Acrylic foam tape bonds variety of plastics to multiple substrates

An acrylic foam tape can be used to attach automotive exterior trim parts such as body side moldings and claddings to a variety of materials and substrates without the need for a primer. Supplied by 3M (Minneapolis, MN), PX5000 Series acrylic tape reportedly boasts excellent, high temperature adhesion power to low surface energy (LSE) and medium surface energy (MSE) plastics - including thermoplastic olefin (TPO), polypropylene (PP) and PP/ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber - as well as to medium-to-difficult automotive clear coat systems, without the need for an adhesion promoter or other surface pre-treatment methods.

Acrylic tape can be used to bond plastics to substrates with clear coats.

"3M is the original innovator of acrylic foam tapes, so our spirit of invention and our dedication to continuous improvement in this area is second to none," said Ronald Pletz, Global Business Development Manager, 3M Automotive Division. "The new PX5000 primerless tape expands the types of applications and substrates that we can offer a solution for, and it comes with the unsurpassed level of 3M support and industry expertise that our customers know they can count on."

The PX5000 tape series has a unique foam core that provides stress relaxation when high application loads are encountered. It is reportedly an ideal solution for automotive manufacturers concerned with the cost, quality, worker health and environmental issues that come with using products that require a primer.

The tape is also said to be less sensitive to cold temperatures than other tapes, making it suitable for the just-in-time business model used by many automotive manufacturers. The high-performance adhesive on both sides of the tape offers process flexibility in die-cutting operations.