3M™ Tape Alternatives to the Discontinued Extreme Sealing Tape

If you are an avid user of 3M’s Extreme Sealing Tape (EST), you probably know the products you specified and use are no longer commercially available. As we discussed in our last article, the Extreme Sealing Tapes (ESTs), 4411B; 4411G; 4411N; 4412N; 4412G, were placed on Forced Majeure in late November 2021 by 3M. Events since that time have led to their cancellation.

Extreme Sealing Tape is a 3M innovation developed to improve the process of sealing seams, rivets, bolt holes, and other gaps for exterior enclosures. The most common use is for exterior sealing applications in commercial vehicles, construction vehicles, agricultural vehicles, and recreational vehicles. It typically replaces the use of liquid sealants. The convenience of these tape enables fast assembly and a clean application. The EST construction leverages the sealing and long-term outdoor aging properties of 3M VHB acrylic foam technology with its 0.036” thick acrylic foam adhesive. The durable 0.004” ionomer backing maintains the acrylic foam conformability and is resistant to abrasion and puncture resist puncture or tearing. The backing itself has stabilizers that provide long term UV resistance, in addition to the excellent UV resistance inherent in the acrylic foam adhesive. Typically manufacturing companies moved to the Extreme Sealing Tapes to speed production, to eliminate adhesive mess, and to provide a clean and durable look with outstanding sealing performance.

For more in depth detail on Extreme Sealing Tapes performance, please review the technical data page.

Having these tapes abruptly cancelled has created a challenge for manufacturers who chose Extreme Sealing Tapes to improve their product and processes. As we discussed in our previous article, there are several alternatives which may be used as replacements. However, in many respects they often require going back to the “old” way of doing things, like pulling out the caulk gun and cartridge of liquid sealant. In so doing, companies are literally taking several steps backward just to keep their production moving.

Since 3M has the broadest and most innovative industrial tape solutions on the market, it makes sense to take a deeper dive into available 3M technologies whose features and benefits most mirror those provided by the 3M EST. One great option is the 3015UC tape 3M has developed for the construction trades markets and another is the EMI.maXseal tape which is a converted product that is constructed using 3M VHB Acrylic Foam Tape.

The 3M Ultra Conformable Flashing Tape 3015UC was developed for the commercial construction market to be used alongside 3M’s Air Barrier System. Though it was developed for a very specific use, it may be one of the most unique tapes developed in years that can be leveraged for myriad industrial market applications. It combines a unique acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive with a super conformable proprietary backing for a combined thickness of 0.038 inches. As the linked video below demonstrates, the backing comprises over 85% of the total tape thickness and can elongate in multiple directions to over 370%. That backing conformability makes it ideal for sealing seams, holes and over mechanical fasteners. The thick rubberized backing is also very durable. In addition, the adhesive is repositionable during application, yet provides a permanent seal after the pressure sensitive adhesive builds to full strength with initial pressure and time. Not only can the tape be applied in severe temperatures down to 0°F and up to 150°F, but it also has a service temperature range of -40°F up to 300°F. That is one amazing tape! With all those benefits, it may be the perfect alternative for many EST applications. It should be noted that the backing is rated for 12 months UV exposure. So if your application relies on the 4 to 7 year UV resistance of the EST tape, the 3015UC will likely not be the right product for you. Alternately, if your application requires limited UV resistance, then this is a product that you should test. Even if it isn’t suitable as a direct replacement of EST in your application, with so many unique features, we’d suggest providing samples to your design engineers as a tool to be leveraged in future development projects!

Who said tape isn’t cool? Check out 3015UC being applied

It is our understanding that 3M plans to have an EST replacement launched in Q4 2022. So, for most of 2022 there likely will be no direct 3M replacement of EST for exterior sealing applications. As a 3M Preferred Converter, we’ve leveraged proven 3M™ VHB™ acrylic foam tape to fill this gap. After months of development and testing we’ve introduced the EMI.maXseal tape.

The EMI.maXseal tape combines the proven sealing and durability benefits of VHB tape, with a proprietary backing developed to withstand years of UV exposure. 3M VHB acrylic foam tapes withstand decades of outdoor exposure to UV, temperature extremes, and humidity. VHB tapes have been used to bond metal and plastics in outdoor signage, truck trailers, architectural panels, etc. since the 1980’s. While VHB tape is known for its amazing bonding ability, it also provides a watertight seal. As mentioned, EST leverages this same VHB foam adhesive technology. In producing EMI.maXseal, we laminate the optimal 0.043” 3M VHB acrylic foam tape to our proprietary 0.007” backing. The soft, thick VHB acrylic foam adhesive tape creates a conformable watertight seal and the combined single-sided tape resists extended UV exposure. However, unlike the EST ionomer backing, the EMI.maXseal backing is not paintable. The net result is a tape that leverages proven 3M technology to resist extreme outdoor environments while it seals seams, rivets, bolts and other gaps. If you’ve been using the 3M Extreme Sealing Tape for an outdoor sealing application, the EMI.maXseal tape is a product you will want to evaluate. Samples are now available.

For more detail on EMI.maXseal performance, please review the technical data page:

EMI.maXseal Technical Data Page

For the near term future, 3M Extreme Sealing tapes are no longer available. Finding a suitable replacement takes proper evaluation. Whether you decide to test the 3M 3015UC tape, the EMI.maXseal tape, or liquid sealant options, it is wise to aggressively look for an alternative to 3M’s Extreme Sealing Tapes in order to keep your production moving!

Engineered Materials is a precision industrial tape and specialty materials converter. We are a 3M Preferred Converter partner and work with hundreds of specialty tape and materials suppliers. Our goal is to create parts to meet your specific needs. We specialize in collaborating with customers to make their products better. Let’s talk about what is possible.