When the tape is the correct adhesive, the hot melt must be heated to temperatures of several hundred degrees or more for it to be applied correctly. For those of you who aren't masking tape experts, trying to figure out if your packages should have acrylic tape or hot melt tape may be easier said than done. However, choosing the right packaging tape is vital to ensure proper protection, professional presentation and also correct use of your packages, depending on your needs. BestPack has developed the following technical comparison to guide you in your choice of packaging tape.
While both acrylic tape and hot melt tape have their separate features and benefits; both will work in room temperature environments for the daily sealing of general-purpose cartons. Acrylic tape works over a much wider temperature range and is natural for applications in hot and cold environments. If the main flaps of the box have a lot of memory, the Hot Melt tape works better. BestPack's acrylic tape and hot melt tape are manufactured in ISO 9001 certified and ISO 14001 environmental certified facilities and are ROHS compliant.
With over 40 years of experience in carton sealing, BestPack can find the box sealer and tape product that best suits your needs. Hot melt tapes have significantly higher adhesion compared to acrylic tape. They have superior holding power (called shear value) and tensile strength, with a fast grip. A hot melt tape is ideal for applications involving machine-applied tapes, overfilled boards or boards with a high degree of recycled content.
Hot melt adhesive is a thermoplastic adhesive, also known as hot glue. They work well in temperatures ranging from 45°F to 120°F. Hot melt tapes are hydrophobic, or “afraid of water,” so they may not work well in a humid environment. Shurtape HP 132 and HP 232 are specially formulated with a resin and synthetic rubber hot melt adhesive that provides an instant and permanent bond in sub-zero temperatures to keep packages sealed and secured.
If you are looking for a tape that offers flexibility, excellent adhesion, strength and effectiveness in a variety of applications, hot melt tapes are perfect for you. Specifically, it is a hot-melt tape that is used for the automatic connection of electronic components in the production process. In general, when it comes to deciding between hot melt tape and acrylic tape to seal a package, hot melt tape does the job in most applications. Meanwhile, hot melt tapes are ideal for machine application, as they unwind quickly, offer instant adhesion and excellent holding power during automatic packaging processes.
Both acrylic tape and hot melt tape offer competitive prices, allowing you to save a significant amount of money on shipping your products. The hot-melt adhesive tape is manufactured by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one side of the heavy-duty crumpled paper used as the base. An acrylic tape offers a wider temperature range compared to a hot melt tape, ranging from 32°F to 14°F. While they may be easier on the lines thanks to the release layer and produce a stronger bond to cartons, hot melt tapes may not offer the longevity, UV resistance and temperature range required for some applications.
One of the differences is in the two types of adhesives used to make tapes stick, hot melt and acrylic. PPM is well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both tapes, offering a wide variety of different tapes, both with hot melt adhesive and acrylic, ideal for different types of applications. .
