How much mixed adhesive can I use before the pot life runs out?

Take the pot life less the time it took to start dispensing, multiply by the dispense rate, and compare with the batch: you can use the smaller of the two. 600 g at 680 g an hour with 0.65 hours left gives 442 g usable and 158 g left, the Pot Life Usage calculator's own example.

What batch size should I mix?

No more than the Largest usable batch column: dispense rate × (pot life − time to start). For bond cell 1 in the example that is 442 g; the line mixes 400 g once the batch is cut.

Why does pot life change with batch size?

The curing reaction gives off heat, and a bigger mass holds more of it, so a large batch warms itself and cures faster. Qualify the pot life at the batch size and room temperature you actually use.

What counts as time to start?

Everything between mixing and the first part: degassing, filling cartridges or the dispense pot, purging the mixer. Shortening it gives the line more working time.

Does waste include what is left in the mixer and nozzle?

No. The workbook counts only adhesive left when the pot life closes. Static mixer and nozzle purge losses are extra; the Adhesive Bead Volume template counts purge per run.

Does the workbook use macros?

No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test batches and shows Self-check: PASS.

Production and Throughput

Adhesive Pot Life Log Excel Template

Usable mixed adhesive = the smaller of the batch mass and dispense rate × (pot life − time to start dispensing). Log every batch of two-part epoxy, polyurethane or potting compound and see what each line dispensed in time, what was left to cure in the pot and what it cost, and the largest batch each line can use.

Free, and a plain .xlsx with no macros to enable. A CSV with live formulas and a printed how-to guide come with it.

Overview

This adhesive pot life log is a working Excel workbook for process engineers, production supervisors and operators who mix two-part epoxies, polyurethanes and potting compounds. Each mixed batch is one row with its line, adhesive, mixed mass, the rate the line dispenses it and the time from mixing to the start of dispensing (degassing, loading the cartridge or pot); each adhesive's qualified pot life and price come from Setup. The workbook gives the working time left, the largest batch the line could dispense in that time, the mass actually usable, the waste left when the pot life closed and its cost, then totals each line. It ships with two weeks of batches on four lines at a fictional electronics assembler, so every tile and chart is filled in when you open it.

In the example bond cell 1 mixes 600 g of a 45-minute epoxy, starts 6 minutes later and dispenses 680 g an hour: 442 g goes on parts and 158 g cures in the pot. Cutting the batch to 400 g ends the waste. The potting line mixes 1.5 kg of a 30-minute polyurethane but can dispense only 840 g before it gels, wasting 660 g a batch until it mixes 800 g. Over the two weeks 1.92 kg of 9.91 kg mixed was wasted.

Pot life shortens in bigger batches and warmer rooms; qualify it at the batch size you use. The download is a plain .xlsx with no macros. A CSV with live formulas is also included for other tools; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx.

What this template includes

Setup sheet with your plant and currency, the adhesives with their qualified pot life and price per kg, and the lines
Batches table, one row per mixed batch: date, batch, line, adhesive, mixed mass, dispense rate and time from mixing to the start of dispensing, with a Check column
Per batch: remaining working time, largest usable batch, usable mass, waste, usable share, a status in words and waste cost
Dashboard with four tiles (batches, mixed, waste at pot life, waste cost), average batch against the largest usable batch by line, adhesive used and wasted by line, and the line table
Method sheet with every formula, and a Verify sheet that re-checks the formulas against an independent reference and the Pot Life Usage calculator (Self-check: PASS)
CSV with live formulas for the Batches table; the dashboard, charts, dropdowns and self-check are in the .xlsx

Suggested use case

Use it to set the batch size each bonding or potting line should mix, to show how much adhesive cures in the pot, or to check a batch plan before a new adhesive or line rate goes in.

How to use it

On Setup, type your plant and currency, list your adhesives with their qualified pot life and price per kg, and your lines.
On Batches, give each mixed batch a row: date, batch, line, adhesive, mixed mass, dispense rate and the time from mixing to the start of dispensing.
Fix anything the Check column names.
Open the Dashboard: used and wasted adhesive by line, and the batch size each line should mix.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much mixed adhesive can I use before the pot life runs out?: Take the pot life less the time it took to start dispensing, multiply by the dispense rate, and compare with the batch: you can use the smaller of the two. 600 g at 680 g an hour with 0.65 hours left gives 442 g usable and 158 g left, the Pot Life Usage calculator's own example.
What batch size should I mix?: No more than the Largest usable batch column: dispense rate × (pot life − time to start). For bond cell 1 in the example that is 442 g; the line mixes 400 g once the batch is cut.
Why does pot life change with batch size?: The curing reaction gives off heat, and a bigger mass holds more of it, so a large batch warms itself and cures faster. Qualify the pot life at the batch size and room temperature you actually use.
What counts as time to start?: Everything between mixing and the first part: degassing, filling cartridges or the dispense pot, purging the mixer. Shortening it gives the line more working time.
Does waste include what is left in the mixer and nozzle?: No. The workbook counts only adhesive left when the pot life closes. Static mixer and nozzle purge losses are extra; the Adhesive Bead Volume template counts purge per run.
Does the workbook use macros?: No. It is a plain .xlsx with ordinary formulas, tables and native charts. The Verify sheet re-checks the formulas against fixed test batches and shows Self-check: PASS.