Tape Suppliers

About Tape Suppliers and Tape Manufacturers Including: Masking Tape, Teflon Tape, Packaging Tape, Electrical Tape, Vinyl Tape & 3M Tape.

Tape is used for adhesion between items, either temporary or permanent. Some tapes are pressure sensitive tapes, meaning they stick when pressure is applied to them. Other tapes can be activated by solvent, heat or water. Single-sided and double-sided are other variations of adhesive tapes. Single-sided can attach by overlapping the items, while double-sided attaches items back to back. Tape suppliers provide tape to be used in stacking die applications as a spacer or adhesive. Plumbers use tape for sealing threaded parts to prevent leaking. Automotive uses include securing the nameplate of the company logo, or making minor or temporary repairs. Masking tape is used when an area needs to be blocked off and protected from another area getting painted. Safety tape is often used in industrial and factory applications to keep people out of dangerous areas. Tape manufacturers create tape for an endless possibility of applications. It can be used in the plumbing, aerospace, automotive, medical, electric, office, home, craft, painting and packaging industries to seal, join, hold, reinforce, identify, mask and protect various substrates.

Tape manufacturers may perform secondary operations, such as lamination, slitting, printing and die cutting. Tapes can be laminated to liners or slit to the necessary width for the application in which they are needed. Printing can be done on pressure sensitive tapes and label stocks for identification, inventory tags or company advertising. Tape suppliers of die cut tape can supply it in rolls, sheets or individual packages after it has been cut to the specific shape and size needed. The versatile nature of tape allows it to be cut into any shape needed whether it is small or large, thick or thin, sheet or roll.

Materials used by tape manufacturers include Teflon, paper, foam, polypropylene, polyethylene, rubber, acrylic, fabric, vinyl and others. Because of the multitude of materials and uses of tape, it is very important in any industry that utilizes it. Tape suppliers and manufacturers are irreplaceable because no great alternative for the use of tape exists. Glue can be used in various applications, but it is often more permanent and tends to leave greater amounts of residue behind, to be removed only by harsh chemicals.

Recent advances have been made in the production of tapes. One new development is a tape strong enough to hold a human to a wall by mimicking a gecko’s feet, appropriately called Gecko Tape. A new tape that has been developed by 3M is electrically conductive and double sided. It has improved adhesion between dissimilar materials, is easier to remove and has high conductivity. Another new product is a tape for automotive nameplate adhesion that combines the ability to be die cut with the great strength of acrylic foam tape.

Tape Suppliers and Tape Manufacturers Images Provided by Able Industrial Products, Inc.

Types of Tapes

• 3M tape is a highly recognized brand name of tapes and adhesives used for innumerable applications and industries.
  
• Adhesive tape is used for joining items with adhesive that coats the tape. It may be permanent or temporary.
  
• Aisle marking tape is often used to mark areas of caution within commercial, recreational and industrial safety requirements.
  
• Aluminum foil tape is used for vapor sealing sheet metal ducts, fiberglass duct boards and FSK systems because it uses a high temperature acrylic adhesive and has great conformability.
  
• Double-sided tape has adhesive on both sides in order to attach things back to back.
  
• Duct tape is backed by fabric coated in polyethylene and has innumerable uses because of its resistance to chemicals, water and abrasion. Some uses include packaging, sealing, masking and many, many more.
  
• Electrical tape does not conduct electricity and is used for insulation of transformers and inter-phase or to wrap capacitors, coils and wires.
  
• Masking tape is made of paper and uses a weaker adhesive so as to be removed without stripping paint or paper from the wall to which it was attached. Often it is used in painting to cover areas not to be pained.
  
• Non-corrosive adhesive does not chemically attack whatever it is secured to.
  
• Packaging tape is used to package boxes, cartons or containers, and is often able to maintain adhesion after a long period of time, in extreme weather and in extreme temperatures.
  
• Self bonding tape adheres to itself but does not fuse so that layers may be cleanly separated.
  
• Teflon tape is inexpensive, thin, white and often used to seal water, gas and air from leaking through threaded connections.
  
• Transparent tape usually utilizes a cellulose-based backing and acrylic adhesive, and it is transparent.
  
• Vinyl tape has incredible resistance to extreme weather conditions, moisture, abrasion, acids, corrosion and alkalies, and can be used in temperatures to 80 degrees Celsius.
  
  

Common Terms Related to Tape Suppliers

Abrasion Resistance – Whether or not tape can still function properly after experiencing rubbing and friction.

Adhesion – When two surfaces are held together by the bond between a surface and an adhesive.

Backing – Part of tape that has adhesive applied. Backings may be paper, film, metal foil, cloth and more.

Conformability – Whether or not tape can make complete contact with a surface.

Differential Adhesive – The adhesion of both sides of double-sided tape is different.

Flexible – When a tape can be bent and flexed freely during an application, mostly in low-temperature use.

Gapping – Openings between layers of tape inside the roll.

Low Stretch – Ability of tape to shrink back to original size once stretched.

Ozone Resistance – Resistant to cracking when exposed to the ozone for an extended period of time.

Release Coating – Thin coating applied to tape backing so that tape can be controlled as it is unwound.

Substrate – Surface tape is attached to.

Tack – Sticky feeling of tape.

Telescoping – When the tape layers are slid sideways and one over the other, in order to look like a telescope or funnel.