PVC Foam Tapes: Advantages and Applications
PVC foam tapes provide sealing and insulation against air, dust, moisture, impact, and vibration. These compressible, flexible tapes come in low, medium, and high densities and conform to tight curves and irregular surfaces. Because of how they’re made, PVC foam tapes speed installation since there’s no release liner for assemblers to remove. These assembly tapes also support roll slitting and die cutting for cost-effective material conversion and manufacturing.
Advantages of PVC Foam Tapes
The benefits of using PVC foam tapes begin with how they’re made. First, liquid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is poured onto a casting sheet. Heat is applied, the closed cell PVC foam rises to a specified thickness, and an adhesive is direct-coated. Next, the foam is wound into a tape-grade roll. Unrolling the tape exposes the adhesive, which is on the inside rather than the outside of the tape. This construction eliminates the need for a release liner, which saves installers time on your assembly line.
PVC foam tapes can also reduce your material costs and meet precise dimensional specifications. Larger rolls called logs are cost-effective to buy, but they require material conversion. With lathe slitting, a tape converting process, a rotating blade cuts through a log to create multiple tape rolls with specific widths. In turn, these narrower rolls support die cutting. The PVC foam that’s in these die cut tapes provides inherent resistance to fire, sunlight, and many chemicals.
Applications for PVC Foam Tapes
PVC foam tapes are available in different densities and are used in automotive, HVAC, general industrial, building and construction, and other applications. Low density PVC foam tapes are a good choice for weather stripping and can replace polyurethane foam gaskets at a much lower cost. Medium density PVC foam tapes provide added strength and increased impact resistance. With their high internal strength, high density PVC foam tapes offer the highest levels of cushioning.
PVC materials are used as door and window glazing tapes, HVAC gaskets and vibration dampeners, and air seals in cleanroom ceiling panels. These slit foam tapes also provide general environmental sealing for access panels, and are used as roof curb seals on large, roof-mounted air handlers. In log homes, PVC foam tapes seal the gaps between logs. In motorcycle helmets, high-density PVC foam tapes provide additional cushioning.
Roll Slitting and Die Cutting for PVC Foam Tapes
Do you have questions about die cut tapes, or are you wondering if PVC foam tapes are right for your sealing, gasketing, or insulation application? JBC Technologies provides roll slitting and die cutting services for assembly tapes and can help you with material selection. To learn more, contact us.