There are different parameters that have to work together to support what you are looking to get out of custom printed tape. With the many test values that have to be determined and analyzed, the best pairing for adhesive tape is to have the most appropriate, dry and clean carton. This is a great place to start since it will ensure right off the bat that the packaging tape will stick well to the box.
Factors to watch for during application
Other than making sure the surface on which the tape will be applied to is dry and clean, there are other factors to consider during application. These are temperature of the room, pressure after applying and conditions of application have a great influence regarding a secure seal. Depending on what these conditions are, there is a tape that is made especially for it.
Tests to tell how sticky the adhesion is
There are many ways to tell if tape has superior quality adhesive. One of the ways is to test it on a steel place to compare the results between how it could stay stuck on carton. Something to note is that a high adhesion on steel only does not guarantee a permanent carton closure. The winning combination is the balanced interaction of the strength of the adhesion, tack and shear adhesion on the carton.
Another test that can analyze the quality of the adhesive is through rolling a steel ball on the tape. The shorter the distance the ball rolls, the better the tack. The takeaway from this test demonstrates that the adhesive binds itself very well to the carton fibers quickly.
Sheer adhesion is another great test to know the connection between the adhesive and carton. One end of the tape is stuck vertically on a piece of 100% recycled carton and the free end is tied to a weight. The longer the piece of tape stays stuck to the box, the better the adhesion.
The quality of the carton and the reset force of the flaps are other variables that should be considered when purchasing packaging tape. To tell if a carton is of superior quality, it should be cut well with clean folding and glued precisely. A standard test that is undertaken with packaging tape is overfilling a recycled box and placing it in a closed room for two days with a temperature of 40 degrees Celcius and a 40% air humidity. This is an important test since it is not uncommon to encounter these variables in real world scenarios.
When a box is being transported on its own, it can be common for the tape to start to unbind due to the stress of other packages placed on top of it if they are heavy. The determined breaking load is the force that is necessary to break an adhesive of a certain width.
