ACRYLIC AND HOT MELT TAPE: WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Making sure cartons are securely shut in transit is essential to smoothly delivering products to your customers. Likewise, cartons in long-term storage must have strong adhesion to ensure the contents are secure. You’ll want to seal the carton with a tape that is not going to come loose or break.

GPG offers acrylic and hot melt tape to secure your cartons. Each has its own advantages depending on your climate, conditions and needs.

Hot melt tape has a quick tack property that will help the carton stay closed when the cartons are dirty and dusty, and in temperatures between 35 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Its best use is for shipping and storage, and can be applied by machine or by hand.

Hot melt tape has a higher shear, or holding power, on fiberboard than acrylic tape, and can withstand a lot of pressure in storage situations. This tape allows for better use on rigid, corrugated cartons that are double-walled and have heavy memory, as well as overstuffed or under-filled boxes.

Hot melt, however, does not have a good shelf-life when it comes to storage rather than shipping. Acrylic tape, though, is good for long-term storage situations in extreme temperatures, such as refrigerated or freezer storage, or up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Acrylic tape may maintain a seal for more than three years, making it ideal for long-term storage.

Acrylic tape is also less likely to oxidize and yellow with age, even in direct sunlight. Hot melt tape is considered to only have a fair resistance to UV light, though. Though both are affordable in bulk, acrylic tape is slightly cheaper than hot melt tape, so if you are able to apply the tape by hand, and don’t have overstuffed or rigid cartons, acrylic is your best bet.

Whatever your needs call for, GPG can provide rolls of acrylic and hot melt tape to your company in bulk with quick turnaround at the lowest prices in the region. Give us a call at 404-361-5500 today for more information.