Flexible Solutions

Adhesive selection can be challenging, and it’s even more difficult in applications that generate heat like electronics, batteries, and more where the risk of fire is present. You can find many flame-retardant pressure sensitive adhesives on the market, but flame-retardant doesn’t necessarily mean halogen-free. So, if there are available options, why should you consider choosing a halogen-free tape?

Keep reading to see what classifies an adhesive as halogen-free, why you might consider a halogen-free tape in your next heat-generating application and learn more about some of the many halogen-free tapes available from tesa^®.

Not all sealing failures can be seen with the naked eye. Sometimes, subtle design oversights, improper installation, or even the application's environment if not planned for correctly can quietly undermine your enclosure’s performance. 

There's a lot more than just material selection goes into designing a successful enclosure. In this case study, we highlight how Marian and Rogers Corporation teamed up to solve a moisture intrusion issue in a digital intercom system after the original gasket designed by a competitor allowed a leak to damage internal electrical components and, ultimately, caused the devices to fail.

The blog on the Rogers website, What Good Sealing with the Right Partner Looks Like, and the video below walk through how the Marian team recommended materials that effectively sealed the touchscreen modules and also prevented the leaks that previously caused failure.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

While you might think pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are pretty straightforward, selecting the wrong for your enclosure application can create problems and compromise sealing performance long before final assembly takes place. 

Learn the key features of each adhesive type in latest blog on the Rogers website, How to Choose the Right PSA for Your Enclosure Components, and the video below to get an idea of which adhesives perform well in different situations. Once you have an understanding, you can start designing more reliable sealing components for your enclosure applications.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

In Part 2 of our gasket failure series, we shift from the discussion on material science & environmental factors to mechanical design & real-world installation. Even a high-performance gasket can fail due to poor geometry, fastener placement, uneven compression, lack of venting, or improper gasket placement altogether. 

Find the latest blog on the Rogers website, 6 Reasons Why Gaskets Fail: Design and Assembly, and the video below to start designing more reliable sealing components for your enclosure applications today.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

 

Even the best-sealed enclosure can fail if the gasket material isn’t up to the challenge.

They say every failure is a step toward success, but we say that failure can be completely avoided by asking the right questions and having a clear understanding of your application's use case.

Lucky for you, we've condensed the important information we've learned over the years to help you make sure your enclosure is properly design right from the start. Check out the latest blog on the Rogers website, 6 Reasons Why Gaskets Fail: Materials and Environment, and the video below to start designing more reliable sealing components for your enclosure applications today.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

From silicone to neoprene, each gasket material comes with trade-offs and will perform best in various situations, but how do you know which is best for your application and where should you start?

Have no fear, engineers! The Enclosure Institute™ has created a comprehensive guide on the Rogers website in the newest blog: Top 8 Sealing Material Options: How to Choose the Right One for Your Enclosure. 

This blog that breaks down the key differences in compression set resistance, temperature range, chemical compatibility, and cost across eight popular gasket options. With this guide and the Sealing Checklist Workbook (available exclusively to Enclosure Institute™ registrants), you're one step closer to sealing excellence.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

“If it doesn’t seal, it’s not really an enclosure.” This engineer-focused resource from the Enclosure Institute™, a collaboration between Rogers Corporation and Marian, Inc., highlights eight practical factors for designing effective, long-lasting gaskets and seals. You can read the full article on the Rogers website.

 

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

 

NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association), UL (Underwriters Laboratories), CSA (Canadian Standards Association), & IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)—if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by enclosure standards, our third blog from the Enclosure Institute™ is your go-to resource. 

With so many standards guiding performance, safety, and environmental protection, it can be difficult to know which ones truly matter for your application.  Whether you're designing for industrial environments, outdoor use, or specialized equipment, understanding these standards is critical—and easier than you think.

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

What exactly are enclosures—and why does sealing matter so much? In this foundational blog from the Enclosure Institute™, we break down the role of enclosures across a range of industries, from EV charging to medical devices. 

Sealing challenges can make or break the performance of an enclosure. That’s why Marian and Rogers Corporation have teamed up to launch the Enclosure Institute™ —a free educational series designed to help engineers tackle real-world sealing challenges with confidence. 

Digital displays are an integral part of modern vehicle dashboards, household appliances, consumer electronics, and more. In applications like thermostats, cell phones, smart watches, and vehicles, displays allow a simplified, interactive experience for users. To make these digital display assemblies, manufacturers require a variety of die-cut components that, when combined, come together to make an impressive display that provides extreme clarity and a user-friendly experience, which we highlight below.

EMI and RFI materials play an important role in preventing interference to devices with electronic components, and as technology continues advancing, the materials used in these applications must also support these advancements.

In the fast-paced world, electronics are now integrated into almost every aspect of human life. Solutions ensuring optimal performance and longevity are necessary to meet consumers’ expectations. Many converted electronic components are made using materials that address various challenges faced by electronics applications, including thermal management, electromagnetic interference (EMI), surface protection, and more.

As interest from consumers to purchase products that are sustainably sourced and manufactured grows, companies around the globe are modifying their practices to include measures and policies to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

What are Clean Rooms?

Cleanrooms are controlled environments designed to maintain low levels of airborne particles and contaminants. They are used in a wide range of industries where cleanliness is paramount, including medical, electronics, biotechnology, display, aerospace, and more.

The rapid advancement of the electric vehicle (EV) market is no secret, and to keep pace with this progress, OEMs seek cutting-edge thermal management solutions that perform well and come at a reasonable cost.

Combining Intricate Laminations to Create Multifunctional Parts

Electric vehicles (EVs) continue to experience a sharp growth trajectory, generating process advancements and additional application requirements and needs. Marian has developed improved solutions to meet the industry’s most critical necessities for battery longevity, performance, and passenger safety.

At Marian, we've developed and mastered numerous die cutting methods for manufacturing custom gaskets, seals, filters, vents, shields, thermal pads, etc. for our customers.

The Basics of the Rotary Die Cutting Process

Rotary die cutting is a common process used to manufacture simple two-dimensional labels, but rotary die cutting is used for more than just labels. Marian uses rotary die cutting to manufacture complex custom 3D components with multiple layers of differing geometries used in some of your favorite everyday products.

Many wound care device companies start with an innovative idea. Turning that idea into a mass-produced product can be extremely challenging. This concept is familiar to KitoTech Medical,a Seattle-based medical device company that develops wound care products. Kitotech was founded by Ronald Berenson, MD. Dr. Berenson is a serial entrepreneur with over 25 years in biotech and medical device industry. Marian is proud to call KitoTech Medical a valued customer.

There are many EMI shielding materials to choose from when determining how to effectively control EMI within an electronic device. In this post, we focus on die-cut foil tapes for EMI shielding. Foil tapes with conductive adhesive provide effective shielding properties as the thin foil layer ensures good electrical contact with the component surface. Let's take a look deeper at EMI and why foil tapes may be the best-suited material for your application. 

What is EMI and Why is it Important?

Electromagnetic interference is unwanted “noise” or interference in an electrical path or circuit caused by an outside source. EMI can be caused by natural or man-made sources and can cause electronics to malfunction or to completely stop working. Therefore, EMI shielding and grounding components are important pieces in the design of electronic devices. 

When designing a medical device, the device is the focus. It must be safe and effective. It also must be packaged!

Marian is a converter of thin, flexible materials. Most often, these materials are supplied to us in a large roll format, sometimes called “master rolls” or “log rolls”. The materials are typically on a hard-fiber or plastic core.

 As you can see on our Materials webpage, Marian converts a wide range of material types in a myriad of different thicknesses. These include pressure-sensitive adhesives and tapes, sponge and foam, rubber, plastic films of all sorts, filter fabrics, foils, and more.

 

Double coated foam tapes are a type of adhesive tape that is made of tacky adhesive coated on both sides of a foam core or carrier. DC foam tapes fill gaps and distribute stress uniformly over the bonded area. Depending on the specific tape, the result is a bond line that seals, cushions, and damps vibration, resists impact, withstands a wide temperature range, and provides good insulating qualities. Double-coated foam tapes are strong and durable.

The need for EMI gaskets is growing as more high-frequency digital electronics are introduced into our everyday lives. This includes technologies like 5G infrastructure, IOT (internet of things), and rapid advances in automobile technology and connectivity.

Thermal Runaway Propagation Prevention with Thermal Barrier Materials

Hybrid and battery electric vehicles that use lithium-ion cells require that these cells are maintained at specific ambient temperatures. "Thermal runaway" occurs as a result of the rapid rise in temperature within one of the battery cells. One of the greatest challenges for battery design engineers is to manage heat. For this reason, batteries are designed with thermal management systems, like thermal gap pads and thermally conductive tapes, that provide different levels of protection, including cell-to-cell, module-to-module, and pack level.

Marian provides custom flexible die cut solutions that are incorporated into battery design at the cell, module and pack level to aid with thermal management. These die-cut parts are made with high temperature resistant materials (also known as flame barrier materials) that are designed to offer thermal insulation to delay the onset of thermal runaway.

The majority of the die-cut parts manufactured by Marian include a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tape (PSA). PSA tape is thin flexible material coated with a thin layer of adhesive, making one or both sides sticky. By producing billions of adhesive-backed parts each year, it’s safe to say Marian has a lot of experience with this sticky stuff!

PSA tapes can come in various constructions, which offer different functionalities based on your application. There are double-coated tapes, single-coated tapes, and adhesive transfer tapes. Check out our blog post, Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Tape Constructions, to learn more about different tape constructions.

The first step is choosing the best PSA type and construction for your application (by the way, we can help with this! Download our ebook: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself when Selecting a PSA). An equally important step when utilizing a PSA in the assembly of your product, is the proper storage and proper application of the PSA. Missteps when storing and applying your PSA can lead to product failure.

Editor's note: As of 2024, 3M Healthcare is now a standalone company, Solventum. You can find more about the spin-off and how Marian is a Solventum Premier Converter here.

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One of our top material suppliers, 3M, recently announced the release of their next generation of medical silicone adhesives, 3M Hi-Tack Silicone Adhesive Tapes. 3M 2480 is the first product to launch in this new portfolio. It is a single coated medical nonwoven tape with hi-tack silicone adhesive on a liner. The benefits of this exciting new material include:

• Longer wear-times (up to 4 days)
• Supports heavier devices
• Offers more secure adhesion
• Repositionable

Read the full press release from 3M here.

Editor's note: As of 2024, 3M Healthcare is now a standalone company, Solventum. You can find more about the spin-off and how Marian is a Solventum Premier Converter here.

In the 1960s, Dupont™ developed the versatile and high-performing Kapton^® Polyimide Film. Since its introduction, designers have relied on Kapton^® film because of its ability to maintain its electrical, thermal, chemical and mechanical properties at extreme temperatures. Kapton^® polyimide films have been used in many advanced markets including, electronic devices, electric vehicle battery, aerospace systems, power transformers, and more.

Pull-tabs, extended liners and split liners are assembly aids. They make the process of removing the liner from a die-cut adhesive part much easier. When you work with Marian, we keep your manufacturing and assembly process in mind as we develop the solution. Our goal is to make things easier for you, saving you labor and time spent during assembly, placement, or manufacturing. Once we understand how our part will be assembled into your product, we can often offer a variety of solutions. These solutions can include (but are not limited to):

• Part orientation / spacing on the liner
• Final packaging:
  • Kiss-cut to a liner and wound onto a roll
  • Singulated parts
  • Kiss-cut to sheets
  • Perforated liner
• Modifications to the carrier liner for fixturing
• Pull-tabs, extended liners, split liners

In this blog post, we are going to focus on pull-tabs, extended liners, and split liners.

Silicone rubber materials and some plastic films have chemically inert and non-porous surfaces, which equates to low surface energy. This means they have a weak molecular bonding force making it difficult to create a bond with many pressure sensitive adhesives.

Thermal gap pads are one common type of thermal management materials and are utilized in electronic devices within the interface, or gap, between a heat generating component and a heat sink. The heat sink or cooling plate is designed to conduct heat away from the heat generating component to keep it cool and running safely.

According to Parker Chomerics Thermal Management Engineering Handbook, the typical contact area between most semiconductors and heat sinks can be made up of 90% air voids! We also know that air is about 200 times less conductive than a 5 W/mK thermal interface pad. This is where the thermal gap pad comes in.

Thermal gap pads are made of soft polymer that flows into the air gaps in the interface to aid in the more efficient and effective conduction of heat.

Point-of-care and rapid diagnostic testing are increasingly important in the areas of disease detection, treatment monitoring, and preventative care. This market gained significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since become popular in helping patients diagnose other conditions from the comfort of their own home including variations of influenza and more.

It's imperative that components of these devices and test kits are reliable and of the highest quality, so material selection, precise manufacturing, and proper packaging are all extremely important.

Per the Rogers Corporation Website, Rogers “BISCO^® HT-800 Medium Cellular Silicone offers the lightness of foam with the enhanced sealing capabilities of sponge rubber.” In this post, we'll dive a little deeper into this excellent material.

Silicone Rubber, a "Low Surface Energy" Elastomer - What Does This Mean?

Silicone is a high-performance elastomer with the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, both high and low. It also naturally repels, which makes it an excellent choice for a water seal or a moisture barrier. However, this also makes silicone tricky to bond to other surfaces.

IP Rated Enclosures: Venting Solutions

Sensors, controllers, and other electronic elements are being integrated into devices across virtually every industry. Many of these products are made for use in conditions where they may be exposed to extreme temperatures, rain, wind, dust, and moisture. (See application story about "smart" shipping pallets linked at the bottom of this post.) Designing such products requires that the container or enclosure holding the electronic components be completely sealed. Exposure to harsh elements could cause a product failure. 

Custom Die-cut Parts for Automated Assembly

Among numerous assembly options, automated assembly is often the method of choice for many of our customers. Automated placement is used for projects with very high volumes where precise placement is critical. Automated assembly can also significantly increase assembly speed and efficiency.

Marian designs and manufactures custom components to fit seamlessly into our customers’ automated assembly process. We can modify many different aspects of the final part and packaging from liner type, part spacing and orientation, and quantity of parts per roll.  

Improvements are being made to the lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. Auto makers are developing more powerful lithium-ion batteries that have increased range and charge more rapidly. Along with these improvements, enhancing safety has becoming increasingly urgent for electric vehicle development.

As mentioned in our previous blog post, 11 Considerations when Selecting Thermal Interface Materials for Electric Vehicle Li-Ion Batteries, Li-ion batteries produce a significant amount of heat while in use and while charging. Along with the use of thermal management materials, placing protective engineered flame-retardant insulating materials between the components of the battery cell, module, and pack can offer additional thermal and electrical insulating protection. However, adding such materials can be challenging due to space and weight constraints.

In this post, we outline four materials that can enhance the safety of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. Some shared characteristics of these four materials are listed below. 

• ultra-thin
• lightweight
• electrically and thermally insulating
• flame retardant
• can be die-cut and laminated with PSA

Read further for additional detail about each material.

 

Prototypes are typically produced in relatively small quantities and used by our customers to verify design, evaluate material choices, and build prototypes of their assembly.

Paint masking can be a tedious process. When masking an area with precision and over-masking is unacceptable, custom die-cut masks prove to be the best solution. Die-cut masks are pre-cut pieces of masking tape that are made to the exact size and shape of the surface area in need of masking. This video shows a direct comparison of the masking process with strips/knife versus masking with a die-cut part with a split liner. You'll see this demonstration proves that masking with a custom die-cut is easier, faster, more accurate, and safer. 

Materials for Battery Solutions - PORON EVExtend^®

One of our preferred material supplier, Rogers Corporation, has released PORON EVExtend^® polyurethane foam material. This material is ideal for battery pads for EV/HEV li-ion pouch cell batteries. The EXExtend 4701-43HBF offers an increased flammability rating of HBF, or HF1 (product dependent). 

From Locations Across the World, Marian Delivers a Successful Solution to HumanWare 

It's difficult to prove the true value of working with a company that has a large global footprint. This application story demonstrates how Marian's global footprint paired with quick action by our material experts resulted in an effective solution for HumanWare, who was on a tight timeline.

In just 7 days from initial contact, Marian was able to work through the design and material selection processes, rapidly manufacture prototypes, and deliver a preliminary order of die-cut parts. Keep reading to learn more.

11 Considerations When Selecting Thermal Interface Materials for Electric Vehicle Li-ion Battery

Currently, lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries are the most common type of battery used to power electric vehicles. Today's market is demanding that batteries charge faster and last longer. Because li-ion batteries produce significant heat when in use and charging, thermal management is critical. Excessive heat can cause irreparable damage to the battery. 

Technological advances in properties of soft, flexible foam and elastomeric materials have continued. These thick, soft, flexible foams and elastomers like PORON foam, silicone foam, and more are ideal materials for sealing, gasketing and cushioning across many industries and applications.

They compress, form to irregular surfaces, bend, and flex within an application without damage or delamination, but from the perspective of the converter, these materials may also introduce challenges when trying to achieve the tight dimensional tolerances common in metal and plastic-molded parts.

Masking can seem like a "simple" process that is often accomplished with masking tape slit to common widths and applied by hand to protect surfaces from paint, contamination, or damage. Similar to surface protection tapes, masking materials are often discarded long before the final product reaches the customer. So what benefits are seen by changing from rolls of tape to die-cuts specific for your application?

Marian recently hosted a 30-minute webinar with tesa® that discussed many of their surface protection films and tapes, including key features, and the benefits your company can see by implementing die-cuts into your processes and final products. Watch our webinar, and as an added bonus, request and speak with one of our material experts.

Changes in altitude, humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure can cause the internal pressure of a sealed enclosure to increase or decrease significantly. Engineers integrate vents into the design of their enclosures to equalize the pressure and prevent problems such as condensation (and shorting of electronics), fogging, discoloration, leaks (failure of the seal), and other failures. Learn how the help of protective vents can keep these issues from arising.