Industrial tape is the kind of pressure-sensitive tape that will stick to a variety of surfaces with just a light pressure, it does not require activation by solvent, water, or heat to exert a strong adhesive force on the materials. Tape is a continuous strip of cloth, paper, or plastic that is coated with a permanent adhesive and is usually in a roll form.
Industrial tape can be used for several purposes, including wrapping, adhesive bonding, masking, packaging, thread sealing, or other specialized application. It is designed to bond dissimilar material base likes bonding metal to glass or metal to other non-metal material such as plastic, rubber, textiles, wood, leather, paperboard, etc. The market demand for this type of adhesive tape is keep growing due to its low cost, high strength bonding effect, ease of use, temperature resistance, and chemical resistance, these characteristics have made it popular for many applications in packaging, automotive, construction, and medical industry.
When choosing the right tape to be used, it is crucial to know what is the plan and purpose of using the tape. There are several factors that will affect our selection of tapes such as the physical properties and the dimensions of the industrial tape. Physical properties include its tensile strength, peel strength, temperature resistance, and dielectric strength. Each type of tape also has a rating to indicate how well it sticks to certain surfaces. We need to know the types of surface we are going to use the tape and then find the rating for the type of surface when choosing the right type of tape.
The design of tape includes few components such as the adhesive, the release liner/backing, and the carrier. Not all types of tapes feature all these components. The tape has can be classified into few standard compositions which are single-sided adhesive tape, double-sided adhesive tape, transfer tape, and non-adhesive tape.
1) Single-sided adhesive tape only has one side is coated with adhesive. This is most commonly used for insulating or packaging purposes. Examples of single-coated tapes are masking tape, packaging tape, electrical tape, etc.
2) Double-sided adhesive tape has coated adhesive on both sides of the carrier. It is used to join two material surfaces together in an invisible way. Some examples of double-coated tape are mounting tapes, bounding tapes, carpet tapes, etc
3) Transfer tape is a thin adhesive film with no carrier and backing. We can transfer this tape readily to any dry surface after peel away the release liner. The transfer tape can be acrylic, rubber, or silicone adhesive. Some examples of transfer tapes are bag and envelope sealing, graphic attaching, etc.
4) Non-adhesive tape is a self-adhering tape without any adhesive applied to it. Teflon® tape is the typical example of non-adhesive tape that used in plumbing.
We normally use adhesive tape to join materials together, while non-adhesive tape or specialized tape is mainly used for specific applications such as electrical insulation, thread sealing, etc.
Few Common Types of Industrial Tape
Here we will introduce few common types of tape we used for industrial applications.
Duct Tape
Duct tape belongs to cloth tape that has polyethylene film on one side and a rubber-based adhesive on another side. It was first originally made for metal ducting works and sealing the joints. Duct tape is versatile, strong, waterproof, and flexible enough for a wide variety of applications. It is able to stick to most of the material surfaces and becomes very popular to be used for rapid repairs, maintenance, and construction settings. Duct tape is also available in different sizes and colors that can also be used for decorating or wrapping purposes. However, its high adhesion characteristic will typically leave residue or markings behind after removing it. It is not a preferred choice when the removal of tape is required after the completion of works. If you’re looking for permanent repair or waterproofing solutions, duct tape can be your preferred choice for fixing the problems.
Electrical Tape
Electrical tape is made of either vinyl, plastic, or fiberglass that provide insulation qualities to prevent electrocution and short circuits efficiently. It is mainly used by electricians to cover or insulate wires or other electrical parts. Electrical tape comes in a variety of colors and each color has a special usage. Black color is most commonly used by electricians for insulation purposes. The other colors indicate the voltage level and phase of the wire such as low/high voltage, Phase A, B, C, or other characteristics related to insulation. In addition, electrical tape is flame-retardant and weather resistant that can be applied in an environment that has a temperature ranging from -10 to 90 degrees Celsius.
Filament Tape
Filament tape is also known as strapping tapes. Its backing material is normally a polyester film or polypropylene that added fiberglass filaments. The inclusion of fiberglass in the filament tape increases the level of tensile strength which makes it exceptionally strong. Filament tape is available in different grades of strength based on the type of adhesive used and the amount of fiberglass embedded. The main purpose of filament tape is for bundling items, pallet unitizing, carton sealing, and reinforcing packages due to the high tensile strength
Gaffer’s Tape
Gaffer’s tape or gaff tape is a heavy cotton cloth tape made from a fabric material. It is strong, heat resistant, and most importantly, it leaves minimal residue after being removed, unlike the duct tape. We can easily remove and tear it with our hands as it uses a non-permanent adhesive that is suitable for temporary or short-term usage. It is common to be found in theatres, movie, photography, or television production for taping down the wires and cables. When compared to duct tape, gaff tape is less flexible and less stretchable that make it ideal for where you need the tape to hold its shape.
Mounting Tape
Mounting tape belongs to double-sided adhesive tape that can hang items on the wall or other surface for up to two pounds in total weight. It can be used on multiple surfaces including walls, tiles, mirrors, or glass. One side of the backing sticks on the item you wish to hang and the other side is placed on where you want to hang the item. The mounting tape has two types which are permanent type and removable types. For the removable type, normally have to pull strips to allow the items to take off from the wall without destroying or leaving marks on the wall. We need to choose carefully which type of mounting tape we want before using it.
Masking Tape
Masking tape is also known as painter’s tape as it is a useful tool for painters to mark the areas that do not want to be painted. It is made of a type of paper that is very easy to tear and peel off without damaging the base materials. In this case, masking tape is not strong enough for wrapping a package or attaching items firmly or permanently.
Each type of industrial tap is made for specific uses. Therefore, it is important to understand what is the purpose and where to apply the tape before choosing the tape. MecHero Malaysia supplies a wide range of tape for your individual or commercial projects. You can always contact us at +6011-7000 7687 or email us at my.mechero@gmail.com for an inquiry about the adhesive products and other hardware in Malaysia. As a steel and online hardware store Malaysia, we also supply a wide range of steel materials, general hardware, or mechanical components. Tell us your requirements now and we can advise you accordingly.
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