What Type of Tapes Should You Consider for Packing Purposes?

Packing tapes are generally applied with the same smooth motion. The strip rolls out of a gun-shaped dispenser, a guiding hand follows behind, and the two combined actions result in ample contact pressure. Pressure-sensitive by design, these adhesive tapes suit most packaging applications remarkably well. Adding performance-oriented strength to all such product lines, let’s see what other job-relevant features we can add to such adhesive tape types.

Feature-Rich Packing Tapes 

Adhesive strength is plainly essential. Once a box is sealed, it can’t pop open while in transit, not even when the truck is on a cross-country run. Wide and sticky, the full tacky power of the long strips activates when the dispenser gun and a guiding hand push the material firmly in place, right between the box flaps and other openings. Incidentally, not all modern packaging boxes conform to the ever-familiar box-like shape anymore. If the package uses unusual outlines, the tape backing must easily conform to those irregular surfaces. Otherwise, the contents, be they spoilable or simply corrosion prone, could be exposed to a penetrating external force. In some instances, even the air we breathe could spoil a particularly sensitive item. Wrapped in a non-porous box, freshness is assured, but a poorly selected packing tape really can undermine such measures.

High-Performance Sealing Power 

If the adhesive substrate is doing its pressure-sensitive work properly, it’s time to take a closer look at the material backing. Tough polypropylene plastics and polyester backings stretch somewhat when they’re dispensed. That elongation feature works in concert with the firm contact adhesive activation trait to ensure optimal contact and a decent seal. However, there are instances when simple but plucky plastics just don’t measure up to the task at hand. When internal pressures and external environments complicate matters, the best solution is a reinforced packing tape, a material that uses glass filaments that have been woven into a yarn-like pattern. Such reinforced fibres add tensile strength and strapping permanence to the strips so that they’ll endure against any outside force.

From a practically-minded perspective, the large rolls usually extend to cover hundreds of metres of packing surfaces. The selected product is wide and several millimetres thick, all the better to assure a tear resistant bond. Universal acrylics and pressure-sensitive adhesives serve the shipping industry superbly, but there are stronger options available. For heavy-duty shipping applications, a company packaging room opts for reinforced fibres, for fibreglass coatings and woven filaments. Pressure-sensitive adhesives are still the most viable option here, but there are other solutions, including hot melt tapes, which assure a far superior seal.