Manufacturers are now finding that structural adhesive tapes can save them both time and money. Environmentally-friendly, durable, and strong, structural tapes are one of the best replacements for traditional mechanical fasteners and mechanical bonding. Bolts, welding, and other methods of conventional fastening are more expensive and more likely to fail, for a few very clear reasons.

Structural Adhesive Tapes Reduce Distortion and Fatigue

One of the major issues with mechanical fasteners has to do with wear. Over time, metal fasteners will distort, tear, and fatigue. When this happens, it’s often not just the fasteners themselves that need to be replaced; there is also associated damage to the attached materials. The very act of welding can potentially damage structural elements, as it introduces physical changes and heat distortion. In order to reduce potential wear and fatigue, more mechanical fasteners than are necessary are often introduced, and this can inflate the cost of a project as well as the project time. Altogether, mechanical fasteners can be inefficient and unpredictable. Comparatively, adhesive fasteners are able to dampen structural forces such as vibrations, thereby reducing wear on the surrounding materials. As a flexible material, adhesive fasteners do not permanently warp, distort, or wear; instead they are able to move with the structure to provide strong adhesion without the potential for damage. Structural adhesive tapes do not impact the structural integrity of other materials, because they do not require heating, cutting, or other damaging processes. Overall, this makes them a superior and safer product.

Structural Adhesive Tapes Are Faster and Easier to Install

Structural adhesive tapes can substantially reduce installation and maintenance time. With an adhesive bond, the tape simply needs to be applied to the materials and then and light pressure applied as it is put into place. For the most part, most adhesive tapes bond very quickly, allowing the installers to move on to other parts of the structure. Mechanical bonds comparatively take much longer, as welding, bolting, and other physical and precise activities have to be completed. This also involves large amounts of equipment, which are going to require training to use and which could potentially cause hazards if used improperly. In terms of a project, adhesive tapes make the installation and maintenance faster and easier, thereby reducing the cost of the entire project as well as reducing the risk of potential delays. By limiting the amount of safety concerns involved in the installation process, tapes make it less likely that anything could occur that would be detrimental, financially damaging, or time consuming.

Structural Adhesive Tapes are Lightweight

Many projects are looking for ways to improve efficiency. Structural adhesives do this in two ways: they both reduce the weight of a project and they increase the project’s sustainability. Compared to mechanical fasteners, structural tape is far lighter. This means that projects can be built with reduced loads and that the project overall will be easier to construct. There will be fewer materials shipped by weight and the project itself will require fewer materials. Structural adhesive tapes are superior to mechanical welds in many ways. They are easy to install and naturally create a seal. If you’re interested in any specialty tapes for your next product, check out Tom Brown Inc’s inventory of specialty tape products and adhesives.