Flexible Solutions

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 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.

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.

When designing a wearable device that will be attached to the human body, selecting the most appropriate stick-to-skin adhesive is a very important part of the design process, and Marian can help. If you take two things away from this article, they should be the following:

1. Think about material selection early in the wearable device design process.

2. Involve your material converter early in the wearable device design process.

Material converters, like Marian, can be an invaluable resource as you begin to make decisions about your design, including choosing the stick-to-skin adhesive materials.

Point-of-care and rapid diagnostic testing are increasingly important in the areas of disease detection, treatment monitoring, and preventative care. This market is particularly important as the world faces the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative that components of these devices and test kits are reliable and of the highest quality.