ABC of Adhesive Tape Converting

Adhesive tape is basically a backing material that is coated with an adhesive. There are several types of adhesive tapes and one of the most popular is pressure-sensitive tape, also referred to as PSA tape, sticky tape and self stick tape. In this tape, the adhesive is coated onto paper, cloth, plastic film or a metal foil. The tape does not require solvent or heat for activation, just light pressure. These tapes come with release liners or need release agents before they can be used. Another type of tape is water activated tape, also called gummed tape and gummed paper tape. The tape is basically made of starch or adhesive made of animal glue and it becomes sticky when you moisturize it. These adhesive tapes are mostly used for sealing and closing boxes and they come in different widths. Yet another type of adhesive tape is heat-sensitive tape. These tapes are tack-free until heated. A good example is the tear strip tape that is used in cigarette packs. Another type of tapes is drywall tape which is cloth, paper, or mesh and it sometimes comes with a PSA or a gummed adhesive. It is mostly used for jointing sheets of different drywall materials. Other commonly used adhesives include acrylic-based adhesives, rubber-based and synthetic hot melt adhesives, silicone adhesives, heat-activated adhesives and thermoplastics, electrically conductive adhesives, medical grade and skin contact adhesives, indirect and direct food contact adhesives, removable adhesives, VHB and UHA adhesives and low surface energy or LSE adhesives.

Adhesive tape converting is the transformation of a general product into something that is more specific. An example of this is the transformation of a Jumbo roll of tape 60-inches wide and 1,000 yards long into individual 2-inch by 60-yard rolls. Another example is an aluminum foil laminated with an adhesive and then it is slit to a particular width and transformed into aluminum tape rolls or it is then die-cut shapes to be used as foil shields. Another example is the splitting of different materials into rolls and then cutting them to the lengths required. Adhesive tape printing is also considered to be adhesive tape converting. An example of this is where wide and long polypropylene tape rolls are transformed into rolls of standard length that are then custom designed with such things as the company’s logo. Another example is laminating foam with specialty adhesives. These foam rolls may then be converted to customized sizes and used in different manufacturing applications.

There are several companies that offer adhesive tape converting services and such companies are also involved in die cutting. These die cutting services include precision die cutting, digital die cutting, steel rule die cutting, rotary die cutting, matched-metal die cutting, clean room die cutting and rotary matched-metal die cutting. Die cutting is the use of dies to cut shapes into materials or to form materials. When choosing a company offering adhesive tape converting services, go for one that offers different services under one roof for convenience and go for a well-established company to get the best deal.