Foam tapes, gaskets, and foam sealing strips are materials for a variety of commercial, industrial, and residential uses. Presbond offers several varieties of foam materials which are often used for sealing, cushioning, and insulation purposes. Each foam tape product has its own specific niche that the naturally occurring, or chemically engineered, compound was originally created for but there are endless use cases for foam tapes by category. Keeping this in mind, it is very important to read technical data sheets, sample, and test prior to applying foam tapes and using a product in your application.
Foam tape uses
Foam tapes are ideal for use in appliances, automotive applications, electrical/electronics, shower and bath, truck/trailer/RV, point-of-purchase signage, window fabrication, and plastic molder/extruder applications. They are often used in place of mechanical fasteners (rivets, bolts, screws, and welding materials) because of its ability to withstand a high level of vibration, its high strength, and its durable seals against cold, dust, gas, liquid, sounds, etc.
The main categories of foam tapes are:
Single sided foam tape: foam tape with one side having a self adhesive layer that is typically a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). The adhesive layer is covered by a white or brown silicone release liner. The release liner should remain intact until you are ready to apply the foam to prevent the adhesive layer from drying and more importantly prevent dust and dirt from accumulating - this will reduce the sticky nature of the foam tape. For more on how to apply these, see our page on how to apply foam tape. The 2 main types of pressure sensitive adhesives that Presbond uses in its products are rubber based adhesive and acrylic based adhesive. Each type has different qualities and performance characteristics. To learn more about adhesives, click here.
Double sided foam tape: just as the name suggests, both sides of these foam tapes have pressure sensitive adhesive. The adhesive layer on the outer layer is covered by a white or brown silicone coated release liner and the inner layer of adhesive lays on the outer layer of the silicone release liner (shipped in rolls that are self wound). The foam should remain on the roll until you are ready to apply the foam to prevent the adhesive layer from drying and more importantly prevent dust and dirt from accumulating - this will reduce the sticky nature of the foam tape. The 2 main types of pressure sensitive adhesives that Presbond uses in its products are rubber based adhesive and acrylic based adhesive. Each type has different qualities and performance characteristics. To learn more about adhesives, click here.
Transfer tape: is not necessarily a foam, it is a very thin (i.e. printer paper) film or paper layer that has adhesive on both sides. These transfer tapes are used in mounting and bonding applications that require low profiles. Presbond does not currently offer these tapes online they are available for purchase in long length rolls of 300 or 600 feet. Contact a Pres On sales representative for pricing today by filling out this form.
