CONVERTING NEWS
AND INSIGHTS

Have you ever gone to peel a sticker but couldn’t remove it from the sheet? 

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. 

Can a skin adhesive serve every type of injury?

You’ve spent days pondering your latest project, but are still in between materials. 

How often do you pay attention to the part of the sticker you peel off?

You’re steadily making your way through your list of material options when you recall adhesive transfer tape, yet, it’s hard to remember the exact benefit of using it in a project. 

Have you ever wondered how tape works?

What type of film would you use on a satellite?

You’re staring at the pristine roll of VHB tape clutched in your hand, wondering what the next step is to apply it correctly. 

Have you ever mounted something on the wall only to think, “Oh man, I hope this doesn’t fall and scare me in the middle of the night?” 

How essential are high-quality adhesives?

What do you think is the most durable tape?

Joining two surfaces together doesn’t sound complicated. Yet, depending on the substrates and the performance demanded of an adhesive bond, choosing the wrong adhesive could create a huge mess.

You’ve just purchased your brand new car, and you’re excited to drive off the lot when you notice a huge scratch arcing down the side. The big mistake? A lack of protective film. 

OK, here’s the tagline: Die cut adhesives are incredibly versatile and can solve business challenges in various industries.

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.

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.

High-speed. Accurate. Versatile. You want your die cutting method to fulfill your needs because it’s an essential part of manufacturing. Realistically, however, you may have to make some choices based on the project’s priorities. High precision or high volume? Super speed or complex cuts? Low cost or low maintenance?

Automotive manufacturers are throwing away thousands of dollars a month in rework costs.

Gaskets have many essential responsibilities. In fluid processing and handling equipment, they create a pressure-tight seal between two surfaces — preventing fluids from escaping and preventing contaminants from intruding. Plus, they insulate, cushion, and reduce noise. Not much to ask, right?

You have adhesive options.

Two of today’s most popular are adhesive tape and liquid adhesive. Of course, both have their advantages and drawbacks. Let’s not waste any time. We provide the pros and cons for an attribute of each, and you make the call. Your quick comparison checklist starts right now!

Doing things properly when converting pressure sensitive adhesives is essential. Yet avoiding poor adhesive or the wrong process is just as vital. But you might say, “C’mon, it’s just adhesive. How significant could the consequences possibly be for making the wrong choice?” Well, read these product examples:

Gaskets — whether adhesives, foam, metal, cork, rubber, paper, or another material — are substrates used to perform two essential functions: 1) create a pressure-tight barrier/seal between two stationary surfaces and 2) use superior adhesives on these difficult-to-bond surfaces.

Pressure sensitive adhesive tape has become the preferred solution for many adhesive needs. Its flexibility, strength, design, and versatility provide many assembly advantages. It’s so impressive, we recently ran this 3-part blog series.

As we explored in the first article in that series, engineers have used many solutions — each with their own limitations — to bond materials. The right pressure sensitive adhesive tape can replace these inefficient options and add additional benefits: evenly distributing pressure, converting to custom sizes/shapes, adding design aesthetics, and more.

The world of adhesive materials within flexible material converting continues to expand and change. As technology overall evolves, so does the ability of adhesives to bond two or more substrates together.

The world of adhesive technology is an exciting place these days! Adhesive manufacturers are pushing the limits of science and technology, and the industry is enjoying:
• Product advancements and innovations
• New, sophisticated converting equipment
• Improved production rates, reduced labor costs, minimized waste, less rework

Unsolvable application challenges are now being solved as manufacturers look to use new materials in their processes and products. Yet, technological advancements on their own aren’t worth much. They require industry knowledge and insights from an expert adhesive converter to capitalize on advances in technology.

Welcome to our ongoing blog series featuring the many advantages of thin bonding. If you’re looking for specific information on double sided tape, click here.

Why dedicate so much attention and digital space to thin bonding? Because it’s a virtually invisible, super-strong bond for nearly any material in almost every industry. And that just begins to tell the story of thin bonding. There are so many benefits; we need an ongoing series to share them all.