Does You Packaging Tape Measure Up?

DOES YOUR PACKAGING TAPE MEASURE UP? NO SINGLE MEASUREMENT CAN TELL YOU HOW WELL A PACKAGING TAPE WILL PERFORM. USE THESE COMMON PERFORMANCE CRITERIA TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT TAPE FOR EACH JOB. THICKNESS SHEAR Measured in mils, thickness is often thought of as a reflection of a tape's overall strength; however, it is not always indicative of a tape's adhesion or holding power. With packaging tapes, increased film thickness provides more resistance to breaking and tearing. Holding power or the ability of the tape to resist slippage. Measured in minutes, shear is particularly important in applications where the tape is holding something in place such as the major flaps of a closed carton. TENSILE TACK ELONGATION The amount of force required before tape breaks. Measured in pounds/inches, the higher the number the more stress the tape can endure before breaking. The initial affinity a tape's adhesive has for a substrate. Good finger tack, or quick stick, is not always a reflection of strong adhesion or shear. The amount a tape has stretched, lengthwise, just before breaking. Measured in percent, the higher the number the more give the tape has. ADHESION TO STEEL ADHESION TO BACKING Measured in ounces/inches, the higher the number the more force it takes to remove once applied. NOTE: Adhesion to steel does not directly correlate to adhesion on other surfaces such as kraft. Measured in ounces/inches, it is the ability of tape to adhere to itself. For packaging tape, adhesion to backing affects application tension. Lower adhesion reduces tension in machine applications; in hand applications, higher adhesion ensures firm unwind off the roll. Shurtape TRUE TO YOURWORK