CONVERTING NEWS
AND INSIGHTS

I bet wherever you’re reading this blog article, at this very moment, you’re within an arm’s length of pressure sensitive adhesive tape (or PSA tape) in some form.

That’s how prevalent its use is in our modern world. And for good reason! PSA tape has helped change how we spend our days and has improved (and saved!) lives. It’s so important that we previously dedicated a 3-part series to pressure sensitive adhesive tape.

In this blog article, let’s touch on some of the many ways adhesive tape is used (we included 10) and how often you likely use it without even knowing.

Many flexible material converters partner with manufacturers in the automotive industry, a highly competitive environment in which precision is demanded. How a vehicle is built can be compared to die cut adhesives. Stick with me for a moment.

Building a car isn’t as simple as purchasing a block of steel and shaping, cutting, and grinding it into a vehicle, obviously. Instead of those additional labor-intensive processes, the manufacturer buys a chassis to add pieces all made separately. The way they assemble components is similar to a die cut adhesive. Instead of hand-cutting parts or laminating multiple layers, it’s all ready to go.

When inspiration hits like lightning, the result can be a cutting-edge electronics product. From smartphones to HDTV screens to marine navigation systems, electronics manufacturers rely on the thinnest products in 3M’s VHB portfolio to fit into electronic assemblies, places where thick VHBs cannot fit.

Electronic device engineers know space usually isn’t the only challenge. Modern electronics bonding solutions often must address impact resistance, waterproofing, heat resistance, and/or reworkability to create a device with reliable functionality. In addition to overall performance, some surfaces — paints, metals, low surface energy plastics — are hard to bond and require unique acrylic foam tapes such as 3M VHB tape.

When a spark of creativity results in devices optimized for the IoT, 5G, and beyond, specialized VHB tape is often needed as well. This article dives deeper into how pressure sensitive adhesive converters meet the high standards of the electronics industry today and into the future.

The stress is on.

You’re under pressure to create the best possible product. That includes choosing the right material, the right adhesive, the right format, the right elongation at break percentage … even the right converter!

That’s because you know your product will be under pressure, too. It has to perform with a certain tensile strength — the maximum force or stress a material can withstand while being pulled apart from both ends before failing. That’s why it’s also called “breaking strength.”

NOTE: This article is #1 in a 3-part series on the power and versatility of pressure sensitive adhesive tape. It’s really a celebration of applications and possibilities. Part 2 covers 3M™ VHB™ tape as a superior bonding solution, and Part 3 offers help on choosing a converter.

When manufacturers need to bring together two or more surfaces, either temporarily or permanently, they often choose to use a viscous substance — adhesive bonding — because of its many assembly advantages and versatility. The materials used to do this could be adhesive tape, adhesive film, glue, epoxy, or something else, however, pressure sensitive adhesive tape (PSA) is becoming increasingly popular.

Excellence.

Every business wants to achieve it, and every business wants to partner with other businesses that achieve it. And while saying you have it is easy, being recognized for it by an industry leader is quite another thing.

For companies in the converting industry, being honored for excellence by 3M is the top of the top. It shouts to the world that a converter deeply understands the industry leader, and the industry leader trusts them.

This article explores the origins of the 3M Preferred Converter program, digs into why it matters in a highly competitive marketplace, and shares why customers should care.

Of course, as a converter of flexible materials we love to talk about pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA). However the unsung hero of the adhesive world may be the release liner (often called “carrier” or “backing”). This is the product — typically a coated paper or film — that carries the sticky material and serves as a protective covering until the pressure sensitive adhesive is needed. Think of the shiny paper that carries a sticker or label.

A release liner’s base may be paper, polycoated paper, film, or even a metalized film. The liner can be coated with silicone or non-silicone to ease separation from the adhesive. It all depends on the precise delivery and dispensing system needed for the application.

In many cases, the release liner is one of the most critical decisions when designing a PSA. It has to have the right qualities and features to precisely match the application (hand applied or automatic dispensing) and processing (slitting, die-cutting, etc.).

The good news is you have options.

Although small in size, microfluidic devices carry an enormous burden. Patients and caregivers rely on them for accurate test results and crucial information at the point-of-care. They screen for cancer, monitor blood glucose, detect pathogens. As they transport and protect samples of blood or other fluids, consistent and reliable performance is imperative. What could be more important?

Thermal insulation tape, like all thermal insulation materials, reduces the amount of heat transfer between objects. Heat flow tends to be an inevitable consequence of two objects touching; however, thermal insulation tape will help reduce or reflect some of the heat transfer. The most widely known application of this concept is the insulation that goes in houses to lower energy bills.

Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) are considered a crucial part of any efficient thermal management system. Their job is to transfer heat between two or more solid surfaces.

Today, thermal interface materials include an array of products, including phase change materials, gap fillers, and thermal grease. There are also less compliant materials, such as thermally conductive hardware, adhesive films, and thermal rubber pads.

Many electronics products require specific adhesives that dissipate heat. Thermal interface materials (a combination of high-performance acrylic adhesive and highly conductive ceramic particles) enhance performance by minimizing reliability concerns and reduced operational lifetimes that are often affected by heat.

When something works well, you barely notice how it works. Today's manufacturing and engineering techniques make so many machines and devices run dependably and silently. When you need to build those machines, things get a lot more interesting.

Is your paint process one of the most scrutinized steps in your entire assembly process?

How’s that department performing? Experiencing any bottlenecks?

Whether manufacturing for automotive, military, aerospace, industrial, or electronics, every industry expects the highest quality product. And, with the paint process usually being quite complex, there can be many delays and rework.

Have you ever seen this spec listed on a material data sheet? 

“Elongation at Break %”

To understand it, and realize why it’s important in adhesives, let’s first tackle two definitions.

Any time a mechanism requires superior barrier and bonding features, gaskets are ideal. However, these handy devices are far from one-size-fits-all.

While many gaskets are comprised of flat materials such as paper, rubber, metal, silicone, felt, and neoprene, foam delivers impressive sealing capabilities that are important to know.

You've probably heard people say that tape is the solution to all of life's problems, and they're pretty much right. The right tape can fix any challenge that you throw its way and is quick to apply, so you can get back to doing your job. It's also very likely the solution you need at your company right now.

Have you ever wondered exactly how tape works? There are multiple types of adhesives on the market today. When you think of tape, you're most likely thinking of pressure sensitive adhesive tape. 

Strouse is proud to now offer two versions of a face shield that are made entirely in Westminster, MD. Both masks offer a soft foam headband, anti-fog PET, one size fits all adjust-ability, and latex free materials. We've designed the construction of these masks to be fully automated on our presses. 

A heat activated adhesive is a type of adhesive, usually applied to a tape backing, that will not bond at normal temperatures. Instead, it becomes sticky in certain temperatures, wherein the adhesive chemicals are activated and can form a bond.

If you're someone who likes to get your hands dirty and create new things, you're far from alone. In fact, the US craft industry is worth over $44 billion. If you're someone who's contributed to this booming economy, then it's likely that you've used die cutting services before in your arts and crafts- or at least have heard of them before.

About every 11 years the sun's magnetic field flips. North becomes south and south becomes north. This change causes solar storms on the sun's surface that send solar flares careening towards Earth.

Strouse, an industry leading adhesive tape converter and custom manufacturer is proud to announce its medical device establishment registration with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The registration builds on Strouse’s wide range of adhesive tape converting capabilities and allows for deeper penetration into medical device projects and the overall medical and healthcare market. 

Earlier this month, Strouse reached a milestone that spans almost 3 years’ time. Our team achieved 1,000 consecutive days with no lost time accidents, meaning that no employee has lost time due to an accident in the workplace.

Strouse, a 3M Supplier of the Year and leading manufacturer of converted adhesive solutions, will be attending and exhibiting at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring (SAWC) meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The symposium, in its 32nd year, takes place May 7-11^th and brings together leading industry professionals in wound care from physicians, nurses, researchers, and scientists to improve patient outcomes through education. New to wound care? Check this out.

Strouse, a 3M Supplier of the Year and leading manufacturer of converted adhesive solutions, will be attending and exhibiting at Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) West 2019 in Anaheim, California. The expo takes place February 5-7^th and is the world’s largest annual med-tech event. 

Partnership enables organizations to achieve extreme accuracy and repeatability through automation from a single vendor.

WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND – Strouse, a leader in adhesive converting and recipient of the 3M Supplier of the Year award, has announced a partnership with AccuPlace to help manufacturers across the globe achieve automation. As organizations across industries focus on becoming more efficient, accurate, and scalable, Strouse and AccuPlace together are helping organizations attain these goals.

AccuPlace partners with their customers to standardize adhesive component assembly challenges. They manufacture machines that cost-effectively enable organizations to utilize machine automation within their manufacturing processes.

“At Strouse, we’ve always been focused on the goals and success of our customers,” says Sue Chambers, President and CEO at Strouse. “In highly technical and highly regulated industries it can be challenging to innovate without investing significant capital and resources. Overcoming that challenge was the idea behind Sample Express, our rapid prototyping program that reduces risk and cost for our customers as they test new products. We’re now taking that a step further with AccuPlace. In addition to helping customers design and test components to find the perfect fit, we’re able to help them cost effectively scale their manufacturing with automation while reducing vendor fatigue.”

Strouse’s partnership with AccuPlace aims to help customers consolidate vendor relations by providing a single source for manufacturing automation. No longer will customers need to bring together an adhesive converter, an automation equipment vendor, and manage the relationships through the entire process to effectively scale manufacturing efforts. Strouse’s expertise in design and manufacturing coupled with AccuPlace technology introduces a cohesive experience for customers to source parts and equipment from the same vendor where all parties are involved in the design and manufacture of solutions from the onset. This synergy streamlines development and increases speed to market.

“We partnered with Strouse as a Value Added Reseller to help our mutual customers ensure the highest productivity utilizing AccuPlace machines,” says Mike Terry, Global Sales Manager, at AccuPlace. “Strouse not only consistently produces tight tolerance rotary die cut parts; they thoroughly understand the key factors to automate them."

About Strouse
Strouse is a die cut adhesive manufacturer with over 30 years of industry experience. Serving the medical, automotive, electronics, military, aerospace, industrial and appliance industries, Strouse continues to innovate by engineering adhesive tape solutions that improve quality, reduce waste, increase efficiency, and expedite delivery. With a quality management system registered to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 standards, Strouse not only has a commitment to quality but excellent customer service. A full team of design and development engineers allows Strouse to invest the necessary time and resources for every project. Located in Westminster, Maryland, Strouse can be contacted directly at 1-800-410-8273 or visit our website for more info at https://www.strouse.com/

About AccuPlace
AccuPlace offers a variety of adhesive component assembly solutions ranging from semi-automatic machines to fully automatic robotic pick and place systems. With more than 22 years of organizational experience, AccuPlace pioneered the effort to standardize die cut adhesive component assembly. Delivering established operational criteria, predictable quality, and perhaps of greatest benefit, quantified process costs. Thousands of our machines in applications around the world prove there is only one market leader for Film Adhesive Assembly – AccuPlace.

Westminster, MD – Four Carroll County manufacturers were among the honored companies and over 600 guests at the Regional Manufacturing Institute’s Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Gala held at Martin’s West in Baltimore on November 29th.

The Carroll County Department of Economic Development was recognized as a Bronze sponsor along with Find Solid Corporation (trading as FISO Door) – the newest manufacturer in Carroll County. CEO Hao Ling attended the gala along with several members of his management team and said, “FISO Door is honored to be recognized as Carroll County’s newest manufacturer and we are gearing up for full production of high-end commercial doors in 2019.”

The Strouse Corporation was recognized in the Growth & Productivity category for their recent growth. President Susan Chambers recently shared, “The Strouse Corporation has achieved a record revenue growth of 58% in the last three years and increased our capacity by 55%. Our strategy to use productivity improvement as a building block to achieve this growth has resulted in a staggering 21% improvement in productivity in last three years.”

In addition, Bill Bartley, President and CEO of Evapco, Inc. was in attendance and responded as follows to the recognition - “Evapco is delighted to be recognized as a RMI winner in the category of International Business. Our world headquarters in Carroll County, Maryland enables us to draw upon the people and resources in the mid-Atlantic Region as fuel for growing our manufacturing business around the world.”

Stanley Black & Decker’s Hampstead Powdered Metal Plant was also featured in the Manufacturing Technology/Industry 4.0 category. Plant Manager Ann Fagan said, “Industry 4.0 is transforming manufacturing and companies can either adapt to the new landscape, or they’ll be left behind. Our team in Hampstead has worked hard to bring new Industry 4.0 technologies into our facility and we’re proud to receive the recognition of these efforts by RMI.”

Carroll County Department of Economic Development Director Jack Lyburn shared, “We are very proud of the fact that Carroll County is a leading manufacturing county in the State of Maryland as evidenced by the tremendous growth and expansion of our manufacturing sector over the last two years.”

All honored companies are listed in the 2018 Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Yearbook which was given to all gala attendees and distributed to the members of the General Assembly, the media and state educators. Information about the gala can be found online.

About Carroll County Department of Economic Development

The Carroll County Department of Economic Development is a results-oriented team that creates competitive business solutions. To learn more about the programs or opportunities available in Carroll County email info@carrollbiz.org, visit http://carrollbiz.org, follow @CarrollEconDev on Twitter or call 410-386-2070.