Double-sided tapes are used for various purposes. Whether to deal with a wardrobe malfunction or for construction purposes, it is important to choose the right tape for the job.
To ensure the tape performs as expected, you should consider the following factors: surface energy, thickness, width, and application setting.
Material
Double-sided tapes are an essential tool for a variety of applications in many industries, including seaming, splicing and bonding. They offer a host of benefits, such as invisible bond lines, gap-filling properties and conformability. They also allow for faster assembly times and eliminate the need for curing time when compared to mechanical fasteners.
The material used to make the tape can have a major impact on its performance. For example, prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause some chemical materials to lose their adhesive properties. This can lead to a weak and unreliable bond.
Strouse offers a range of medical tape solutions that meet ISO 10993-1:2018 biocompatibility standards. These are ideal for use in the manufacture of medical devices and other flexible applications that require a strong adhesive that will not degrade over time.
Temperature
There are tapes that are rated for use in cold temperatures, which is great for construction applications. These types of adhesive tapes can help you with projects like gap filling, vibration dampening, shock absorption and temporary bonding.
In my experience, there are heat-resistant double-sided tapes that work great for projects involving high-temperature conditions. One example is the Kapton CMC 70752 heat-resistant double-coated tape, which is ideal for repellent surfaces such as silicones and fluoropolymers.
Keep in mind that storing your double-sided tape in a dusty, wet or extremely hot or cold environment can also negatively impact its performance. To extend the life of your tape, make sure that you store it in a proper temperature-controlled area and clean it before applying. This will ensure that the adhesive surface sticks and bonds well with its intended surface.
Thickness
The thickness of double-sided tape can greatly impact its ability to adhere. Thicker tapes are generally better suited to rough surfaces and materials like concrete, brick, and bare metal. They can also handle more stress (tensile, shear, cleavage, and peel) and provide greater flexibility for smoother, stronger bonding.
They’re also much easier to use than glue, which can be messy and time-consuming. And they’re often more durable, especially when used in industrial applications. Ultimately, this can save you time and money while reducing your production process. Plus, double-sided tapes leave behind no sticky residue upon removal, making them easy to clean up and reuse. This ensures a cleaner-looking product and better craftsmanship. It also prevents moisture intrusion, which is a big factor in tape failure.
Width
When choosing a tape, the width of the roll is important to consider. Narrow tapes are easy to hide between two objects, while wider ones can hold more surface area with a single strip.
You’ll also want to consider how much weight the adhesive is designed to support. Do you need it to hold a lot of poly sheeting to the wall, for example? Then you’ll need a wide enough strip to support the weight.
Double-sided tapes have a variety of uses for adhesion, including laminating applications, splicing and gasketing. They can provide initial high tack and resist heat, water and plasticizers. They are ideal for use in fabrication and POS manufacturing. These types of tapes are available from most major tape manufacturers and can be slit to the exact size you need for your project.
Bonding Surface
If you have a specific surface in mind that needs bonding, make sure that your double-sided tape is designed to work with that material. Different types of surfaces require different preparation methods and a variety of adhesives. For example, plastics require plastic-friendly tape that is designed to hold long periods of time.
The adhesives on a double-sided tape can be thin or thick and coated with rubber, acrylic or a combination of these materials sometimes with differential properties. Thinner systems have a carrier which is usually a paper (tissue, crepe or flatback) or film and are usually siliconized. The thicker and wider double-sided tapes usually have a foam or cloth carrier. The thickness of the carrier helps it resist the stresses that are applied to the adhesives.
Steven Barron is an expert in many fields like tech, education, travel, finance, games, cars, and sports. He started his career in the tech industry, where he learned a lot and got good at spotting tech trends. Steven then moved into writing. He loves technology and is great at telling stories. His articles cover topics like new gadgets, education, and finance. They are full of detail but easy to read. Steven loves to travel and is a big sports fan. This shows in his travel and sports writing, where he draws in readers with clear descriptions and smart insights.
