Let’s Make Tape (Coating Technology) Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tapes for Sales and Marketing Professionals Tape University Basics May 12, 2009 Let’s Make Tape (Coating Technology)

Tape Making Process QC Materials Coat Convert/Package Inspect

Generic Coating Line Increasing Value Additional Components Rolls Unwind Applicator Cooler/Dryer Winder Slitter Additional Components Web Surface Treatment Thickness Gauge Solvent Treatment Tension Control Edge Guide Laminator Rolls Master Roll Cooling Rolls/Oven Liquid/100% Solids Inspection May Occur at Various Process Points Substrate/Liner Materials Increasing Value

Common Coaters Knife Over Roll Calender Gravure Liquid Adhesives Requires Drying Oven 100 Percent Solid Adhesives Knife Over Roll Gravure Reverse Roll Mayer Rod Slot Die Calender Extrusion Coater, Slot Die Coater selection is determined by type of adhesive, thickness, and thickness tolerance which impact cost.

Calender Characteristics Speed: 200m/min max Thickness: 100-2,000 microns Viscosity: 50-50,000 Pa.s Examples: Duct Tape, Pipewrap Tape, Building and Construction Tapes

Liquid Adhesive Coater Commonly used to coat solution and emulsion based adhesives onto a variety of webs.

Characteristics of Coater Coating Head Viscosity, Pa.s Wet Thickness, microns Max Speed, m/min Mayer Rod 0.02-0.10 5-100 200 Gravure 0.01-5 2-50 700 Knife Over Roll 0.10-100 25-750 150 Reverse Roll 0.05-1200 12-1200 400 Coating head selection based upon adhesive thickness and coating line capabilities

Hot Melt Coater Speed: 700 m/min max Viscosity: 50-1,000 Pa.s Thickness: 15-750 microns Examples: Carton Sealing Tape, HVAC Tapes, Mailing Envelope Tapes

Summary Choice of coating method is a designer’s prerequisite for meeting cost, functionality, and uniformity. There is both a science and an art to coating which refers to esoteric properties of fluid which are hard to model or predict. Experience and specific knowledge will determine whether corrections are made to the machine or to the fluid and their limitations.