Double-Sided Foam Tape, VHB™ Tape, tesa® Tape, Duraco® Tape and Other Adhesive Options for Custom Plastic Extrusions
When designing a custom plastic extrusion, producing the profile itself may be only part of the job.
Another important question is:
How will the extrusion be attached to the finished product?
In many applications, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape can be applied directly to a plastic extrusion, allowing the profile to arrive ready for installation or final assembly.
At Maximus Plastics, adhesive tape application can be incorporated as a secondary operation for many custom plastic extrusion projects. Depending on the material, application, mating surface, environment, and performance requirements, options can include double-sided foam tape, 3M™ VHB™ Tape, tesa® tape, Duraco® tape, and other pressure-sensitive adhesive systems.
The important part isn’t simply choosing a brand of tape.
It’s choosing the right adhesive system for the application.
Why Apply Adhesive Tape to a Plastic Extrusion?
Applying adhesive tape as part of the extrusion program can eliminate an additional operation for the customer.
Instead of purchasing the extrusion and then having adhesive applied separately, customers may be able to receive a finished profile with the specified tape already in place.
Potential advantages include:
Reduced assembly time
Fewer secondary operations
Reduced material handling
Consistent tape placement
Faster installation
Reduced need for mechanical fasteners
Cleaner finished appearance
Simplified purchasing and inventory
An installation-ready finished component
For higher-volume programs, eliminating even one operation from an assembly process can create meaningful savings over the life of the project.
Double-Sided Foam Tape
Double-sided foam tape is commonly used when a plastic extrusion needs to attach to another surface while providing some degree of conformability between the two components.
Depending on the application, foam tape can be used with trim profiles, displays, building products, protective profiles, point-of-purchase products, and numerous other manufactured assemblies.
But all foam tapes are not the same.
Foam thickness, density, adhesive properties, temperature resistance, environmental exposure, and the surfaces being bonded can all influence which product is appropriate.
That’s why we don’t believe there is one “best” tape for every plastic extrusion.
The correct tape is the one that meets the requirements of the specific application.
3M™ VHB™ Tape
3M™ VHB™ Tape is a family of high-performance bonding tapes designed for demanding applications and used across numerous industries.
For certain plastic extrusion applications, VHB™ Tape can provide an alternative or supplement to traditional mechanical fastening methods.
However, simply specifying “VHB” doesn’t necessarily identify the correct tape.
The extrusion material, mating surface, environmental exposure, temperature range, loading conditions, surface characteristics, and required long-term performance all need to be considered.
If a particular 3M™ VHB™ Tape has already been tested and approved for your application, providing the exact product specification with your RFQ helps ensure the extrusion is quoted correctly.
tesa® Adhesive Tape
tesa® manufactures a broad range of industrial adhesive tapes used in manufacturing and assembly applications.
Depending on the project requirements, a tesa® product may be specified by the customer or considered as part of the adhesive selection process.
As with other adhesive systems, the specific tape should be matched to the plastic material, mating substrate, environment, and required performance of the finished component.
If your design already specifies a particular tesa® product, include that information when requesting a quote.
Duraco® Adhesive Tape
Duraco® offers pressure-sensitive adhesive products used across a variety of industrial, manufacturing, display, construction, and assembly applications.
Depending on the requirements of the project, Duraco® double-sided and foam tape products may be considered for application directly to a custom plastic extrusion.
Again, selecting the appropriate product involves more than choosing a tape manufacturer.
The plastic material, mating surface, required bond strength, environmental exposure, temperature range, foam thickness, and end-use application should all be considered.
If a specific Duraco® tape has already been tested and approved for your application, providing the product number with your RFQ helps us understand exactly what your project requires.
The Plastic Material Matters
Not every adhesive bonds equally well to every plastic.
A tape that performs well with rigid PVC may behave differently when applied to polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, flexible PVC, polycarbonate, or another thermoplastic.
Surface characteristics can play an important role in adhesive performance.
Materials such as polyethylene and polypropylene, for example, generally have lower surface energy than many other plastics. That can make adhesive selection particularly important.
This is one reason adhesive requirements should be discussed early in a custom plastic extrusion project rather than treated as an afterthought.
What Is the Extrusion Being Attached To?
The plastic extrusion is only one side of the bond.
The other surface matters too.
An adhesive-backed plastic extrusion might be attached to:
Metal
Glass
Painted surfaces
Another plastic component
Wood
Composite materials
Building materials
Display components
Understanding both sides of the bond helps determine what type of adhesive system should be considered.
That’s why one of the first questions we may ask isn’t about the extrusion at all:
What are you attaching it to?
Where Will the Finished Product Be Used?
Environment is another important consideration.
An adhesive-backed extrusion used inside a retail display may face very different conditions from an extrusion installed outdoors, around a swimming pool, on a building, or in a marine environment.
Depending on the application, the finished component may encounter:
Heat
Cold
Moisture
UV exposure
Temperature cycling
Weather
Cleaning chemicals
Other environmental conditions
Understanding the actual operating environment helps ensure that the extrusion material and adhesive requirements are considered together.
Adhesive Tape Can Be Part of the Extrusion Program
This is where working with an experienced custom plastic extrusion supplier can simplify a project.
Instead of viewing the extrusion and adhesive as two completely separate components, they can be considered together as part of the overall manufacturing program.
Depending on the project, the profile can be produced, supplied to the required finished length, and have the specified adhesive tape applied as a secondary operation before shipment.
The exact manufacturing process will depend on the profile, plastic material, adhesive specification, quantities, tolerances, packaging requirements, and other factors.
At Maximus Plastics, our focus is on understanding the finished component the customer needs, not simply producing a length of plastic.
What Should You Include in an RFQ for an Adhesive-Backed Extrusion?
If your custom plastic extrusion requires adhesive tape, providing as much application information as possible can help during the quoting and design-review process.
Useful information includes:
Plastic extrusion drawing
Plastic material
Tape manufacturer and product number, if already specified
Required tape width
Location of the tape on the profile
Mating surface
Indoor or outdoor application
Temperature and environmental conditions
Finished extrusion length
Estimated annual volume
Packaging requirements
If a specific tape has already been tested and approved, tell us.
If you haven’t selected the adhesive yet, tell us what the extrusion needs to accomplish and how it will be used.
Sometimes understanding the application is more valuable than simply receiving a part number.
Don’t Just Think About the Extrusion — Think About the Finished Component
One of the advantages of custom plastic extrusion is the ability to incorporate secondary operations into the manufacturing program.
Adhesive tape application is one example.
Depending on the project, other value-added operations can include cutting, punching, drilling, notching, printing, fabrication, and special packaging.
The objective is simple:
Reduce the number of operations the customer has to perform after receiving the extrusion.
If a profile can arrive cut to length, fabricated, adhesive-backed, packaged, and ready for the customer’s assembly line or installation process, that can potentially save labor, handling, time, and overall manufacturing cost.
Need Adhesive Tape Applied to Your Custom Plastic Extrusion?
If your project requires double-sided foam tape, 3M™ VHB™ Tape, tesa® tape, Duraco® tape, or another pressure-sensitive adhesive system, talk to Maximus Plastics about the complete application.
Send us your drawing and tell us:
What is the extrusion being attached to?
Where will it be used?
What does the finished component need to do?
We’ll review the extrusion and adhesive requirements together and help determine a practical manufacturing solution for your project.
At Maximus Plastics, we’re not just interested in making the profile. We’re interested in helping you create the finished component.
Contact Maximus Plastics today to discuss your custom plastic extrusion project or request a quote.