PACKING TAPES

PACKING TAPES

Tapes vary based on their adhesive. There are three types of adhesives.

1. Acrylic 2. Hot Melt 3. Natural Rubber

Tapes can be manufactured to varying widths including, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 96mm.

TIP!

Don’ t put tape under tension, it’ s not stretch wrap. For the best result, packaging tape should be applied without stretch and then a downward pressure applied, such as running your hand across the sealed tape.

ACRYLIC TAPES

This tape is traditionally recognised as being a good adhesive to plastics. It has a high resistance to UV, making it ideal for longterm storage. Acrylic tape needs to be rolled and then have a downward pressure to ensure it reaches its tack‘ stick’ potential.

HOT MELT TAPES

The glue starts out as a solid that is heated( hot melt) to a point where it runs, chemicals are added to keep it soft and sticky. Due to this manufacturing process this tape is not suitable for extremes in hot or cold.

Hot Melt Tape is an ideal machine tape especially in high volume light weight packaging as the tape unwinds easily and doesn’ t rely on the weight of the box to pull the tape from the roll. Hot Melt Tape is suitable for a cool room if the tape has been applied by machine in ambient temperature then transferred into the cool room.

Hot Melt adhesive dries quicker than other tape types so it is not suitable for long term storage.

NATURAL RUBBER TAPES

The great all-rounder, especially on boxes. Its natural rubber solvent adheres to a variety of board surfaces throughout temperature extremes, thus it is widely recognised as the better product for refrigerators.

Vibac Natural Rubber is the premium of the Natural Rubber Tapes. It has a thicker 28um backing and will perform at high and low temperatures consistently.

Standard Grade Natural Rubber tapes have a standard grade 25um backing.

If changing from a machine hot melt to a machine natural rubber, remember to adjust the machine’ s tension to suit the tape.