In the world of tapes, I think 3M reigns supreme. Probably every household in America and millions more have some 3M tape product in their home. The same goes for companies across the world. Every office has packaging, mounting and other kinds of tapes in their myriad of necessary office supplies. Ever hear of the Scotch brand? How about Post-Its? Ok, it’s not really a tape, but it’s all 3M.
But did you know that there 3M tapes specifically for manufacturing processes? This is a whole other side to the tape world where specialty tapes are designed and used for very specific industrial applications. And, no, I don’t mean duct tape. For example, there are high-strength bonding tapes used as a proven alternative to screws, rivets, welds and other forms of mechanical fasteners. Skyscrapers, computers, refrigerators and more all use high-strength bonding tapes in their assembly processes. There’s also protective tapes used during production, packaging, shipping and installation to be removed by the end-user. It’s the protective film you peel off before using your new cell phone or the screen protector you put on it so the screen doesn’t get scratched.
One of the latest innovations by 3M is their new silicone laminating adhesive tapes. These unique pressure sensitive tapes achieve high bond strengths to silicone rubbers, which is one of the hardest to bond surfaces in
manufacturing. The tapes also provide excellent adhesion to other hard-to-bond surfaces, such as leather and foams. They have excellent shear holding power, high temperature resistance and excellent UV resistance. Those long strips of material with adhesive on it sure come in handy!
If you would like to learn more about 3M industrial tapes and its diverse applications, email Ken Schonauer, our Sales Systems and Support Manager, at ken.schonauer@haradhesive.com. You can also read more about 3M™ VHB™ Tape (high-strength bonding tape) on the 3M web site.