January 27, 2014 News & Events Comments Off on Little Ole Tape Packaging Terms
To help in our quest to educate the public regarding packaging tape….we thought we would throw a little glossary of terms your way to help you look
January 27, 2014 News & Events Comments Off on Little Ole Tape Packaging Terms
To help in our quest to educate the public regarding packaging tape….we thought we would throw a little glossary of terms your way to help you look even smarter in front of your boss.
On a serious note, it is important for companies using packaging tape to be able to choose the correct adhesive and strength when deciding on a product to seal their cartons and boxes. Choosing the wrong tape can cost you time and money not to mention the disruption in production efficiency.
Here are some common terms you may come across when researching your packaging tape needs:
Tensile Strength: Measures the force required to pull something to the point where it breaks.
Elongation: How far a tape can stretch before it breaks. Elongation is commonly measured in a percentage of stretch and tensile strength is measure in pounds.
Backing Material: Material of the tape that the adhesive is applied to. Common tape backing materials are vinyl, cloth, and polypropylene.
Core Size: The inside roll diameter of a tape.
Length: The length of the tape on the roll. Commonly measured in meters, yards, or feet.
Width: The width of the tape on the roll. Commonly measured in millimeters or inches.
Thickness: How thick a tape is. Commonly measured in mils (milli-inch) which is one-thousandths of an inch or 25.4 microns.
We do aim to please and feel it is important that our customers understand the products they are sourcing. To help minimize the effort required when trying to make a decision, simply contact one of our skilled salespeople for a quote or onsite visit. We offer competitive pricing and quality products so don’t hesitate to ask!
We leave you now with a little history lesson on an all time favorite……..Scotch Tape:
Richard Drew was an engineer for 3M in the mid 1920’s. He began to develop a two inch wide tan tape with a pressure sensitive backing in 1925. The intention was to provide auto painters with a tape to help them cover items that are not to be painted. When Drew was testing the tape to see how much more adhesive was needed a painter became frustrated and told Drew to “Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!” The Scotch name was applied to the entire line of 3M tapes after that.
The first tape that Drew invented was composed of oil, resins, and rubber. When the adhesive is applied to its backing it must be in a liquid state to spread. These days, chemist use a chemical or physical process to transform the adhesive into a bonding agent. The method used depends on the desired strength of the bonding agent.
The next important Scotch invention was in 1932 when the first hand held tape dispenser was invented. It was composed of cast iron and weighed almost 7 lbs. After that the “snail” Scotch’s iconic tape dispenser was invented in 1937.
Since the invention of the hand held Scotch tape dispenser, Scotch tape is a household name! Often times it is used as a general term for people looking for a clear adhesive tape. Best Packaging offers Scotch Brand tape along with Tartan Brand tape, both are which 3M adhesive tapes.
Next Month: Servicing Packaging Equipment
– the importance behind regular service maintenance on your end of the line packaging equipment