Specialty Tape
Easy-release, heat-reactive, low-VOC, medical IVD and laser-through glass tapes for demanding applications.
View productAdhesive Films for Smart Cards & Secure Identification
Heat-activated film, anisotropic conductive hotmelt film, transfer and protective constructions for chip embedding, antenna connection, inlay assembly and card lamination — cut and delivered in the format your card line feeds.
Application reviewMaterial recommendationSample testingExport documentation
What we solve
Bonding without soldering
Chip and antenna contacts have to connect through the right combination of temperature, pressure and dwell.
Thin, uniform build-up
A card module adds height; the film has to stay thin and even across the whole card.
Surviving the lamination cycle
The bond is tested by the card lamination press, not by the bench sample.
Batch consistency
Card producers run millions of pieces, so variation shows up as failed cards at personalisation.
Material records
Print works and issuers expect documentation per batch before a design is released.
Recommended tape solutions
| Application | Typical construction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Contact module chip embedding | Heat-activated film (HAF) | Activates under the module without soldering |
| Antenna connection, contactless cards | Anisotropic conductive hotmelt film (ACF) | Conductive in one axis, insulating in the other |
| Module and inlay pre-fixing | Transfer tape / PET double-sided tape | Positions the part before the lamination cycle |
| Card layer bonding | Lamination adhesive film | Uniform build and clean edges |
| Protection during processing | Protective film and masking tape | Clean removal before personalisation |
| Personalisation and labelling | Label stock and fine-cut tape | Survives card handling and the wallet |
Starting points only. Confirm the final grade against your substrate, load and validation plan.
Typical applications
Contact smart cardsContactless cards and RFIDInlay and tag assemblyID cards and secure documentsAccess-control and transit cardsMembership, gift and loyalty cardsKeyfobs and NFC labelsCard module and coil handling
How a typical project runs
Antenna connection on a contactless card programme
01
Challenge
A card printer was seeing inconsistent antenna resistance after lamination on one inlay design.
02
Approach
We reviewed the module, coil material and lamination profile, supplied heat-activated film and anisotropic conductive hotmelt film samples, and set the temperature, pressure and dwell window with the customer.
03
Outcome
The connection was proved on the customer’s own line and the parameters were recorded as the process window for the programme.
FAQ
Do you supply HAF and ACF films?
We supply heat-activated film and anisotropic conductive hotmelt constructions for card and inlay assembly, subject to the grade being available. Send the module and the process and we confirm what we can offer.
Can you support a trial run before a programme starts?
Yes. Samples and short runs let the bond be tested on your own lamination line and press settings.
Can you die-cut carrier and positioning parts?
Yes. Carrier, positioning and protective parts are cut to your drawing with liners suited to automated placement.
Do you provide batch documentation?
We keep batch and work-order records and issue the documentation available for the selected grade. Anything beyond that is confirmed at enquiry.
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View productProcess
A card bond is a window, not a product
The same film that works on one lamination press fails on another because the window is different. These are the variables that get agreed before a grade is chosen.
| Variable | What it controls | How it is agreed |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Whether the film activates fully without damaging the module | Measured at the part, not at the platen |
| Pressure | Contact across the whole card, and whether the coil is crushed | Set against the module and inlay geometry |
| Dwell | Flow and wetting time before the stack cools | Recorded with the press cycle you actually run |
| Build height | Card thickness after lamination and whether it meets the profile | Summed across the layer stack, not the film alone |
| Conduction direction | Conductive in one axis and insulating in the other for ACF | Defined by the contact layout on the module |
| Cool-down under load | Whether the bond sets while the layers still move | Written into the press procedure |
What a card trial should measure
A bench peel value tells you very little about a card programme, because the bond is created inside a lamination cycle and then tested by personalisation, not by a hand pull. A useful trial measures the things the programme will be judged on.
- Contact resistance before and after lamination, on the same card rather than on a witness sample
- Delamination check after the personalisation step, since printing and embossing stress the layers the trial is meant to protect
- Build height on the finished card, with the tolerance the card body has to stay inside
- A bending or flex check that matches how the card is handled in the field, not a laboratory fold count
- Visual inspection of the module area under magnification for voids and lift at the edges
- Repeat the whole set on your own press with your own cycle, because a proof of concept on someone else’s equipment proves nothing about your programme
FAQ
Card and inlay assembly questions
Do you manufacture the film yourself?
No. Heat-activated film and anisotropic conductive hotmelt constructions are supplied from the material producer, and our own work is the converting, the format and the process support around them. That distinction matters when a programme needs a material change approved.
Can you supply cut pieces rather than rolls?
Yes. Film and tape are die-cut to the module, inlay or carrier size you need, on a liner suited to automated placement.
Can you support a design-in before a programme is awarded?
Yes, with samples and a documented trial on your press. What we do not do is promise a result we have not seen on your equipment.
Do you have a card-grade certificate we can hand to an issuer?
Documentation is issued per grade where the producer publishes it. An issuer-specific dossier belongs to your programme and your own testing, and we say so rather than implying cover we do not have.
What quantities do you handle?
Prototype sheets, trial runs and production releases are all supported; the practical minimum follows the format and the cut route and is confirmed at quotation.
Pages that carry the rest of this decision
Need a material that survives the climate?
Send your application and target market. We will shortlist grades for heat, humidity and UV before you commit to tooling.