Imagine trying to stick a piece of tape onto a surface that is covered in oil or grease.
The tape won’t adhere properly because it cannot form a strong bond with the surface. In the same way, when you try to seal a box with tape, there may be factors that prevent the tape from sticking, such as a dirty or dusty box, improper tension in the tape gun, or adverse weather conditions.
Just like cleaning the surface before applying tape, addressing these factors can help ensure that your tape will stick to the box and securely seal it.
Why is my packing tape not sticking?
- Check to see the amount of recycled content on the box. You may need to use a hot melt or natural rubber adhesive tape.
- Check to see if there is debris or dust on the box.
- Check the tension on your tape gun.
- Be mindful of the weather and extreme conditions.
You can learn how you can use the right tapes to ensure your boxes are 100% secured. Click below.
The Guide to Getting Your Packing Tape to Stick Properly
Packing tape is a crucial component in the shipping process.
It helps keep boxes closed and protects the contents inside. However, it’s not uncommon to encounter problems with tape not sticking to boxes properly. This can lead to frustration and increased costs in the long run. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the common reasons why packing tape isn’t sticking and provide tips to overcome these challenges.
Pressure Sensitivity
The first and most common problem is that people forget that carton sealing tape is actually pressure-sensitive tape.
This means that when you’re taping up a box, it always helps to swipe it on top. This ensures that the bond between the adhesive and the corrugated material is stronger. If you don’t apply enough pressure, the tape won’t stick as well.
What Type of Box Are You Using?
Another factor to consider is the composition of the box you’re using. If the box has a high content of recycled materials, there may be fewer fibers for the adhesive to stick to. This can result in the tape not sticking well or even popping open. In this case, switching to a hot melt or natural rubber adhesive tape might solve the problem.
Dirty or dusty boxes can also be an issue. If you leave your boxes in the warehouse or storage area, they are more likely to get dusty. This layer of dust on the box can make it difficult for the adhesive to grab onto the surface, leading to pop-ups on the tape. Cleaning the boxes before taping them up can solve this problem.
Tape Gun Tension
The tension of your tape gun is another factor to consider. If the tension is too tight or too loose, your tape won’t apply properly. Make sure to adjust the tension to ensure that the tape is applied evenly.
How is the Weather?
Finally, weather can also play a role in tape performance. If you’re using hot melt tape and it’s extremely cold outside, the tape won’t stick well. On the other hand, if you’re using an acrylic tape and it’s hot out, it won’t stick well either. Make sure to take the weather into consideration when choosing the right tape for your needs.
How Much Money Am I Losing Out On?
Let’s use a very basic hypothetical example:
Let’s say your company has a shipment error rate of 5% where boxes pop open as a result of tape that doesn’t stick, and each product costs $100, then in a month with 1000 shipments, your company could potentially lose $5,000. This is calculated as follows:
1000 shipments x 5% error rate = 50 shipments with errors 50 shipments with errors x $100 per product = $5,000 in potential losses.
In conclusion, there are several reasons why packing tape may not stick to your boxes properly. However, by considering these factors and making the necessary adjustments, you can improve the performance of your tape and protect your packages during shipping.
Video Transcript:
Hi, everyone. Ricky Chu from Chu’s Packaging Supplies here. The most common question we get asked by customers is why their carton sealing tape isn’t sticking. There are quite a few reasons to look at it for this problem. And I could probably talk about this for hours, but unfortunately we only have a couple of minutes.
One thing that gets overlooked is that carton sealing tape is actually pressure sensitive tape so that means when you’re taping up a box like this, it always helps to swipe it on top. That way the bond of that adhesive and the corrugated, it gets really stuck together. Another thing to look at is whether or not the box you’re using has a lot of recycled content.
The more recycled content a box has. That means there’s less fibers for the, adhesive of the tape to stick to. So you might want to think about switching to a hot melt or even a natural rubber adhesive tape. You can also look to see if your box is dirty or dusty. If you leave your boxes in the warehouse,
there’s a very high chance that your boxes will get dusty. With that layer of dust on your box, it’s very hard for adhesive to grab onto. So you’ll probably see a lot of pop-ups on your tape. The last two things actually referenced our previous videos. First is the tension of your tape gun. If it’s too tight or too loose, your tape won’t apply to stick properly.
Finally, you have to factor weather into the equation. If you’re using hot melt tape and it’s extremely cold outside, it’s not going to stick well. If using an acrylic tape and it’s hot out, then it’s not going to stick well either. So you really have to look at all these different factors. For more information on our carton sealing tape,
please visit our website at www.chuspkg.com.
