Adhesion Matters - Adhesive Catridges (Medmix)

Episode Date: August 3, 2025

This episode focuses on Medmix and its innovative and sustainable "greenLine™" cartridge system. The core theme revolves around the successful integration of high-performance industrial dispensing solutions with significant environmental responsibility, primarily through the use of recycled plastics in the cartridge. This collaboration highlights a growing industry trend towards sustainable practices that do not compromise on quality or efficiency, offering significant economic and reputational advantages for businesses.   This "drop-in ready" solution from Medmix offers clear economic advantages through cost efficiencies and enhanced brand reputation, while also positioning businesses to meet evolving regulatory landscapes and consumer demand for sustainability. 

Have you ever stopped to think how really cutting-edge innovation can actually mesh with environmental responsibility, especially in places you wouldn't expect, like, say, industrial glues? Well, today, that's exactly what we're doing. We're taking a deep dive into the world of industrial adhesives. Specifically, we're looking at a really interesting partnership between Bodomolar chemi and MedMex. Yeah, we've got some recent press releases, some detailed product info here, and it really shines a light on how these specialty chemicals are becoming, Well, not just greener, but also easier to get hold of globally.

It might just change how you think about glue. Absolutely. Our mission today is sort of to unpack how a major distributor, Bodomelar Kemi, is expanding its reach across the globe. And at the same time, how its key partner MedMex is pushing sustainability hard, but crucially, without sacrificing performance in a really critical industrial area. So what does this actually mean in practice for businesses, for the environment? Let's get into it. Okay, let's start with the players. First up, Bodo-Meller-Chimi.

Now, when we say specialty chemicals, we're not talking about like household stuff. These are highly specific compounds, right? Engineered for complex industrial jobs. Stuff you definitely won't find on a supermarket shelf. Exactly. And Bodo-Miller-Chimi are the experts here. They help industrial users pick the right adhesive, figure out how to use it, and then get it to them. They're truly global, too, offices across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the America's.

Quite the footprint. And they haven't been standing still. Yeah. Just look at July 4th, 20203. They got the official rights to distribute Med Mix products in Mexico. This wasn't just random. It built on what they were already doing successfully in Spain and Portugal, clearly setting things up for a bigger play in Latin America. And then looking ahead to, well, now 2025, more big news.

July 22nd, they acquired Rockton. That makes them Henkel's top distributor over in Asia. Right. A major move. And just before that, July 17th, celebrating their 50th anniversary. From a family firm to this global player, it's quite a story. 50 years is impressive. And then even earlier in July, the 10th, they bought assets from Aqua Engineering Services, boosting their presence in India.

So lots of activity. Definitely expanding. And what's really interesting, especially for customers say in Mexico, is how they approach it. It's not just about selling the product. This partnership means they actually have high local stock of good quality stuff plus technical support. right there on the ground. Oh, so hands-on help. Exactly, including special training courses. In Spanish, even, at their adhesive training center, Frank Hollock, he's the chairman of Boda-Muller, Jim McKee, he put it quite well. He said they offer a comprehensive package, the tech, the

adhesives, the advice for new projects, support for ongoing ones, the whole lot. It does make you wonder, though, how do they manage that? Expanding globally, but still delivering that really tailored local support. That's a great point. And I think maybe the answer ties into MedMix's own innovation, which makes these solutions work well anywhere. So let's talk MedMix AG. You might remember them as Sulter Mix Pack AG. All right. Big name. Yeah, a global leader in what they call high precision delivery devices.

And we mean precise, like tools that make sure you mix things perfectly and apply them consistently, absolutely vital for these complex adhesives to work properly. Kusual, yeah. Their mixed-paker brand is huge, loads of different mixing and dispensing technologies. And get this, over nine. 900 active patents, real Swiss quality, you know. But the real headline act, the thing that's really shaking things up now, is their MixPeka Green Line cartridge system. This system is all about the future of what they call two component products.

So, for you listening, that means adhesives where you have two separate parts that only activate when you mix them together just before you use them. Like epoxy resins, for instance. Exactly. And the Green Line system does this using genuinely eco-friendly solutions, like their ecopaciesies. cartridges and the whole Green Line range. Okay, so let's dive into that green part. What's really, really cool here is the material they're using. The Green Line system uses a lot of post-consumer recycled, that's PCR, and post-industrial PIR, polypropylene plastic in the actual cartridge bodies.

So plastic that's already had a life? Precisely. Giving it a second life. Some of these products get up to 100% recycled content. 100%. That's impressive. It is. And the environmental impact is tangible.

significant cuts in CO2 emissions anywhere from 35% up to a whopping 73% less compared to using brand new virgin plastic. 73%. Yeah. Take their B system, for example, that hits up to 73% CO2 reduction. The Q system gets up to 66%. It's not just fiddling around the edges. It's a serious move towards a circular economy.

Right. Less waste. Less waste. Optimized for, as I say, maximum yield and minimum dead volume. So you use more of the product. And they also use a local for local approach to source the recycled materials, which cuts transport emissions too. Smart. Okay, that sounds great on paper. But you know the question businesses always ask, does going green mean we lose performance? The million dollar

question. And this is where MedMix seems to have really nailed it. They stress that Green Line maintains the exact mixing performance quality of a standard cartridge. They describe it as process safe, precise, solid and robust, and it delivers, quote, quality performance consistently. So no compromise there? Apparently not. They've built in some clever design features, too, like a side-by-side layout to keep the two components separate until the last moment. A special interface to stop them mixing too early.

A patented lock for the mixing tip. Even self-venting pistons made from that recycled PCR polypropylene for super accurate dosing. It sounds technically sophisticated. I wonder what the biggest challenges were in using recycled plastic for those demanding parts. That's a really good question. Ensuring that recycled plastic behales exactly like virgin plastic under pressure without degrading or failing must have been tough. They needed absolute consistency. Yeah, because failure isn't an option in industrial settings.

Exactly, which leads us to maybe the most crucial advantage they talk about. It's drop in ready. Ah, the drop in ready part. Explain that. It basically means businesses can just take out their old standard cartridges and pop in the green line ones. That's it. So no changing the dispensing guns, no altering the production line. Nope. No new equipment needed. No costly retooling. No need to retrain staff. It's designed to be completely seamless. Okay. That is a big deal. That makes adopting it so much easier, doesn't it?

If the barrier to entry is basically zero. It feels like it, yeah. It removes that major hurdle of cost and disruption. Which would really speed up how quickly industries can switch to more sustainable options. And it's not just easy. It's versatile, too. This green line system works for a whole range of industrial adhesives and sealants. Think epoxy, polyurethanes, the really strong stuff. Used in all sorts of industries. Right.

And also specialized construction uses, like chemical anchoring, fixing steel rods into concrete or concrete crack repair. So wide applicability. Okay. So pulling it all together, what's the bottom line for businesses? Obviously, there are the green credentials. But what about the economics? Good point. Beyond the environmental pluses, MedMix points.

to cost efficiencies. Because you're optimizing material use, you get less waste. Over time, that could mean lower costs for raw materials and disposal. Makes sense. Less waste equals less cost. And like we just hammered home, that drop-in ready aspect is huge economically because it slashes the cost and time needed to adopt it. And thinking about the market, using Green Line must be a powerful way for companies to stand out, right? To show they have a greener value chain. Customers are demanding this more and more. Definitely. And MedMix backs this up. They provide detailed life cycle assessment data, LCA data. Ah, the numbers. Exactly. So their customers can actually calculate their own carbon footprint reduction from using these cartridges. That allows for real integrated

sustainability reporting. It's not just marketing fluff. That's transparency. Very valuable for businesses wanting to prove their eco claims. And it seems the industry agrees. Their MixPack Greenline 400-Mil-1.1 cartridge. That's specific model, it picked up two awards in January 2024, the big innovation award and the big sustainability award. Both. Innovation and sustainability. That's telling, isn't it?

It really is. What does winning both signal about where the industry's heading? Is this the new benchmark? I think it absolutely signals a shift. It's not either anymore. You can't just be innovative or just be sustainable. The market wants both. High performance and

environmental responsibility. The whole package. Exactly. It proves they can coexist even re-enchorce each other. Tobias Budmiller, one of their tech experts at MixPack, he said Greenline delivers maximum performance with less CO2. And again, he highlighted giving recycled plastic a second life in demanding technical application. It really shows that green doesn't mean compromise anymore. It can mean high-tech, high-performance. That's setting a standard. So wrapping up our deep dive today, the key takeaways seem pretty clear. We've got major CO2 reductions, impressive use of recycled materials, performance that holds up, and critically, that seamless

drop-in compatibility. It's a powerful example of how global business growth and genuine sustainable innovation can work hand in hand in the specialty chemicals sector. Definitely. And it leaves us with a thought, doesn't it? Thinking about MedMix is local for local sourcing for those recycled plastics. How could that model maybe influence other industries? Could decentralizing supply chains like that beyond just packaging create even bigger

environmental benefits? What possibilities does that open up for you, for businesses, for a truly circular global economy? Nothing to think about.