Tag: Tape and Adhesives

Engineers know that bringing a new medical device to market is incredibly complex. Product performance, user comfort and regulatory concerns all need to be accounted for during product development. The adhesive solution you use will also impact all of these areas. So, you’ll need to consult with adhesives experts and choose carefully. To arm you with the information you need to speed up the development process, let’s explore some of the most common adhesive tapes used for medical device manufacturing.

Solvent-based adhesive tapes

Solvent-based adhesives are created using a combination of a solvent and a polymer like acrylic or silicone. When paired with a substrate to form a solvent-based adhesive tape, these solutions can feature a range of bonding times to meet your specific application or manufacturing needs. Solvent-based tapes are also generally more resistant to heat and chemicals than water-based adhesive solutions.

Solvent-based adhesives typically contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are regulated to various degrees by governments across the globe. This may mean you have less flexibility from a compliance standpoint if you choose to work with these types of adhesives. You will also have to consider the business case and which markets you plan to sell into during the product development process.

Some other features of solvent-based tapes include:

• Typically cost more to produce than water-based adhesive tapes
• Good at bonding to substrates that are contaminated with oil
• The best property retention of all PSAs in most conditions
• Gains bond strength when adhesive is fully cured (usually 72 hours after applying)

UV-cured tapes

As their name implies, UV-cured tapes use pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) that have been cured under UV light to alter their properties. Engineers often choose these tapes for applications where high-temperature stability and solvent resistance is needed. These qualities make UV-cured tapes well-suited for stick-to-skin applications like transdermal patches where moisture from sweat or other bodily fluids may come into contact with the device.

There are different grades of UV-cured tape, and medical grade UV-cured tape is available that complies with Biocompatibility 10993 and other regulations. Some manufacturers choose to work with UV-cured tapes because they generally emit fewer VOCs, which makes it easier to meet regulatory guidelines and get products into market faster.

Some other features of UV-cured tapes include:

• UV curing at low temperatures is less harmful to heat-sensitive substrate materials
• Very resistant to solvents, moisture and high temperatures
• Reduced emissions of VOCs for an easier regulatory approval process

Water-based or emulsion-based adhesive tapes

Water-based adhesive tapes, sometimes referred to as emulsion-based tapes, are similar to solvent-based tapes, but use water to dissolve adhesive polymers instead of another solution. This can make them more economical while also avoiding some of the highly regulated chemicals that are associated with solvent-based adhesives. Because the adhesive polymers used in these types of tape are soluble in water, any medical device constructed using water-based tape will not provide good moisture resistance.

Water-based adhesives bond when the water in the formulation evaporates, leaving only the substrates bonded together. This is why they are often used with porous substrates and are typically better for short-term uses like hydrocolloids and ECG applications. Tapes made with acrylic or rubber-based emulsions will offer better balance between peel, shear and tack.

Some other features of water-based tapes include:

• Generally less expensive to produce than solvent-based tapes
• Less resistant to moisture
• More environmentally friendly

Choosing the right tape for your application

Adhesive selection is a critical part of medical device development because of the impact it can have on both the performance and manufacturing of your device. Consider working with an adhesives expert that can offer detailed insights on your various tape options. A tape converting partner like The Tape Lab can help speed the product development process and ensure the adhesives you select are on spec and ideally suited for your unique application.

Looking for assistance designing or developing your next medical device? Contact The Tape Lab to see how our tape converting services can help you create the ideal product for your application.

Problems in the global supply chain have made it difficult for many manufacturers to get the adhesive materials and components they need. This has led to delays in production and product rollouts for some, and experts predict these problems will continue for the foreseeable future. So, manufacturers need to find ways to overcome these types of challenges. While you can’t control the supply chain, you can design products and organize your production processes and partnerships to avoid the worst impacts of supply chain disruption. Here are a few things to consider that can help future-proof your operation.

Designing for flexibility

The design and materials used to create your products will ultimately dictate how vulnerable you are to supply chain disruption. The more difficult the materials are to source, the harder it may be to maintain production timelines. However, during the current market disruption, commodity materials have been particularly difficult to come by. So, it’s not about choosing one type of material over another.

In the end, best practice is to design products with material flexibility, so you have redundancy in your material choices. At The Tape Lab, we always design adhesive solutions with tolerance in mind so that we can substitute materials if there are issues in the supply chain. If you can anticipate supply chain problems early on and make materials flexibility a tenet of your product development methodology, you will be better positioned to withstand widespread disruption.

The power of a one-stop shop

Limiting the number of partners involved in designing and producing your products can also help mitigate supply chain woes. By working with a single or limited set of partners, you create fewer links in your own production chain and limit opportunities for friction. Fewer handoffs of products and materials will also limit the cost and impact of transportation and logistics.

Consider a tape converter like The Tape Lab that offers a wide range of services to create a one-stop shop for adhesive-converting needs. We can formulate solutions, test and validate materials selections, convert adhesive materials and even package your products all under one roof. This helps our partners reach project milestones faster and simplifies the entire production process. To beat supply chain problems, consider working with partners that can offer the comprehensive services needed to streamline product development and commercial production.

Evaluating your partners’ partners

Speaking of partnerships, you should also consider who your partners work with, particularly when it comes to sourcing materials. Manufacturers need a converting partner that can source materials from a variety of suppliers while leaning on partnerships with trusted, reliable brands. This will give your operation greater flexibility when disruption hits.

For example, The Tape Lab works with Preferred 3M Converters, leveraging a deep relationship with one of the industry’s leading suppliers to source premium materials for our partners. But we also work with smaller tape, film and foam OEMs to give us added flexibility so we can mitigate supply issues. This combination of suppliers allows us to reliably source the materials our partners need and find alternative solutions should problems arise. In evaluating your current partnerships, make sure any third party you rely on to source raw materials has a deep bench of suppliers so you can avoid issues and keep production on schedule.

Building for the future

If the experts are correct, the global supply chain may not be back to “normal” for several years. Therefore, manufacturers need to think about disruption not in terms of solving an acute, short-term problem, but how you can build your organization to withstand this kind of volatility. Flexible design, materials selection and strong manufacturing partnerships can help alleviate many of the worst impacts of supply chain disruption. By prioritizing flexibility and redundancy during design and production, and by working with partners that offer a complete suite of services, you can create a manufacturing operation capable of outlasting any storm.

Need assistance on a project? Contact The Tape Lab and see how our tape converting solutions can help streamline product development and production for your organization.