Surface Energy Follow-Up

"I read a post you had on here a while back. You talked about surface energy and what kinds of adhesives work the best with different substrates. I am looking for something that will need to adhere to polyester. Does polyester have high surface energy? Where can I find a list of different substrates and their surface energies?"

Polyester has a surface energy between 42 and 50 dynes per centimeter. This is in the between high surface energy and medium surface energy.

There are many places you can go to find simple charts that give you an idea of the surface energies of some basic substrates. 3M has a web page on their Corporate website that goes through surface energy and has various charts on different substrates.

To view this chart or read more about surface energy, visit 3M.com

Finding the Right Tape For Specific Applications

"I am having a hard time finding exactly the right product for my application. I've consulted multiple suppliers and distributors with no luck. Can you point me in the right direction?"

Many companies source products from distributors and other suppliers, thinking they can only choose from a list of products. Without knowing your specific application it is difficult to provide you with a specific company to contact. However, you may want to consider using a converter or suggesting your distribution partner or supplier contact one instead.

When sourcing a product for a specific application, many think that they must choose between a select list of options. However, an experienced converter can help create exactly the product you need in the optimal form.

The benefits of a converter go beyond sizes and shapes. A converter can also laminate your product to different liners, use specific adhesives, treat your material,print something customized on your liner and much more.

One of the largest tape databases in the world can be found at TapeInfo.com. This might be a good place to start. As mentioned before, if you don't see exactly what you need or need help finding it, try contacting a converter.