The benefits of standardization in the adhesives sector

Standardization in the adhesives sector brings several benefits, including economic ones. This was discussed during the webinar “Adhesives for furniture: state of the art, regulatory updates and development opportunities” organized by Unichim, the Association for standardization in the chemical industry.

“Unichim’s standardization activity is fundamental and is not merely a bureaucratic exercise, but a dynamic and voluntary process based on three fundamental pillars: establishing the state of the art, supporting SMEs and risk reduction” said Sandro Spezia, Director of Unichim.

The characteristics of a standard are:

• consensus;
• democracy;
• transparency;
• voluntariness.

“The key word is interconnection, which in our case takes place through international working groups,” Spezia continued. “We start from a regulatory gap, we create a shared method, and the final result must be market certainty.”

Maurizio Carrer, coordinator of the Unichim working group on standards related to wood adhesives, focused on the standard that creates a unified method for determining the open time of a hot-melt adhesive. Until 2025, there was no official method for determining open time, understood as the time between when the adhesive is applied and when, under pressure, bonding can be achieved.

“Knowledge of this parameter allows the operator to properly bond two objects,” Carrer explained. “It is relevant for many industrial sectors such as furniture and PVC profile lamination.” The final goal is to develop a method that is easy to perform with readily available materials.

The “gluer’s license”

Fabio Chiozza, from the Unichim working group on packaging adhesives, said that a standard can be developed at national or international level. In Italy there are several technical committees for adhesives, with various subgroups coordinated by the Unichim Adhesives Commission, and corresponding bodies at international level. “An idea we have launched is the creation of a “gluer’s license” based on training and bonding quality,” he explained.

This would allow:

• each operator to obtain a certificate demonstrating their skills;
• the company employing the operator in the production process to voluntarily certify the quality of manufacturing procedures for the assembled product.

“A training course, a theoretical-practical exam, and a limited validity of the license, for example five years, renewable through refresher courses, would need to be provided,” Chiozza concluded.

For all industry operators, the appointment is ABS Europe 2026 – Adhesives, Bonding & Sealants, the first event in Italy and the Mediterranean area dedicated to adhesives, glues, sealants, foams, tapes, resins, coatings, laminates, and films, which will take place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the Vicenza Expo Centre, Italy.

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