Q. What is the tesa Converter Assortment?
A. Customers in many diverse markets are increasingly requiring flexible, customised and individual self-adhesive solutions. Responding to this demand tesa offers an assortment of high performance double-coated tapes based on the same carrier and adhesive.
Q. What can adhesive tape offer?
A. Self-adhesive tapes offer many advantages over glues and liquid adhesives. For example, there is no need to allow for curing before the next production stage and no risk of the adhesive oozing from joints which could potentially lead to assembly stoppages,
Q. But tape on a roll is not always suitable.
A. For many applications the tape can be converted into a format more compatible with the component part(s) it is being applied to and tesa works closely with converters who are expert in die-cutting tape in specific shaped pieces. For example, in a die-cut ring both the centre and surround material can be removed leaving only the required shape.
Q. We are often under pressure to make our next generation of products smaller.
A. A common trend particularly in the consumer electronics industry. The tesa Converter Assortment of double-coated tapes covers the thickness range from 30µm to 205µm so a choice of suitable tape is always available.
Q. What properties do I need to look for in a tape?
A. Principally the type of carrier and adhesive used. The tesa Converter Assortment uses a 12µm PET carrier which has a high tear strength, good electrical insulation and the ability to conform to irregular surfaces, ensuring a high surface contact to the substrate(s) thus improving adhesion. Additionally the high tear strength makes it ideal for die-cutting as a very clean edge is achieved.
Q. And the adhesive?
A. A well-balanced tackified acrylic adhesive is used which provides the same high performance in terms of initial adhesion, bond strength and holding power. Additional benefits are temperature resistance up to 200°C, excellent resistance to humidity, chemicals and solvents, UV light as well as plasticisers.
Q. What other considerations are there?
A. There are probably 30 questions relating to the application which could be asked in order to identify the most suitable tape. However, we do not want to lose a potential customer’s interest(!) so we confine these to a few key issues. Those principally to consider are:
• Do the substrate(s) have a low or high surface energy? This influences the type of adhesive and also the coat weight.
• Are the surfaces rough or smooth? Uneven surfaces require a thin carrier and high adhesive coat weight or a tape with a conformable carrier such as a foam to ensure maximum contact or “wetting”.
• What physical forces may be acting on the tape? Static or especially dynamic shear, place demands on the internal (cohesive) strength of the adhesive.
• Is the finished product to be used indoors or outdoors? This again influences the adhesive type and may also influence the carrier if there is prolonged exposure to UV light.
• Is temperature resistance needed? The tapes in the tesa Converter Assortment are capable of withstanding a temperature range from -40°C to +200°C depending on exposure time and potential external forces.
Q. Do tesa offer single-sided tapes such as masking and cloth?
A. tesa is a leading global supplier of adhesive tapes to many industries selling more than 800 different types in over 100 countries. Our core competences are the formulation and development of adhesives and coating processes. In its assortment tesa offers masking tapes which can withstand temperatures up to 350°C and a cloth assortment which fulfils the requirements of many industrial applications. Additionally tesa has an extensive range of double-coated tapes with different carriers and adhesive types for many applications.
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