Bond failures remain a significant challenge for manufacturers, occurring on a large scale every week despite widespread awareness of the importance of surface readiness in bonding processes like sealing, coating, cleaning, and painting. Why? Because controlling adhesion throughout every manufacturing process is complex. Companies design robust processes, but unpredictable environmental factors and human choices disrupt these efforts.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the concept of Critical Control Points (CCPs), discuss how to identify and monitor them, and show how mastering CCPs can help your organization reduce bond failures, lower costs, and improve product quality. Here's how you can approach CCPs systematically and effectively.
Understanding the 4 Main Categories of Variability
1. Supplier-Induced Variations
One of the most common sources of variability in adhesive bonding and coating processes arises from supplier-induced variations. Suppliers may deliver parts with unexpected surface quality variations, such as contamination or residue, materials differing from the original specifications, or changes to the surface quality caused during transit. Environmental factors like improper packaging, inadequate shipping methods, or poor storage conditions can further compromise the surface quality.
A critical control point for addressing these issues is the point of entry, where parts are received. To mitigate risks, manufacturers can implement Water Contact Angle (WCA) testing, a reliable method for estimating surface energy. By setting a clear WCA specification for suppliers and testing parts upon arrival, companies can ensure surface readiness aligns with their process requirements, preventing variability from entering the production line.
2. Mechanical Variations in Surface Preparation
Mechanical variations in surface preparation processes are another critical source of adhesion failures. These issues often stem from equipment or components within processes like cleaning, plasma, corona, or flame treatment losing effectiveness over time. For example, worn nozzles, degraded cleaning chemistries, or aging plasma jets can lead to inconsistent surface readiness. Despite scheduled maintenance intervals, these mechanical components can unexpectedly fail, causing significant production disruptions.
A common scenario involves parts washers, which are frequent points of failure. Contaminants from excess lubricant from supplier-delivered parts can clog the system, reducing effectiveness. Similarly, automated processes, such as plasma treatments, can malfunction without immediate detection, resulting in large quantities of defective products being shipped.
Additionally, upstream issues from suppliers—such as packaging that introduces silicone contamination—can exacerbate mechanical failures downstream. Identifying and monitoring these mechanical CCPs is essential to maintaining equipment performance, preventing cascading failures, and ensuring surface readiness across the production line.
3. Human Intervention on the Manufacturing Line
Human intervention in manufacturing processes is another significant source of variability and adhesion failures. While automation can minimize errors, most production lines still involve human involvement at various stages. Whether it’s a technician sanding a surface, applying a solvent, or performing quality checks, the actions of humans, including plant managers, shift supervisors, or production mechanics, can introduce inconsistencies.
Common errors include skipping steps, failing to follow proper procedures, waiting too long between stages, or using incorrect materials—such as the wrong solvent or abrasive. These deviations, whether intentional or accidental, disrupt the defined process and compromise adhesion reliability.
The challenge for manufacturers is to drive consistency and ensure compliance with established protocols. Clear process documentation, employee training, and periodic checks are essential to minimize the risks associated with human choices. Leveraging technology to monitor adherence and flag deviations in real time can further enhance process consistency and reduce the likelihood of bond failures.
4. Environmental Circumstances
Environmental factors in manufacturing can significantly impact adhesion quality, yet they are often overlooked or inadequately controlled. While most quality teams establish and monitor specifications for measurable variables like temperature and humidity, contamination—particularly silicone—is a persistent challenge that is frequently underestimated.
Silicone, widely used in manufacturing for its non-stick properties, poses a unique threat to bonding processes. Invisible to the naked eye and resistant to removal by plasma treatment, silicone contamination can compromise adhesion quality without being detected. Despite its utility in controlling surface interactions, its unintended presence can derail production quality.
To mitigate these risks, manufacturers must proactively monitor and control environmental contamination. This involves implementing systems to detect contaminants like silicone in the atmosphere and incorporating contamination checks into routine quality protocols. Identifying and managing environmental CCPs ensures a cleaner manufacturing environment and reduces the likelihood of adhesion failures.
The Checklist Approach to CCP Management
To mitigate bond failures, you must:
- Identify CCPs: Map out potential points of variability across your supply chain and production process.
- Define Specifications: Establish surface energy levels and process tolerances for each CCP.
- Monitor Compliance: Use tools like Brighton Science’s Surface Analyst and BConnect to measure, track, and notify stakeholders of deviations.
- Automate Data Collection: Centralize and analyze data from CCPs for proactive decision-making.
Leveraging Technology for CCP Mastery
With over a decade of experience, Brighton Science’s tools help customers define and monitor CCPs. The BConnect platform enables automated and manual measurements, tracks compliance, and provides actionable insights to improve surface readiness.
Brighton Science’s patented Surface Analyst technology and BConnect cloud platform transform CCP management by:
- Guiding Procedures: Step-by-step protocols for consistent measurements.
- Real-Time Alerts: Notifications for stakeholders when critical processes deviate.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Metadata integration for better process insights and compliance documentation.
- Enhanced Collaboration: API integration for seamless data sharing across departments and supply chains.
Image above: Example of CCP monitoring using BConnect's Process Monitor.
Build a Competitive Edge with Surface Intelligence
Controlling CCPs is no longer optional—it’s a competitive necessity. Brighton Science’s solutions are designed to make surface intelligence—specifically monitoring and measuring surface energy—a core competency for manufacturers. By integrating advanced tools and methodologies into their processes, companies can achieve two critical goals: reducing costs and improving quality.
Our approach helps organizations minimize redundancies, prevent failures, and ensure consistent surface readiness throughout the production cycle. Whether through automated or manual interventions, Brighton Science provides the technology and expertise needed to simplify complex adhesion challenges and enhance overall manufacturing performance. By mastering CCPs, your organization can elevate production standards, exceed customer expectations, and ensure long-term success in the global market.
Take the Next Step
Ready to identify and monitor your CCPs? Explore this eBook, “The Future of Manufacturing: A Guide to Intelligent Adhesive Bonding Technologies & Methodologies."
