What is splicing tape used for?
Splicing tape joins the trailing end of one roll to the leading end of the next on a web-fed machine. On a printing press or converting line, stopping to thread a new roll means lost output and a restart, so the ends are taped together and the line keeps running.
Mr.Bond® Splicing Tape is a double-sided construction engineered for exactly that: it bonds instantly so production stays continuous without stopping the web. A high-tack adhesive is specified because the joint has to hold from the moment it is made, at full line speed.
It is suitable for paper, plastic film, foil and laminate webs. Converting and printing operations that also buy carton sealing and lamination materials will find the related range at Prateek® BOPP packaging tapes.
Why does a splice need a high-tack adhesive?
A splice gets no settling time. The instant it passes the splice point it is carrying web tension, running through nips and rollers at line speed, and being pulled in a direction it was never laid down against.
High tack means the adhesive grabs at once on contact rather than building strength over minutes. That is why splicing tapes are formulated differently from general double-sided tapes, which are designed to develop their bond over time on a static joint.
The clean release liner matters for the same reason: the operator is preparing a splice against the clock, and a liner that tears or leaves residue slows the whole job down.
Which webs can be spliced and what sizes are available?
The tape is suitable for paper, plastic film, foil and laminate webs, the substrate families that run on printing presses, converting lines and film manufacturing equipment.
Standard rolls are 50m long, and custom widths are available on request, so the tape can be matched to the web width and splice pattern you use. Highly specialised splicing tapes of international brands are also available where a specific grade is already qualified in your process.
Send the web material, the web width and your line speed with your enquiry and the right grade will be confirmed and quoted.
What is a flying splice and what is a zero-speed splice?
Both are ways of joining a new roll to an expiring one, and the tape can be used for either. A flying splice is made at speed: the new roll is brought up to line speed and the joint is made on the run, so the press never slows down. A zero-speed splice is made with the roll stationary, with the web buffered or festooned so the machine downstream keeps running while the joint is prepared.
Mr.Bond® Splicing Tape is usable for high-speed flying splices and zero-speed splices on most grades of paper, such as newsprint, clay-coated and corrugated stocks. The common requirement across both is the one the catalogue leads with: very high tack properties on a polyester film base, for secure splicing at high speed.
The polyester base is also what carries the identification. A special coloured polyester is used so the joint can be spotted and pulled out downstream rather than shipped. Red is readily available and other colours can be made on demand.
How do you get the strongest possible splice?
Two things, and both are in the operator's hands rather than in the tape. First, pressure: bond strength depends on the amount of adhesive-to-surface contact developed, and firm application pressure helps develop better adhesive contact and improves bond strength. A splice pressed down properly along its whole length is a different joint from one laid on by hand.
Second, the surface. To obtain optimum adhesion the bonding surfaces must be clean, dry and well unified: free of dust and coating debris, not damp, and squarely aligned so the two web ends meet as one surface rather than overlapping unevenly.
Converting and packaging lines that buy splicing tape generally buy carton sealing and lamination materials from the same group; those are listed with Prateek® BOPP packaging tapes.