We analyzed common Google search terms related to double-sided tapes and provided concise answers to help guide your research. In many cases, broad search terms can return hundreds of tape options, making it difficult to identify the right product for a specific application.
The key to finding the best tape is understanding your project requirements. Factors such as substrate materials, environmental conditions, bond strength, temperature exposure, and whether the bond needs to be permanent or removable all play important roles in tape selection.
Throughout this guide, you’ll find brief explanations of common industry search terms, along with questions you should consider answering before choosing a tape for your application.
Generic Industrial Terms
Double-Coated Tape
There are countless double-coated tape options available. Be as specific as possible when searching. People often confuse transfer tapes with double-coated tapes. While they may appear similar, their construction, performance, and applications are very different.
Double-Sided Adhesive Tape
This is another broad search term. To narrow your results, include application-specific details such as the materials being bonded, environmental conditions, or required performance characteristics.
Industrial Bonding Tape
This search usually indicates you’re looking for a high-strength bonding solution. Consider the application and the materials being bonded. Industrial tapes are often best sourced from suppliers that specialize in manufacturing-grade adhesive products.
Permanent Bonding Tape
You’ve already identified that a removable adhesive is not suitable. The next step is determining what materials are being bonded. A search such as “permanent tape for metal-to-metal bonding” will provide much more relevant results.
Structural Adhesive Tape
Many acrylic foam tapes, including VHB-style products, are considered structural adhesives. However, not all structural tapes perform the same way. Factors such as adhesive formulation, thickness, and color can provide clues about intended applications and performance characteristics.
Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) Tape
A pressure-sensitive adhesive requires firm pressure during application to achieve optimal bond strength. Since nearly all double-sided tapes are PSA products, it is helpful to include application details in your search, such as “PSA tape for metal emblems.”
Transfer Tape (Adhesive with No Carrier)
Transfer tapes are often selected when a very thin adhesive layer is required. Because they do not contain a carrier, they generally provide less structural strength than double-coated tapes but are often more economical.
Mounting Tape
Most mounting tapes fall into the foam tape category, including polyethylene (PE) foam tapes and acrylic foam tapes such as VHB.
Attachment Tape
This is an extremely broad term. Are you attaching graphics to a wall, mounting trim to a vehicle, or securing a panel? Do you need a removable or permanent bond? The more specific your search, the better your results will be.
Laminating Tape
Transfer tapes are commonly used for laminating because of their thin profile. Both permanent and removable laminating adhesives are available. Application details, including required width and substrate materials, will help determine the best option.
Generic Industrial Terms
- Double-coated tape
- There are so many double-sided tape option, be more specific
- People sometimes confusion transfer tapes for double-sided or double-coated tape. They may look the same but the applications and tape construction very different.
- Double-sided adhesive tape
- As stated above. Be project specific in your search.
- Industrial bonding tape
- So sounds like you are looking for stronger double-sided tapes. What is the application? What materials are being bonded? Buy tape where manufactures buy tapes.
- Permanent bonding tape
- So not looking for removable tape. What is being bonded? Search permanent tapes for metal-to-metal bonding will be a better search query.
- Structural adhesive tape
- VHB tapes are considered structural adhesives. Now just narrow down the best VHB tape as not all are made the same. The color of the VHB will give you clues.
- Pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape
- This just means that you need to apply pressure to a tape to create a good bond. Be more specific: PSA tapes for metal emblems, for example.
- Transfer tape (adhesive with no carrier backing)
- Sound’s like you want a very thin tape. Transfer tapes do not have the strength of double-sided tapes and are generally less expensive.
- Mounting tape
- These you fall into the category of foam tapes. Think VHB and PE foam tape.
- Attachment tape
- Yes, there are so many tapes that could be used to attach something to something else. Are you attaching a graphic to a wall? Do you want the tape not to cause wall damage or do you want permanent tape? Be very specific.
- Laminating tape
- Transfer tapes are popular laminating tapes since they are very thin. There’s pennant and removable laminating tapes. What width do you need?
Engineers often search by required performance:
- High-strength bonding tape
- A little more description on the application will narrow down your options. What materials you are bonding will be very important to know.
- Structural bonding tape
- As above.. VHB tapes are considered structural adhesives. Now just narrow down the best VHB tape as not all are made the same. The color of the VHB will give you clues.
- High-temperature double-sided tape
- Alright there are good options mainly in the acrylic and silicone adhesives families. What temps are we talking about? On a product data sheet, you will find application and service temperatures listed. The application temperature are almost always around room temperature, however, service temperature indicates the temperatures range where the adhesive will hold its structure. Always ask your supplier what is the tape’s service temperature range?
- UV-resistant bonding tape
- Acrylics and silicones are usually UV resistant. Just stay away from rubber adhesives if this is your concern.
- Outdoor mounting tape
- VHB is generally best unless a surface might be hard to bond to, in which case a PE foam tape might be the better option.
- Waterproof bonding tape
- Similar to “outdoor” tape. VHB is the best but high performance acrylics could also work. The Red tape is often used in horticulture under wet conditions, for example.
- Chemical-resistant adhesive tape
- What type of chemicals? Acrylics are generally chemical resistant.
- Vibration-resistant tape
- A tape that will absorb energy. Foam tapes or butyl are often used for vibration control. A thin tape may be laminated to a substrate to control or dampen energy. The tape by itself will often not be enough.
- Shock-absorbing tape
- Similar to above. Something to dampen a shock. In automotive, a butyl laminated to a mylar or aluminum was used.
- Gap-filling adhesive tape
- Knowing how thick you need the tape will determine the tape construction. Knowing the substrates will determine the best adhesive.
- Die-cut adhesive tape
- Die cuts can be full cutting of a part or cutting so the part could be lifted from the liner, sometimes called kiss cutting or half-cuts. There are machines that run prototypes and production volumes.
Material-Specific Searches
The surfaces being bonded are often included:
- Tape for aluminum bonding
- Does the aluminum have any coating or adonized? It may affect the ability to bond and a LSE tape may be needed.
- Tape for steel panels
- If thin bonding, a double-coated acrylic film tape or if a very strong bond needed, there are VHB tapes from .5mm and thicker.
- Plastic-to-metal bonding tape
- This can be tricky, particularly on the plastics side. Find out if plastic has low surface energy, if not then there are many options available, including VHB. If VHB strength is need and the plastic is LSE, then you can use an adhesive promoter on the plastic side to increase bond strength with the VHB tape.
- Acrylic-to-glass tape
- Best to use a clear VHB tape. If you need to be below .5 mm thick, use an 8 mil acrylic.
- Foam tape for powder-coated surfaces
- Powder coated surfaces are hard to bond to and have low energy surface. You need to consider tapes that are for LSE. Otherwise you will need to add a corona treatment or similar surface altering work so the adhesive will create a tight bond.
- Bonding tape for composites
- Agan surface energy and surface texture will determine the best PSA tapes
- Tape for low surface energy plastics (PE, PP)
- If a tape is good to use on low surg=face energy, it will often indicated LSE somewhere in its product description. You can increase the surface tension on some plastics with an adhesive promotor.
Construction and Manufacturing Terms
- Panel attachment tape
- Thinner rather than thicker profile tapes are generally used, but since panels are long and can walls may be uneven where a foam tape may be needed to fill in the gapes.
- Nameplate attachment tape
- Thin profile VHB’s have often be used for this application.
- Trim attachment tape
- More specific about trim, so anything from film tape to VHB have been used.
- Emblem mounting tape
- Depends on what the emblem is made of. If metal, VHB or acrylic film tape if silicone, only silicne tape will be a viable option.
- Glazing tape
- Typically tapes form. .5mm to 1mm thick, either a PE acrylic foam tape or clear VHB tape.
- Sign mounting tape
- VHB tape or a PE foam tape, depending on strength and length of time you want the sign to stay mounted.
- Display assembly tape
- Typically a rubber based PE foam tape used for POP displays.
- Electronics assembly tape
- If no electrical conductivity needed, a thin acrylic film or transfer tape will work.
- Automotive attachment tape
- This is too broad search term. What is being attached? Substrates?
- Appliance assembly tape
- Could be an acrylic or VHB tape but have also seen PE foam tape used. Start with the substrates being assembled.
Product Family Terms
Many engineers search directly for specific technologies:
- VHB tape
- No matter who manufactures, VHB tapes have different adhesives. Unlike other double-sided tapes that have adhesive laminated or coated onto a carrier, VHB tapes is one solid pieces and are not laminated or coated with adhesive. The two sides of the acrylic go into a chemical and mechanical process to create an adhesive surface. (Some LSE VHB tapes do have a coating of LSE acrylic adhesive, however).
- Acrylic foam tape
- Acrylic adhesive coated or laminated onto cross-linked polyethylene foam.
- Foam mounting tape
- Could be PE or VHB tape
- PE foam tape
- The most common foam tape by far.
- PU foam tape
- Often used in medical application where a PE foam may be too rigid. PU foam conforms better around curved areas.
- Tissue tape
- A type of double-coated tape where it has a tissue carrier instead of PET film. Used in medical application or where a more pliable tape is desired.
- Non-woven carrier tape
- Similar to tissue but with stronger fibers that tend to also be thicker. Used a lot in medical.
- Filmic double-coated tape
- Film tape carrier, which could be a PET or PU film.
- PET carrier tape
- Sometimes called mylar. A thin film usually half 1/2 mill thick that is sandwiched between two adhesives. Gives the tape strength. You can often determine if a tape has a PET carrier by trying to tear it apart with your hands. If it easily tears, most likely a transfer tape.
Procurement / Specification Searches
Purchasing and sourcing teams often search using specifications:
- Double-coated acrylic adhesive tape 1 mm
- This could be a 1/16” thick pe foam tape or a 40 mils VHB tape. What’s the application?
- Industrial mounting tape black foam
- Black PE foam tape or black VHB tape?
- Double-sided tape UL listed
- Certified to qualify under UL testing protocol. Usually there is a number after the UL, like UL 94. Your supplier will need to know that number after UL.
- Tape meeting automotive specifications
- Which automotive spec? All car manufactures have their own specification that they call out.
- Tape for ISO manufacturing applications
- Tape itself is not ISO but the manufacturing process can have an ISO certification, such as 9001.
- RoHS compliant adhesive tape
- A written statement from your tape supplies can be included with each delivery.
- REACH compliant adhesive tape
- A written statement from your tape supplies can be included with each delivery.
- Terms Used in Engineering Drawings and BOMs
- Bill of materials. Engineering drawing are particularly useful for die cut parts.
On drawings, specifications, and bills of materials, you may see:
Engineers commonly search:
- “VHB equivalent”
- Generally what is meant here is a Very High Bond tape that matches the specifications and performance of the trademark name “3M VHB tape” After the 3M patent expired, Asian countries began to offer viable VHB tapes that compete technically with 3M VHB tape (sometimes coming our of the same factory where 3M VHB tape is produced)
- “Structural bonding tape alternative”
- Most likely VHB tape
- “Acrylic foam tape supplier”
- Acrylic adhesive is the most popular adhesive used in PSA tapes.
- “Double-coated tape cross reference”
- A data sheet to cross reference against will be helpful, however, a well-known name brand will be known by reputable tape suppliers.
- “Tape conversion manufacturer”
- Otherwise known a a tape converter. Taking a roll of tape and either slitting or die cutting.
- “Die-cut adhesive converter”
- Die cut and converter are redundant terms, both meaning cutting adhesive tape to a specified form.