can explain Area 51, UFO sightings and American Idol results? 

The other day our warehouse manager stumbled upon the MOTHERLODE of hot melt adhesive inventory. How this inventory ended up hidden right under our noses, we’ll never know, but to say that we’d like to move it out NOW would be a mild understatement. If you’re looking for some REALLY special pricing on great general purpose hot melt, now’s the time to act! It’s hot melt from The Glue Factory – perfect for a wide variety of applications that require durable adhesive bonding. Go take a look – you just might be surprised how much GREEN you’ll be saving!

Don’t forget – if you have any suggestions for our “Ask The Glue Doctor” podcasts, send ‘em on in here. If we use your suggestion, you just might end up with your very own Glue Doctor Bobble Head! If you have an application question, click here to chat live with The Glue Doctor – when it comes to adhesive applications, his encyclopedic knowledge will find your solution!

That’s it for now! So step AWAY from the computer and get outside! With Spring upon us, there’s plenty of green out there to take in and it always looks better in person than on a monitor!