Protection film for industrial-activities and production processes
Protection film for industrial-activities and production processes
Our company supplies a variety of special-purpose adhesive tapes for textile, food, glass-making and other industries, and for high-accuracy repair works.
The History Of Invention
Adhesive tape was invented in the US in 1923. A certain Minnesota company, a former sandpaper producer, hired an active and energetic guy, Richard Drew, as a laboratory technician. One day, when testing some samples of sandpaper, he had to observe the painstaking work of the painter in the car repair shop. The worker was trying to align the borders of two different colors on the car body with the help of strips of paper.
Having noticed his struggle and lack of success, Richard showed initiative and requested that the company grant him the right to work on developing an adhesive tape. At first, he used paper with a sticky edge; the results weren't satisfactory, so Drew continued his experiments. It took as long as 5 years to reach the goal and create duct tape. In 1930, the improved version of adhesive tape passed the respective tests and trials.
His invention was a waterproof rubber tape on a cellophane basis. Gradually, in addition to the paper and cellophane varieties, the assortment of adhesive tape was supplemented to include insulating, double-sided, decorative, marking, and other practical types. The parameters of the product also became more versatile, changing in width, length, stickiness, and transparency. What has remained unchanged is the special property of duct tape: chemical adhesion.
The adhesion is created by the acrylic or rubber glue matter applied to the tape. The thickness (10-30 μm) and the adhesive properties of the tape depend on the amount of glue applied.
Types
The range of materials used has expanded significantly since the invention of duct tape. Nowadays, an adhesive layer may be applied to polyethylene films, paper, foil, cellophane, fiberglass, non-woven fiber, and other materials.
Traditional Adhesive Tapes
Traditional duct tape is based on bi-oriented polypropylene (BOPP film). This product has several advantages over analogs:
- a large specific surface area with low density;
- vapor-tight;
- resistant to smells and microorganisms;
- resistant to temperature conditions;
- high optical properties;
- stable upon repetitive bending;
- environmentally friendly.
Depending on the intended purpose, adhesive tapes are subdivided into categories, each of which plays a significant role in respective areas of industrial activity.
Adhesive Packaging Tape
In order to ensure the safety of goods, packaging tape has to meet high durability requirements. It's manufactured from bi-oriented polypropylene (BOPP). The adhesive component can be rubber (natural or synthetic) or acrylic (water-based). The rubber adhesive tape is more suitable for use in the conditions of fluctuating temperatures and high humidity. It's capable of maintaining a strong adhesion in aggressive environments.
Manufactured in transparent and colored variants, packaging tape is used for manual or machine industrial packaging. The width and micronity of the adhesive tape utilized in this or that scenario depend on the kind of packaging required. For example: the tape with a width of 12-18 mm is used to close the opening of packing bags; the 24-36-mm tape suits for sealing lightweight boxes; the width of 48-50 mm is sufficient for corrugated boxes and goods packaged in polyethylene and paper wrapping. The wide, 75-mm tape serves to secure the integrity of boxes that weigh more than 20 kg.
Paper-Based Self-Adhesive Masking Tape
Designed to protect surfaces during plastering and painting works, this product has a distinctive feature: the use of low-adhesion glue. As a result, the tape leaves no traces upon removal. The surface of such paper-based tape is textured, which prevents the paint from spreading and allows for creating a clear border between different paint colors.
Masking tape serves a special purpose in car painting and logo stenciling. It also protects the protruding parts of plastic and glass products during loading and transportation. This tape is a reliable means for masking off areas of doors, windows, and walls during painting or varnishing. It's easy to remove and clean up, regardless of the place of use.
Reinforced Adhesive Tape
Reinforced pressure-sensitive tape is designed for a variety of repair works: temporary sealing of heating and water supply systems, insulation of electric wires, as well as high-accuracy repair works. Some modifications featuring a special adhesive can provide a strong and reliable fastening even if the surface is wet or hot. Such reinforced tapes are used for fast repair of leaking pipes or containers. They are also suitable for check seal-ups, since the highly effective adhesive layer does not allow for opening the package without breaking its integrity.
Aluminum (Foil) Adhesive Tape
Based on aluminum foil, this variety comes with an adhesive layer that has a special composition. The resulting tape is waterproof, heat insulating, and heat resistant. Foil tape is not affected by mold, chemical reactions, and solar radiation.
The scope of its application includes the manufacture of various household appliances and electrical equipment; baths and saunas; the sealing of pipes and welding joints. Aluminum foil with an adhesive layer is widely utilized in thermal insulation works, in the installation of ventilation systems, and in the sealing of pipelines. Joints covered with foil-based adhesive tape are protected against corrosion.
Polypropylene-Based Metallized Adhesive Tape
Due to the special metal spray coating, this product is shiny in appearance, highly wear-resistant and leak-proof. It has good reflective properties and resists to abrasion.
Metallized self-adhesive tape on a polypropylene basis is used in assembly, repair, and construction works when the temperature conditions do not exceed 80° C. It serves for joining panels, protecting surfaces against deformations and fractures, and strengthening the butt-joint seams.
Glass-Fiber Adhesive Tape
Glass-cloth tape is made of polyethylene with glass-fiber reinforcement and a rubber adhesive base. Due to its composition, the tape easily withstands the impact of aggressive environments and fluctuations between low and high temperatures. The construction industry widely employs this material during the finishing of various surfaces. The construction (mesh) tape is easy to apply to plasterboard, as well as any seams (including edge welds) with surface depressions.
Teflon Adhesive Tape
Based on glass-fiber treated with Teflon, this tape boasts of absolute tensile strength and extreme flexibility. It has an extensive range of operational temperatures: from -150° C to +260° C.
Teflon is effectively used in thermo-packaging and filling equipment, in the manufacture of PVC products, as baking sheets, in grilling equipment. Teflon adhesive tape is employed in the dairy, confectionery, textile, and printing industries.