Clothing Definitions — warehouse and distribution terms from Apparel Search
Adhesive tape is the quiet workhorse of every apparel warehouse and shipping room. Cartons of finished garments are sealed with it, polybags are closed with it, labels and packing slips are attached with it, and repairs to damaged shipping boxes are made with it. This page defines adhesive tape, explains how single-sided and double-sided tapes join materials, and places the term in the clothing industry, where the right tape keeps a carton closed from the factory floor to the retail stockroom while the wrong tape can fail in heat, cold or humidity and spill its contents.
Adhesive tape is an adhesive-coated fastening tape used for temporary or, in some cases, permanent joining. Single-sided tapes allow joining of two overlapping or adjoining materials, while double-sided tape (adhesive on both sides) allows joining of two items back-to-back.
These tapes are made by applying an adhesive emulsion to a tape or film that is then wound onto a roll. Manufacture often involves winding large films of material onto a roll and then cutting the roll into convenient widths.
Adhesive tape was invented in 1925 by Richard Drew of 3M. The original tape was a paper-backed masking tape. Transparent and other tapes grew from this invention.
Transparent Tape ("Sticky Tape") like Scotch Tape and Sellotape is cellulose-based and transparent .
'Gaffer tape' is normally based on a heavy fabric or plastic tape. The name derives from its use by gaffers in the entertainment industry among others, to hold down cables particularly to obviate or prevent tripping hazard.
Duct tape (sometimes referred to as "duck tape") has a fabric backing and many uses.
Masking tape is used to cover areas that shouldn't be painted. It has a paper backing and weak adhesive.
Electrical tape is made of materials like vinyl that do not conduct electricity.
Surgical tape is an adhesive bandage used to hold a dressing on a wound.
Polyethylene Definition (used for packing bags)
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/adhesive_tape). Definition modified by Apparel Search 12/23/05. |
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On a typical apparel packing line, garments are folded, bagged and placed in a corrugated carton, and the carton is closed with pressure-sensitive tape applied by hand or by a case sealer. The tape's backing — commonly polypropylene or PVC film, cloth or paper — carries the tensile load, while the adhesive, usually a rubber-based or acrylic formulation, grips the carton's surface. Acrylic adhesives hold up better across temperature swings and over long storage; hot-melt rubber adhesives grab quickly and suit high-speed sealing. Wide tape, typically two or three inches, spreads the stress across the flap seam of a heavy carton.
Beyond carton sealing, the warehouse uses a family of related tapes. Masking and paper tapes mark cartons and hold labels without leaving residue. Filament tape, reinforced with glass fibers, bundles heavy or irregular loads. Double-sided tapes mount signs, samples and display materials. In the sewing and finishing areas, specialized tapes appear in garment construction itself — seam-sealing tapes waterproof the stitched seams of rainwear, and fusible tapes stabilize hems — but those belong to manufacturing rather than warehousing, and this definition concerns the packing-room material.
Buyers judge tape by adhesion, tensile strength, thickness and performance across the temperatures the shipment will meet. A bargain tape that pops open on the top flap is no bargain once a retailer charges back a damaged delivery. Storage matters as well: tape kept in a hot, sunny corner ages and loses tack, so warehouses store rolls in a cool, dry area and rotate stock. The definition above, drawn from the standard reference wording, captures the essential point — tape is a fastening material for joining, temporary or permanent — and in the fashion supply chain that simple function is repeated millions of times a day, one carton at a time.
Its main jobs are sealing shipping cartons, closing polybags, attaching labels and documents, bundling garments and making quick repairs to packaging. Pressure-sensitive carton-sealing tape is the most common type on a packing bench.
Single-sided tape has adhesive on one face and joins two overlapping or adjoining materials from the outside, as when sealing a box flap. Double-sided tape carries adhesive on both faces and joins materials face to face, hidden between them.
A tape that loses adhesion in a hot container or a cold truck lets cartons open in transit, exposing garments to dirt, moisture and loss. Matching the tape's adhesive and backing to the carton, the load weight and the journey protects the merchandise.