What is Zone Tape?
Zone Tape is typically manufactured from PTFE-coated glass fabric, with adhesive applied along the outer sections of the tape and an adhesive-free area through the centre.
The adhesive sections secure the tape to the equipment, while the central PTFE surface sits over the heating element.
This construction combines the excellent release and temperature-resistant properties of PTFE with secure fixing exactly where it is required.
Designed for Heat-Sealing Equipment
Zone Tapes are widely used on impulse sealers and other heat-sealing machinery, particularly where a ribbon or wire heating element needs to be protected by a non-stick PTFE surface.
The adhesive-free zone helps prevent adhesive from coming into direct contact with the heating element, where it could otherwise soften, degrade or build up during repeated heating cycles.
Typical applications include:
Improved Release and Cleaner Sealing
The PTFE surface provides excellent non-stick properties, helping heated plastic film release cleanly from the sealing area.
Keeping adhesive away from the active heating zone can also help to:
For high-volume packaging operations, these benefits can contribute to more reliable production and reduced downtime.
Custom Zoned Construction
Different sealing machines require different tape and heating-element dimensions.
For example, a wide tape may have adhesive strips running along each edge with a defined adhesive-free section positioned directly over the heating element.
This allows the finished tape to be manufactured around the requirements of the machine rather than requiring the customer to adapt a standard tape.
Teastech can manufacture Zone Tapes to suit the individual equipment, including control over:
PTFE Performance
PTFE-coated glass fabrics are particularly suited to heat-sealing applications because they combine:
The appropriate PTFE construction can be selected according to the operating temperature, equipment design and required service life.
Fabricated by Teastech
Teastech combines specialist material knowledge with in-house slitting and fabrication capabilities, allowing Zone Tapes to be manufactured to customer-specific requirements.
Where the product is required on an ongoing basis, an agreed specification can be established to provide consistent dimensions and construction from one production run to the next.
We can also advise whether a Zone Tape, conventional slit PTFE tape or another fabricated release material is the most appropriate solution for the application.