Laminating Adhesives
When choosing a laminating adhesive, there is no “one size fits all” solution. Each combination of substrates requires an adhesive that is engineered to bond to those two surfaces, as well as being able to withstand whatever environmental conditions it might be exposed to. Whether bonding high surface energy bare metal, powder coated or painted surfaces, low surface energy injection molded plastics or any other substrate, there is a unique adhesive engineered for that exact application.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE LAMINATING ADHESIVES
Pressure-sensitive adhesives can meet specific needs from low tack, which allows for repositioning, up to permanent bonding solutions. A double-sided tape that has a carrier can be produced with the same adhesive on both sides, or with different adhesives to meet the bonding requirements of different substrates.
Laminating adhesives are available as transfer tapes or as double coat adhesives.
DOUBLE COAT ADHESIVES
A double coat adhesive has a PET carrier with adhesive applied to both sides. The carrier gives the adhesive dimensional stability, which can be very useful when laminating to soft elastomeric materials like foam. When you are working with a soft material that has the ability to stretch, the carrier from the double coat adhesive will help control the part and keeps it from distorting during installation.
If you have a unique application requiring you to bond dissimilar substrates, a differential double coat adhesive could be a good option. Differential adhesives have a PET carrier, but rather than having the same adhesive on both sides, they have two different adhesives. Differential adhesives are more expensive, but can solve difficult bonding situations.
TRANSFER TAPES
A transfer tape is pure adhesive with no PET carrier. This means that when applied to a soft elastomeric material, the adhesive will not limit the ability of the part to stretch. This can be preferable in applications where you want to be able to stretch a piece of die cut foam around a contoured part or surface.
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