How are PTFE Film, PTFE Coated Glass Cloth and UHMW Tapes made and where are they used?

You may not realize it, but you come into contact with many items throughout your day that were processed using PTFE Film Tapes, PTFE Coated Glass Cloth Tapes and UHMW Tapes.  These tapes are used in the various manufacturing and packaging industries to ensure items travel smoothly through processing without sticking to the equipment, as well as allowing heat dispersion without damaging the finished product.  Items such as food packaged in sealed bags, packets and containers, sterilized medical devices for hospitals, printed bags for retail and bottles or cans for liquid packaging.

PTFE COATED GLASS CLOTH TAPES:

PTFE Coated Glass Cloth Tapes are manufactured by submerging a woven fiberglass substrate into a PTFE bath and tracking the coated substrate up a drying tower.  This coating process is repeated to increase the longevity of the finished product.  Each coating pass increases the chemical, abrasion, tear and puncture resistance.  The PTFE coated fiberglass carrier is then etched, for good adhesion promotion, and is direct coated with a high temperature, silicone adhesive system.  A release liner is nipped in directly to the adhesive system to allow for easy application in end uses.  PTFE coating is most commonly used due to its wide temperature capabilities down to -100F and up to 500F + continuously.  PTFE Coated Glass Tapes are well known for their non-stick, abrasion resistance qualities which provide an easy release for films, fabrics, trays and boxes to travel through machinery.     

Elite Tapes PTFE Coated Glass Cloth Tapes offering:

*Also available 14mil
*Custom Converting Available

PTFE FILM TAPES:

PTFE Film Tape carriers are processed in a few different methods.  Skiving is the most common method of production for the PTFE Film used for finished tapes.  The dense PTFE is applied in a large cylindrical format onto a rotating mandrel.  The rotating mandrel then drives the PTFE material against a sharp, heated cutting blade assembly mounted at a precise angle/depth to ensure consistency of thickness for the finished product.  Extruded PTFE film provides the strongest, purest PTFE carrier available.  The PTFE is formed through high temperature, flat die extrusion equipment, which ensures consistency of the finished thickness.  The equipment then has a series of rollers that allow the PTFE to travel through curing ovens and cooling rollers to create the finished carrier.  The PTFE film carrier is then etched, for good adhesion promotion, and is direct coated with a high temperature, silicone adhesive system.  PTFE fluoropolymer is most commonly used due to its wide temperatures capabilities down to -100F and up to 500F + continuously.  PTFE Film Tapes are known for their exceptional weather, chemical and fire-resistant properties that can be utilized in applications such as mold release, composite bonding and wire wrapping/bundling. 

Elite Tapes PTFE Film Tapes offering:

*Also available 14mil
*Custom Converting Available

UHMW TAPES:

UHMW stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight and is manufactured much like a PTFE film tape.  The UHMW is either molded or extruded and then skived.  The dense UHMW is applied in large cylindrical format onto a rotating mandrel.  The rotating mandrel then drives the UHMW material against a sharp, heated cutting blade assembly mounted at a precise angle/depth to ensure consistency of thickness for the finished product.  The UHMW film carrier is then etched, for good adhesion promotion, and is direct coated with an aggressive, acrylic adhesive system.  UHMW is most commonly used due to its high impact and abrasion resistance at lower operating temperatures -100F to 225F.  UHMW Tapes are most commonly used on the chute linings and conveyors to ensure finished goods travel safely, without obstruction, on their way to the final packaging stations.

Elite Tapes UHMW Tapes offering:

*Custom Converting Available

QUESTIONS TO IDENTIFY THE CORRECT TAPE FOR YOUR APPLICATION:

• SURFACE TYPE?
• SURFACE TEXTURE?
• SURFACE COATING?
• SURFACE SHAPE? 
• THICKNESS REQUIREMENT?
• TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENT? 
• TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT APPLICATION?
• ROLL SIZE?

Elite Tape’s Technical Support Team is ready to help by providing any additional information and options. Our technical expertise, customer support, converting capabilities and fast turnaround put us in a unique position to address your most challenging application requirements.

At Elite Tape, “We Make It Easy.”

855-770-TAPE (8273)