Being able to evaluate an application, recognise substrates and in turn recommend the appropriate adhesive tape system, is an essential skill for any adhesive tape distributor and converter.

At Tape Range we have over 50 years of combined experience in doing exactly that and this is what separates us from our competition. In our 'Bonding Advice' forum we intend to provide you with straightforward, sound advice in order that you find the exact bonding system for your project or application. With access to hundreds of products from across a diverse manufacturing background we have the flexibility to choose from an array of specialised adhesive tapes and films.

Bonding Considerations

Before you can perform the successful bonding of any two substrates it is essential you know the basics prior to choosing your product. Use our useful checklist to ensure you have got it right from the start.

Are your surfaces...

Q. Uneven or irregular?

A. Consider using a foam tape on uneven or irregular surfaces to absorb any surface imperfections. This will ensure maximum surface coverage.

Q. Contaminated?

A. Clean both substrates with isopropanol wipes or white spirit. Ensure you remove any traces of dust, grease or oil prior to application.

Q. Hot or Cold?

A. Make sure you have a good application temperature. Most adhesive tapes prefer to be applied at 30-40oC. Too cold and the adhesive will harden. Too hot and the adhesive could fail.

Q. Plasticised?

A. Choose a high performance acrylic based adhesive tape to withstand the harmful plasticiser present in most flexible plastics.

Q. Painted or Powder Coated?

A. Establish the contents of your paint or coating. This will determine which product to use. Generally an adhesive tape with a modified acrylic adhesive system works best.

Q. Subject to stress?

A. Establish what forces your surfaces will encounter. Shear, peel, tensile and UV
are all recognised as external stresses which adhesive tapes can be expected to
deal with.

Remember...
Nearly every double sided tape is pressure sensitive. This means pressure has to be applied to the tape on application. This is the only way to guarantee the ultimate bonding performance.

Bonding & Product Recommendations

Only after you have established the basics can you move on and find the correct adhesive tape for your application. This is where we step in.

We have been providing industry with product recommendations for many years and this experience has enabled us to identify six common areas which have required our input.

These recommendations are a generalisation for solving the following bonding problems and must be used as an initial guide. We strongly recommend you talk to us and explain your application in full.