The first recorded appearance of the self-adhesive tape was in the year 1845, by Doctor Horace Day. Since then, we’ve seen the advent of different types of tapes, ranging from surgical tape, and band-aids to everyone’s favourite, scotch tape.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how something as simple as a tape has simplified the process of labelling & packaging.
Types of Self-Adhesive Tapes
Over time, tapes have found a way to be a cheap & useful remedy in a variety of situations. There are several different types of tapes that you can use, depending on your needs. So, let’s discuss some basic types of tapes that you can use for packaging & labelling.
Transparent BOPP Packing Tape
This is the most common type of tape used around the globe. We’ve all used them for packing gifts, hanging charts, etc. These are waterproof and UV ray resistant. This tape is transparent & is perfect for packing boxes with instructions on them.
Brown BOPP Packing Tapes
These are another type of BOPP tapes; they offer the same level of water & UV protection to your products as transparent tape. This tape is generally used for packing products where there’s no need for the box to be visible.
Also, the tape matches the colour of cardboard boxes, making it a more visually appealing option.
Coloured BOPP Packing Tapes
Materialistically, they are the same as the other two BOPP tapes. The only difference is that they come in a variety of colours. The purpose of these tapes is to help in identifying different types of packages by colour coding them.
Double Sided Tape
As the name suggests, this type of tape has adhesive on both sides. It is usually used to stick two different surfaces/objects together. It is made of silicon, which allows it to tolerate high temperature without failing. Another benefit of silicon tape is that they form a very tight adhesion bond.
However, these tapes can be removed without damaging the surfaces they’re applied to. They can be used to stick labels onto packages as well.
Acrylic Foam Double Sided Tape
This double-sided tape is made from Polyurethane (PU) Gel allowing the tape to be very flexible and provides strong adhesion as well. PU Gel also makes the tape less likely to damage the surface while removing it.
These are waterproof & stick to a variety of surfaces.
Eco-Friendly Tape
Unlike the other options, this tape is simply made from paper. And as the name suggests, they are bio-degradable and don’t cause any harm to the environment. Regardless, it is still waterproof and provides strong adhesion.
It is suitable for packing cardboard boxes.
How Do Self-Adhesive Tapes Simplify Packaging & Labelling
Packing used to be a time-consuming and a task requiring a lot of skill. Before tape, we used to pack things with wrapping paper and secure them using a string or sealing wax even though the sealing quality of either was not perfect and up to the mark.
Ever since the advent of self-adhesive tape, packing has become much more efficient & effective.
Let’s talk about 3 major improvements brought upon by the implementation of tapes.
Packing Cost Reduction
As mentioned above, in the past people used to secure the package covering using strings or sealing wax. On a mass production scale, this would add to the overall cost of production. Tapes solve this problem, by combining the sealing agent & the wrapping cover.
In addition, creating a sticky label adds to your production cost. Rather, manufacturers can just place the label on the box & cover it with tape.
Improves Durability
Modern packing tapes also provide additional durability to packages by providing them with an extra layer of protection. The tape helps in absorbing some of the impact exerted on the boxes during transit.
Provides a Protective Seal
While providing some sort of adhesion, even sealing wax couldn’t properly protect the items against the effects of the environment. A major problem with storing & transporting goods over a long distance is damage owing to environmental factors. Ranging from dust to moisture, anything entering your package can lead to damage over a period.
Packing tapes eliminate this problem by creating an airtight seal around all the openings. This prevents moisture from entering the packages.
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