What Is Water Activated Tape?
With competitive price and timely delivery, Dewangtai sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.
Water Activated Tape (WAT) is a paper-based tape with an adhesive that is dry to the touch until activated by water. Water turns the dried adhesive into a tacky, fluidic adhesive that is designed to adhere to corrugated boxes. Unlike some other tapes in the packaging market, water activated tape has a singular focus – secure closure of corrugated boxes.
Water Activated Tape is available in reinforced and non-reinforced varieties. The reinforced product is strengthened by reinforcement fibers traditionally made of fiberglass or polyester. The addition of reinforcement enhances the durability of the tape closure and is ideal for boxes bound for parcel shipping. The reinforcement is sandwiched between two sheets of kraft paper along with a laminate adhesive, thus fully encapsulating the reinforcing filament.
Non-reinforced water activated tape does not have any reinforcement fibers and therefore does not have the same level of durability as reinforced tape. However, non-reinforced tape has some advantages including cost and environmental benefits. The most common applications for non-reinforced tape are lightweight boxes and packages that are unitized on pallets, not bound for individual parcel shipping.
What separates Water Activated Tape from other packaging tapes, both the non-reinforced and reinforced grades, is the adhesive migrates into the fibers of the corrugated box. Once the adhesive dries – within 5-7 seconds – the adhesive has fused the tape and box together. The only way to remove the tape is to destroy the seal; leaving behind a tamper evident footprint that the box has been intentionally opened.
Water Activated Tape is sold in roll form. There are several roll sizes that are popular with the most popular domestic US size being 72mm (2.83 IN) wide, 137m (450 FT) long. The rolls are packaged in corrugated boxes and for the 72mm x 137m roll size there are 10 rolls per box. Higher volume users often elect to purchase tape in longer length rolls to reduce the number of roll changes, increasing packaging station productivity. 500 FT, 600 FT, and even FT rolls are all common roll lengths in the water activated tape market.
Why is water activated tape used? Who uses it?
There are many reasons why water activated tape has seen a resurgence in popularity. The driving force of the popularity is the growing demand for parcel shipping. The eCommerce revolution has made it easier for customers to order the goods they desire and receive the items directly to their front door. For the vendors, the eCommerce model has allowed for a cost-effective sales model without the expenses of store fronts and other associated overhead costs.
Water activated tape is ideal for eCommerce shippers. Here are the reasons why:
Reinforced Water Activated Tape is an environmentally friendly product, especially when compared to plastic pressure sensitive tape. The majority of the product’s construction is made from renewable resources. Reinforced tape, by itself, is not recyclable. Non-Reinforced water activated tape is curbside recyclable.
Reinforced water activated tape is made of 4 basic components.
In the application of the tape to a box, the tape is a small percentage of the overall weight of the box. The curbside recyclable standards that we are aware of call for 80% of the overall mass must be recoverable in the recycling process in order to be considered recyclable. The laminate and fiberglass are a very small percentage of the overall weight of the overall box – probably 1% or less of the weight. Therefore, in its application, it is possible reinforced water activated tape can be considered recyclable.
A roll of tape on its own would not pass this standard as the weight of the laminate and fiberglass would exceed 20% of the overall mass of the tape roll. However, rolls of tape are not showing up in the recycling stream normally. The tape is intended to be adhered to a corrugated carton and in that application, curbside recyclability standards should be met.
Holland Manufacturing does not have current 3rd party testing to verify this hypothesis as most testing services will only test the product itself. Holland is currently engaged in development work to see how best to further reduce environmental impact of reinforced WAT.
Non-reinforced water activated tape is recyclable, repulpable, and bio-degradable. One could argue that non-reinforced WAT is the most environmentally friendly carton closure product.
The paper used in Holland’s WAT products is 100% virgin fiber based for strength and performance reasons. All sources of kraft paper used by Holland are in compliance with SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) Standards.
Adding Your Branding
As mentioned previously, the opportunity to brand water activated tape provides packagers with a cost-effective method to engage customers. An undeniable factor is that when a customer opens a package sealed with water activated tape, they are forced to look at the tape. Custom printed water activated tape provides an opportunity to share a message, promotion, new product detail, cross-selling offer, and countless other options to make an impression on a customer you are already selling to.
At Holland Manufacturing, we custom print water activated tape with all types of designs and objectives for our customers. Over the years, we have seen what works and what looks makes the biggest impact. In short, we recommend simpler designs to make the best statement for a brand. There are many options and design choices. To help customers, we have outlined the following design guide to provide ideas and concepts for your printed tape design.
In flexographic printing, photopolymer plates are used to imprint the images on the substrate (WAT). The plates are fixed size making the width and length of the plate important and set the first characteristic of your design. We can this width and length dimension the size of your canvas.
Water Activated Tape
The WIDTH of your print area coincides with the WIDTH of the tape. The most common WIDTHS for Water Activated Tape are 2.83 Inch (72mm) and 3 Inch (76mm).
The LENGTH of the print area is called the REPEAT SIZE. The REPEAT is defined as the distance from any reference point in the art to the next time that same reference point is printed.
Width Measurements
Choice #1: Natural or White
Choice #2: Reinforced or Non-Reinforced
Selecting a print style is a needed step for any printed tape design. In recent years, a popular trend in printed water activated tape are designs with a high level of ink coverage. The trend has established printed tape as a highly recognizable and prominent feature of a package.
Despite the popularity of flood coated tape designs, there are several design strategies to match your brand message from dramatic to understated.
Seasonal, Promotional, Short Term Campaigns
Another trend in printed water activated tape is promotional or seasonal designs. Alert your customers to a special incentive, a product release, or simply brand the tape to the present time of year. Beyond branding, the printed tape can deliver a clear message to your customers they cannot ignore.
Timeless design where the logo is printed and repeated consistently.
Advantages: Understated Look, Sophisticated, Easy to Read, Natural Look
Heavy Ink coverage for the most dramatic tape design.
Advantages: Eye Catching, highly visible from a distance, brand impact
Pro Tip: By printing a lighter background color and a darker accent color, you can avoid the cost of an engraved cylinder and still achieve the dramatic presentation of full coverage printing.
Random/Pattern Printing
Series of shapes, images, or logos in a full coverage layout.
Advantages: Unique, recognizable, can be understated or dramatic, cost savings compared to a flood coat print.
Printing complex images for a true visualization of a product or service.
Advantages: Eye-catching, detailed visuals for maximum customer experience
Facts about Process Printed Water Activated Tape
For customers that require a specific ink color, Holland uses the Pantone color system to identify custom ink colors. As part of the Holland Proof Approval process, Holland will send an ink swatch sample of the ink printed on the tape of your choice. Ink colors often look different when printed on kraft substates.
Pro Tip: Water Activated Tape is classified as an “Uncoated” base stock. When looking for Pantone Colors, select a color (s) with a “U” suffix for “UNCOATED” base stock.
Pro Tip: If you have selected a Kraft Colored Tape when selecting an ink color opt for 1 shade lighter than you expect. The kraft background will “darken” the appearance of the ink color.
More About Ink
Step 6: Submitting Your Request Online
Holland has created an easy to navigate web tool for obtaining a quotation for printed water activated tape. Follow the steps to receive a recommended tape grade for your application, set your printing requirements, uploading art files and provide your contact information. You will receive a quote within 24 hours.
https://www.hollandmfg.com/custom-printed-water-activated-tape/
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Paper Tape Supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
How to apply the product?
There are several ways to properly activate and use water activated tape. The equipment and sophistication of the method varies depending on the user’s operational set up and budget. We will start with the simplest method and progress to the most automated solution.
For new users of water activated tape that are not sealing a large number of boxes in a day, we often see the use of a sponge to wet the tape and scissors to cut the tape to length. This is definitely not the most efficient way to use the product; however, with proper activation of the tape, the user can seal a box with the same level of security as more automated methods of dispensing and applying water activated tape.
Some keys to success with the sponge and scissor method are:
Advantages of the Sponge and Scissor Method
Disadvantages of the Sponge and Scissor Method
Tape Dispensing Machines
Utilizing a tape dispenser that properly activates the adhesive with water and cuts the tape to the desired length is the most common method of applying water activated tape.
There are two basic types of water activated tape dispensers – manual and electronic machines.
The manual machine has a pull handle which the user manually pulls to dispense the tape. The machine translates the lever pull into driving a feed wheel inside the tape machine, driving the tape across a brush system which wicks water from a reservoir system. The mechanism is tied to a cutting assembly which cuts the tape to the desired length. The machine is easy to use, portable, and cost effective. We recommend manual machines to users that do not have access to electric or wish to have the machine portable.
The electric tape machine is similar to the manual machine with the same basic action; however, all actions are driven by a push button system. The user presses the bottom on the keypad corresponding to the desired length of tape (inches). The tape is quickly dispensed and cut to length. The electric tape dispenser is the workhorse of the eCommerce industry used by the companies big and small to securely close eCommerce boxes.
The electric machine has some significant advantages over the manual tape machine. First, the process is more consistent. The tape is dispensed at a set speed, unaffected by the user’s action (speed of dispensing). Next, electric tape dispensers typically have a brush heater which heats the water interface. Warm water helps to activate the tape and enhances adhesion to the corrugated box. Finally and most importantly for high volume eCommerce packagers, the speed and reduction in packager fatigue make the electric machine the clear choice for volume shippers.
Automated Case Sealing
While tape dispensing machines are the dominate method for using water activated tape, there are applications that demand more automation. For these applications there are automated case sealers that close boxes with water activated tape.
Automated case sealers can help operations that have high volumes and wish to automate the sealing of the boxes. At Holland Mfg, we utilize case sealing equipment to close the high volume of water activated tape cartons we produce. For our application, the case sealer is well suited as we are sealing similar size boxes that are heavy and most are filled with automated case packers. Our operations are not pick and pack which is the most common use of water activated tape.
Here is a short video case sealer operation:
There are some disadvantages to automated case sealers. First, they are expensive. Next, they have many moving parts that can become a maintenance challenge if neglected. Finally, there are several machines on the market, not all of them reliably perform. Holland uses and recommends the Schneider Packaging case sealer as a highly robust, reliable, and well-built unit.
Keys to Success in using Water Activated Tape
Water Activated Tape is a unique packaging product as the user completes making the adhesive in the field by activated the adhesive with water. This fact introduces an added variable which requires recognition and attention by the user.
It sounds trivial, but water activated tape requires water to work correctly. Over the years, our technical team has troubleshot several user issues where not enough water or no water remained in the tape machine reservoir. The first key to success with water activated tape – make sure you have enough water.
Next, water activated tape is activated best with water that is warm, not hot, not cold. We recommend a water temperature of 110°F for optimal adhesive activation. This point accentuates the advantages of the electric tape dispenser. These machines have a brush heater that warms the activating water, this improves the adhesive tack time. By using a manual tape dispenser without a brush heater, the water in your machine will equalize with the ambient room temperature. The adhesive will still activate and achieve a secure bond to your corrugated box; however, the tack time will be slightly longer. Users will see the tape slide on the box slightly longer before the adhesive sets. This could be an advantage for some applications where a longer open time (time before the tape adhesive sets) provides the user a chance to straighten the tape on the corrugated box. Imagine a long strip of tape intended to seal a long box; the added open time gives the user more time to reposition before the tape adhesive sets.
Properly maintaining your tape machine (manual, electric or a case sealer) is imperative to your success with water activated tape. Most machines have brushes that apply the water to the tape. The brushes need to be clean to properly apply the water to the adhesive. Over time adhesive will build up in the brushes and that adhesive residue can restrict the water from activating the tape. The brushes need to be removed and cleaned. Soaking the brushes in hot soapy water and then thoroughly rinsing the brushes is the best method to clean the brushes. If the build up is excessive, consider changing the brushes. Additionally, brushes will wear and should be replaced; frequency will depend on usage.
Success is also dependent on the selection of the correct water activated tape product. As previously described, there are both reinforced and non-reinforced tape grades. The majority of applications are better serviced with reinforced tape, but advantages for non-reinforced tape do exist including environmental and cost. Regardless of tape style, there are various grades available within each classification. It is recommended to select a grade of tape that can securely close the heaviest box that will be shipped. All grades the Holland produces have a recommended box weight limit. In today’s shipping environment, packages take abuse. The cost differences between reinforced water activated tape grades is not overwhelming so a conservative approach with slightly more robust tape is recommended.
For more information about application success, please check out the following video.
Current Trends in the Carton Closure Market
Water Activated Tape has seen a renewed level of interest by the packaging market due to ecommerce. The product is not new. Water Activated Tape has been used for more than 70 years. During the ’s and ’s the product fell victim to the rise in popularity of plastic pressure sensitive tape. The cost difference and ease of hand application of pressure sensitive tape made the product compelling for many users at the time.
Today, however, for ecommerce packaging, water activated tape is a clear choice. Excelling in pick and pack situations which the same worker is filling and closing the box, water activated tape is the best option – at least according to the top e-commerce companies in the world – Amazon, Walmart, Mercado Libre, Target, and others.
As previously mentioned, branding has become very important to eCommerce shippers. As retailers transition from a traditional in-store experience for customers to goods arriving in a corrugated box, packaging must be memorable, engaging and represent the brand. Printed water activated tape is therefore quickly gaining market share from the non-printed water activated tape product. A current trend with printed tape is the preference for nearly full ink coverage. This style of printing is highly recognizable, often colorful and contrasting tape helps to highlight the brand among a sea of eCommerce packages.
Related to the rise in printed tape has been the noticeable interest in white reinforced tape. With the importance of branding and integrity of color accuracy for a brand as well as visual impact, white reinforced tape provides an ideal substrate. Holland has developed a True White reinforced tape to meet the needs of the market. The market response has been excellent for this product and should be considered by any brand attempting to maximize visual contrast and impact of their printed tape.
Another trend seen in the water activated tape market is the user preference for a longer length roll. Traditionally, 375 LF and 450 LF rolls have been the predominant roll lengths in the market. Today, users are under more pressure to increase efficiency and reduce downtime. An easy and effective way to do this is to increase the roll length to reduce roll changes. 500 LF, 600 LF, and LF roll lengths are become increasingly popular.
Likely the most prevalent trend in the overall packaging market is the effort to reduce the use of plastic. Water activated tape is obviously a great closure method in the war against plastic packaging. This trend is having ripple effects across the industry. Long term, this trend will push more paper-based material into the packaging market which will stress paper supplies. Paper mills are large facilities requiring time and tremendous capital to start. A likely trend is the steady increases in costs of paper-based packaging materials as demand outpaces the development of additional paper making capacity. The trend could impact corrugated boxes, paper void fill, paper-based mailers and water activated tape. Hopefully costs will be contained, and the users recognize the value of paper based materials.
Similar in scale to the war on plastic is the drastic labor shortages existing within the US packaging market. Automation will become increasingly important and relied upon in the next decade. This factor is a challenge for water activated tape as the product is most effectively used in pick and pack operations and is handed applied. The continued development of automated case sealers applying water activated tape will be important to the product’s continued success as a carton closure method. Solutions do exist; however, increasing reliability and controlling upfront equipment costs will be important factors for equipment manufacturers.
Summary
Many businesses are looking to make the switch from plastic to paper packaging to pledge their commitment to the environment. Before giving up plastic for good, businesses will weigh up the pros and cons of each material.
To help you decide, we’ve compiled some of the advantages and disadvantages of plastic and paper packaging below.
The main advantage of plastic packaging is its price. Plastic can be produced quickly and cost effectively, which is why it has become such a popular material for packaging across the globe. Other benefits of plastic packaging include its durable and lightweight qualities, making it ideal for transporting goods safely.
However, from April , the UK Government is introducing a Plastic Packaging Tax on all packaging manufactured in, or imported into, the UK. This means that businesses using packaging that contains less that 30 per cent recycled plastic will have to pay a tax, so plastic packaging may no longer be the best option.
Below you can see our latest release of products that we stock with 30% recycled content or more.
Plastic packaging is becoming increasingly recognised for its damaging environmental qualities. Plastic can take thousands of years to biodegrade, so single-use plastic packaging is highly polluting. Even plastic packaging that claims to be recyclable often ends up in landfill – especially with recycling capabilities varying from council to council in the UK.
When plastic does degrade, small plastic molecules release toxins which can poison soil, rendering local land infertile. These molecules can also infiltrate waterways and damage delicate ecosystems.
The plastic production process is also damaging to the environment. Most plastic is produced as cheaply as possible in factories based in developing countries where there are limited laws on pollution. These factories release copious amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and many also discharge toxic waste and manufacturing by-products into local bodies of water.
Unlike its plastic counterpart, paper packaging does not damage the environment. Paper packaging can be 100 per cent recyclable and is easy to recycle for customers – packaging can simply be disposed of in home recycling bins, unlike many types of ‘recyclable’ plastic.
Paper packaging derives from natural sources so no harmful, carbon dioxide-emitting production processes are involved. Test Valley Packaging’s paper packaging products use paper from FSC-certified forests which are managed sustainably, ensuring that there is no detrimental impact to the environment with excessive deforestation.
Although paper packaging may be initially more expensive than plastic packaging, it can be more cost-effective for businesses in the long run. Test Valley Packaging’s paper packaging products, such asPaper Bubble Wrap, take up 80 per cent less space when flat and increase packing speeds by up to 50 per cent.
Paper packaging is also an excellent way to promote your brand ethos. With more and more consumers looking to spend their money ethically, positioning your brand as environmentally friendly can give sales a boost. Packaging your goods in paper products communicates your sustainable values to customers – plus any others who see your packaging in transit.
Some paper packing – especially low-quality products – can be less durable than plastic packaging. To solve this problem, Protega Paper has a cutting-edge design with creases and crimples to ensure that it is highly durable.
Paper packaging can cost more than plastic packaging. However, with innovative packing machines, clever packing techniques and space-saving product design, paper packaging can save your business money with increased efficiency and reduced packaging materials.
Get in touch with Test Valley Packaging today to discuss switching to paper packaging.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Bopp Adhesive Tape Jumbo Roll.