The global adhesives and tape market is growing rapidly. By 2020, over 53.78 billion square meters of different bonding products will be created and used by numerous industries. However a close breakdown of the numbers shows that applications in healthcare and packaging outnumber the consumption in other sectors by a definitive margin.
Adhesives & Their Components:
A good adhesive is not only durable with high bonding strength, it is also flexible and doesn’t corrode the surface to which it is applied. Both the medical industry and the packaging industry have different demands so the right category of tape is found by experimenting with carrier, the adhesive and the release liner.
Why are Adhesive Tapes so Popular?
Adhesive tapes offer significant non-intrusive benefits that mechanical fastening options do not. They typically remove the need of screws and non-structural substrates that are risky to handle and can’t be used on surfaces like sensitive human skin. Also adhesive tapes are cost effective, they are flexible, and their disposal doesn’t pose environmental hazards.
Use of Adhesive Tapes in the Medical & Packaging Industry:
In the medical industry adhesive tapes are generally of two kinds:
- Structural tapes are chemically cured and used to hold together surgical instruments, rubber bumpers on crutches and figure prominently in the manufacture of IV tube sets.
- Pressure Sensitive tapes which necessitate the application of higher pressure to forge the initial bond. Found in acrylic, silicone and hydrogel variants, these adhesives are extremely flexible and can hold together plastics, uneven surfaces with dips and bumps and even human skin.
The packaging industry relies on adhesive tapes to secure carrier boxes that store goods and perishables. Because of the rise of e-retailing and drop shipping, there is an inherent need to ensure the safe transit if often delicate and fragile items. Adhesives play a major role in this regard, especially in the food and beverage sector where the goods might be rendered unusable if they are jostled or exposed to the elements.
At Cheever Specialty Paper & Film we are specialists in tailored adhesive tapes and films. We take the time to understand our client’s needs, and then use our years of experience to get the best product for their application to them. In the past we have served the pharmaceutical and medical industry by providing products for wound care, surgical drapes and gowns and medical devices. Contact us for more information about our products and services.