Adhesive Tape Glossary
The terms buyers and engineers use when specifying, testing and converting adhesive tapes — explained without the catalogue language.
Adhesive termsTest methodsConverting termsPlain English
Adhesive & construction
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Acrylic adhesive | A synthetic adhesive known for UV and temperature resistance and long-term clarity. Common in exterior, foam and transparent bonding applications. |
| Rubber adhesive | A high-tack adhesive with good initial grab. It can be less resistant to heat, UV and aging than acrylic, depending on the formulation. |
| Silicone adhesive | An adhesive used where high temperature, low-temperature flexibility or release performance is required. Often found in masking and specialty tapes. |
| Carrier | The film, foam, paper, cloth or foil that supports the adhesive and gives the tape its mechanical properties. |
| Liner | A release-coated sheet that protects the adhesive before use. The liner is removed when the tape is applied. |
| Transfer tape | An adhesive film without a permanent carrier, supplied on a liner. It gives a thin, conformable bond line. |
| Double-sided tape | A construction with adhesive on both sides of a carrier, used to bond two surfaces together. |
| Foam tape | A tape with a foam carrier that can fill gaps, absorb movement and bond uneven surfaces. |
Performance & testing
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Peel adhesion | The force needed to peel tape from a surface at a controlled angle and speed. Values depend on substrate, dwell time and test method. |
| Shear strength | The ability of a bond to resist a force applied parallel to the surface. Important for hanging, structural and load-bearing joints. |
| Tack | The initial adhesion when tape is pressed lightly onto a surface. High tack helps with positioning but does not guarantee final bond strength. |
| Surface energy | A property of the substrate that affects how well an adhesive wets and bonds. Low-energy surfaces such as some plastics are harder to bond. |
| Dwell time | The time between applying the tape and reaching a stable bond. Adhesion often continues to increase after initial contact. |
| Temperature resistance | The range in which a tape can be applied and used without failure. Short-term peak and long-term service temperatures are different. |
| UV resistance | The ability of a tape to resist degradation from sunlight. Important for exterior, glazing and construction applications. |
| Conformability | How well a tape follows curves, edges and uneven surfaces without lifting or wrinkling. |
Converting & supply
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Die-cutting | Cutting tape, foam or laminate into a shape with a tool. Flat-bed and rotary die-cutting are common production methods. |
| Rotary die-cutting | A high-volume roll-to-roll process that cuts material between a rotating die and an anvil roll. |
| Flat-bed die-cutting | A press-based cutting method suited to complex outlines, thicker materials and lower volumes. |
| Kiss-cut | A cut through the tape but not through the liner, so the part stays on the liner for handling and feeding. |
| Slitting | Cutting a wide jumbo roll into narrower rolls. Width, edge quality and tension control affect the finished roll. |
| Spooling | Rewinding tape onto a spool or small roll for a specific applicator or manual assembly station. |
| Lamination | Combining two or more materials, such as tape with foam, film, foil or another adhesive, into one construction. |
| Tolerance | The permitted variation in a dimension. Die-cutting tolerance depends on material, thickness, shape and cutting method. |
Product lines by name
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MOPP tape | Cast polypropylene film coated with a hot-melt rubber adhesive, supplied as a dry, printable carton-sealing tape. It is the line usually specified for automatic closers and printed outer cases. |
| BOPP tape | Biaxially oriented polypropylene film sealed with acrylic or hot-melt adhesive: the standard transparent packing tape, in plain, printed or coloured versions. |
| Cloth / duct tape | A coated cloth backing with a high-tack rubber adhesive, used for bundling, sealing, protection and repair where tensile strength matters more than clarity. |
| Fiberglass tape | Either a filament-reinforced sealing tape, where glass fibres carry the load, or a woven glass-fabric tape used for reinforcement and heat-resistant work. The two are different products, so the application decides which is quoted. |
| Nano tape | A thick, soft, transparent acrylic mounting tape sold in rolls or sheets. It fills small gaps on glass, tile, painted wall and metal, and is chosen where the bond must come apart or be repositioned rather than stay permanently. |
| Dual lock tape | A mushroom-head interlocking fastener tape supplied as hook-side and loop-side pairs. It replaces a screw or clip where a part has to open and close repeatedly while still carrying shear; the construction is identified by the fastener profile rather than by a brand. |
| Non-slip tape | An abrasive- or grit-coated backing used on stair nosings, ramps, ladders and walkways. Grade selection follows the substrate, exposure to weather and cleaning, and how the old strip has to come off. |
| Electrical tape | A conformable plasticised PVC tape for harness wrapping, splice insulation and winding. The voltage class and flame rating come from the standard the assembly has to meet. |
| VHB tape | VHB is a registered trademark of 3M for its acrylic-foam bonding tapes. Buyers use the name to mean a high-strength acrylic foam tape adhesive on both faces, so on this site it is read as a construction description, and the grade actually supplied is confirmed against the datasheet at quotation. |
| Easy-release tape | A tape held during assembly and removed cleanly later, including stretch-release and pull-tab formats used to fix battery cells and protective parts that must come off at end of life. |
This glossary is general technical information. Values and test methods are defined by the applicable standard and the selected product data sheet.
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