Regardless of weight, size, and shape, signage has one specific thing in common—its structural integrity is always top priority. Reliability, durability, and strength are crucial.
The use of technical tapes throughout the sign industry is a well-known and accepted practice and thanks to tapes such as 3M VHB (very high bond tape), the most complex of designs are now achievable.
The 3M VHB range provides a strong alternative to mechanical fasteners such as rivets, bolts, screws, and welding. This is because of their high strength, shock absorbing abilities, and their ability to distribute stress evenly.
Last year, 3M launched the latest addition to the 3M VHB family, the GPH Series. The next generation VHB tapes have been designed for bonding product parts with precision, ease, reliability, and strength.
3M GPH has quite simply become a runaway success, its high initial grab and multi-material bonding capability makes it stand out from the crowd”
After a good year of offering the product to some of our loyal sign and design customers, what are our thoughts?
Steven Michaels, technical manager, says: “3M GPH has quite simply become a runaway success, its high initial grab and multi material bonding capability makes it stand out from the crowd. The ability to bond metals with ease and then go through a powder coating operation are pretty unique, it solves a lot of problems for our customers.”
The GPH series offers a range of benefits to sign industry professionals, including:
•Enabling excellent stress dissipation and gap filling due to it being made from grey conformable double coated acrylic foam.
•Instant adhesion to many different substrates such as metals, glass, ABS plastics and Polycarbonates, and some powder coat paints to name but a few.
•It has increased initial tack over the existing VHB tapes.
•It is a solution to many multi-material bonding challenges (i.e. Acrylic to metal)
•High temperature resistance. Its strong bond to substrates like metal, partnered with its short-term high temperature resistance (up to 230°c) makes it perfect for applications such as pre-bonding of metal-metal which will then go through a powder coat paint process.
•The tapes are used in many bonding applications, both indoor and outdoor, and they are often selected as an alternative to liquid adhesives and mechanical fasteners.
•Cost, time, and space saving benefits as opposed to mechanical fastening.
First Stop Packaging supplies a range of tapes, adhesives, and packaging including the 3M ranges.