Use packing tape correctly

For almost 80 years, warehouses and logistics, shipping, production, offices and households would be unthinkable without it. Its career began as a “container for rolls of adhesive tape with dry adhesive“: we’re talking about adhesive tape! After the name Tesa was originally given to a toothpaste and even a sausage pellet, Beiersdorf applied for the patent for the transparent adhesive roll and the accompanying table dispenser in 1935. This is the beginning of an indescribable triumphant advance of adhesive tape, the areas of application are almost inexhaustible: as insect traps, warning tapes to mark stair treads, double-sided adhesive strips to hang up posters and even entire shelves – adhesive is used for all it’s worth. And indeed: it holds!

The right type of closure

When adhesive tape is used for packaging purposes, it is referred to as packing tape. For us as a packaging mail order company, the focus is clearly on sealing cartons. The still common opinion is: a lot helps a lot! Often the package is literally wrapped in tape. A material consumption that is often not justified. We will show you three types of closure that you can use to securely seal your parcels with the minimum amount of material:

Which packing tape for what

Of course, it is not only the type of closure that plays a decisive role, but especially the choice of the right packaging tape. Which carton quality is sealed with the tape, what is the weight of the packaged goods? What climatic conditions is the tape exposed to (particularly interesting in deep-freeze areas or when exporting to tropical countries)? Does the unwinding behaviour and the unwinding noise play a role (there are indeed tapes that unwind easily and tapes that unwind with difficulty or tapes that unwind loudly or quietly!) The overview makes it easier to choose the right tape:

Application and storage

Adhesive tapes should be applied at a temperature of at least 10 °C. The surface should be clean and dry. With PP packing tapes, stretching should be avoided, otherwise the packing tape may peel off. We recommend storing adhesive tapes for a maximum of 6 months at a temperature of between 18 and 25 °C. If this is not possible, simply store the packaging tapes at room temperature for 24 hours before use. Low-noise packaging tapes can even be stored for up to 1 year and wet adhesive tapes can also be stored for several years, protected from light and dust.

By the way: Tesa is now often used as a synonym for adhesive tapes. If the brand name of a product gradually replaces the generic name, it is called a generic brand. Other famous examples: Plexiglas, Edding, hairdryer, chapstick…