The Advantages of Adhesive Tapes Over Liquid Adhesives
There are many ways to bond two surfaces together, but not all of them are created equal. Many manufacturers choose to use liquid adhesives because they can be purchased in bulk, applied liberally, and have some versatility in their use. While a liquid adhesive will get the job done in many applications, they are not often the optimal bonding solution, especially when compared to pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes. PSA tapes combine the best of all worlds when it comes to bonding. They are often more effective than liquid adhesives and even metal fasteners.
Why are PSA tapes superior to liquid adhesives?
PSA Tapes are Ready to Use and Can be Applied Quickly
When it comes to manufacturing and assembly, time is money. Faster assembly means fewer labor hours and lower production costs. The savings can add up quickly. Even a few seconds saved per item, when multiplied by hundreds or thousands of items assembled per day, leads to a large increase in output with significant savings in production time.
PSA tapes make this possible because they can easily be applied quickly, without preparation, and without any mess left behind. Liquid adhesives, in many cases, need to be mixed before application, are slower to apply, and require cleanup on the production line after use.
With PSA tape, there is no mixing or brushing and no clean up. Just peel and stick.
PSA Tapes Can be Evenly Applied and Accurately
It takes a skilled hand to apply liquid adhesives during assembly or expensive automated equipment, and even the most skilled production line workers must be very careful to apply the adhesive consistently and accurately. Brushing on adhesives often results in uneven application—with bare spots and spots where the adhesive is overapplied. This can result in a weaker bond that is more prone to failure over time.
PSA tape allows for an adhesive strip to be applied evenly and accurately across an entire area, resulting in a stronger bond for components. Pieces of tape can be cut to size and used only where needed.
PSA Tapes Can be Die Cut and Customized
When the application area for an adhesive is a complex shape, application of liquid adhesives takes longer. PSA tapes, whether they are made of acrylic, rubber, foam, or any other material, can be fabricated into complex shapes for quick and easy application. Rather than applying liquid in a complex pattern or shape on a product, PSA tapes can be quickly placed onto a component during the assembly process.
PSA Tapes Maintain Viscoelasticity
Liquid adhesives like epoxies, hot melts, and cyanoacrylates can be prone to brittle fractures when exposed to certain environmental conditions. PSA tapes are highly resistant to many environmental conditions. Tapes can be selected that have resistances to UV light, high and low temperatures, degradation due to chemicals and solvents, etc.
PSA Tapes Have Less Odor
Working with liquid adhesives on assembly lines results in uncomfortable labor conditions because of the odors these types of adhesives give off. Whether carried by solvent that flash off, outgassing due to the extrusion heat, or outgassing due or to the chemical curing reaction, nearly all liquid adhesives are odorous, and some are even dangerous to inhale. Even worse, applying liquid adhesives via brush strokes means working with more adhesive than is necessary for the part that is being applied. Many PSA tapes do not give off an odor while others do not have as strong an odor as a container of liquid adhesive, and only what is needed for a strong bond to be made is applied to each strip of tape. This makes for a much more comfortable application of the adhesive, as less of it is being used.
PSA Tapes Can be Bonded to a Variety of Different Substrates
Whether you are bonding two similar surfaces or two completely different substrates, PSA tapes make the application and assembly process easy. Double-sided PSA tapes are coated on both sides with specialty formulated adhesive that is chosen based on the types of substrates you are working with. If you are trying to bond together two completely different surfaces, there is no better method than using PSA tapes.
PSA Tapes Can Act as Gap Fillers and Insulation
PSA tapes are available in varying thicknesses, with thicker foam tapes being able to fill gaps between two joined components. While highly viscous liquid adhesives can be used to fill gaps, they are much more difficult to provide a consistent bond thickness as thicker pieces of tape coated in a strong pressure sensitive adhesive. In fact, with too much pressure adhesive bond-lines can be starved of enough adhesive to provide the strength needed for the application. The gaps filled by PSA tapes are also more aesthetically pleasing than those filled by liquid adhesives.
Depending on the material used, PSA tapes can also insulate against noise, vibrations, and heat. The amount of insulation increases with the thickness of the tape used, all while adding a minuscule amount of weight to the products.