Technical library
Know the tape before you buy it
The numbers, the vocabulary and the selection logic we use on the floor, written out so your team can specify with confidence.
Master specification
Sonison BOPP tape datasheet
Ranges cover the full production window. A firm datasheet for your exact gauge and width is issued with the quotation.
Build a spec and price it- Film
- Biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP)
- Adhesive
- Water-based acrylic
- Total thickness
- 38 - 65 micron
- Peel adhesion (steel)
- 2.0 - 3.6 N / 25mm
- Tensile strength
- 22 - 41 N / 25mm
- Elongation at break
- 130 - 170 %
- Service temperature
- -5°C to 60°C
- Finished widths
- 12mm - 96mm
- Finished lengths
- 40m - 1000m
- Core
- 3 inch paper core, wound in-house
- Printing
- Rotogravure, up to 3 colours
- Shelf life
- 12 months in original packing, 10-30°C
Selection guide
Which micron for which carton
| Gauge | Typical use | Peel adhesion | Tensile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38µ | Light cartons, e-commerce polybag sealing | 2.0 N/25mm | 22 N/25mm |
| 40µ | General retail despatch, single-wall cartons | 2.2 N/25mm | 24 N/25mm |
| 45µ | Standard 3-ply carton sealing | 2.5 N/25mm | 27 N/25mm |
| 50µ | Heavy 5-ply cartons, long transit | 2.8 N/25mm | 31 N/25mm |
| 55µ | Export loads, humid and cold storage | 3.0 N/25mm | 34 N/25mm |
| 60µ | White goods, furniture, heavy machinery | 3.3 N/25mm | 38 N/25mm |
| 65µ | Maximum-hold industrial bundling | 3.6 N/25mm | 41 N/25mm |
Glossary
Tape vocabulary, without the sales gloss
BOPP
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene: film stretched in both directions, giving high tensile strength, clarity and dimensional stability.
Micron (µ)
Total tape thickness, film plus adhesive. Higher micron means more film and a stronger, costlier seal.
Coat weight
Grams of adhesive laid down per square metre. Consistent coat weight across the roll width is what keeps peel identical edge to edge.
Peel adhesion
Force needed to pull tape back off a surface at 180°, quoted in N/25mm. Higher is stickier, not always better.
Shear / holding power
Resistance to sliding under a constant load. It's what stops a heavy carton flap creeping open in storage.
Tensile strength
Force the film takes before it breaks. Machine lines need this above the blade tension of the case sealer.
Elongation at break
How far the film stretches before snapping. Too much means tape that pulls thin on the applicator.
Jumbo / mother roll
The full-width coated roll, up to 1320mm, that slitting houses convert into finished tape widths.
Telescoping
A roll whose layers slide sideways into a cone. Caused by poor winding tension or an unstable core.
Repeat length
The distance after which a printed design starts again. It is fixed by the cylinder circumference.
Rotogravure
Printing from an engraved cylinder. One cylinder per colour, which is why print cost is per colour.
Core ID
Inner diameter of the paper core, usually 3 inch, which must match the dispenser or applicator mandrel.
Your product, our package
Send us your requirement
Widths, colours, artwork, monthly volume: share what you need and we will come back with a price and a date.