In both industrial and daily life, aluminum foil tape is an inconspicuous yet indispensable all-rounder. Many people are curious about how this thin roll of tape transforms from a metal raw material into a practical product.
The core of aluminum foil tape is the aluminum foil substrate, and the performance of the aluminum foil is determined from the very beginning by the choice of aluminum foil alloy. Not all aluminum can be used to make tape; a precise balance must be found between purity, strength, and ductility during production. The alloy formulations for tapes used in different applications vary drastically.
For conventional aluminum foil tape used for insulation and sealing, 3003 series aluminum alloy is the most commonly used "mainstay." This alloy uses aluminum as the base material and adds about 1% manganese, retaining the good flexibility and thermal conductivity of pure aluminum while enhancing the tensile strength of the aluminum foil through the strengthening effect of manganese.
However, for high-requirement aluminum foil tape used for electronic shielding, 1060 series pure aluminum alloy is selected. Its aluminum content is as high as 99.6% or more, and its excellent conductivity effectively blocks electromagnetic interference, ensuring the stable operation of electronic equipment.
If the alloy is the "gene" of aluminum foil tape, then the choice of width and thickness is like tailoring its "shape," directly affecting its adaptability to the application scenario. Before production, technicians will formulate detailed specifications based on order requirements. This step requires full consideration of the specific characteristics of the application scenario.
Regarding thickness selection, the thickness of the aluminum foil substrate is typically between 0.01mm and 0.2mm. Tape used for air conditioning duct insulation often has a substrate thickness of 0.05mm to 0.1mm, ensuring sufficient strength to support the insulation layer without increasing installation difficulty due to excessive thickness.
For shielding tape used in small electronic devices such as mobile phones, the thickness is precisely controlled between 0.01mm and 0.03mm. This ensures a snug fit within the compact internal space of the device without affecting component heat dissipation.
It is worth noting that the thickness here refers to the pure aluminum foil portion. The overall thickness will increase by 0.02mm to 0.1mm after subsequent adhesive coating; this additional thickness must also be taken into account in the specifications beforehand.
Aluminium foil width selection offers greater flexibility, with production ranging from narrow 5mm tapes to wide rolls up to 1000mm. For sealing gaps in doors and windows during renovations, 10mm-20mm width tapes are commonly used for precise application; while for large-scale pipeline construction in factories, 50mm-100mm wide tapes are chosen to improve efficiency.
During production, wide aluminum foil rolls are cut using precision slitting machines, with slitting errors controlled within ±0.1mm to ensure each roll meets width requirements. In automated construction, width deviations can prevent the tape from fitting properly to the equipment, affecting construction quality.
The rolled aluminum foil undergoes surface treatment. For rust-proof tapes, passivation is applied to the aluminum foil surface, forming a dense oxide film; for shielding tapes, a conductive coating is applied to enhance electromagnetic shielding performance.
After treatment, the next step is the adhesive coating process—a crucial step in transforming the aluminum foil into "tape." Manufacturers select different adhesives based on the intended use. For example, acrylic adhesive is commonly used for thermal insulation tape, while silicone adhesive is used for high-temperature resistant tape. The adhesive is evenly coated onto the aluminum foil surface using a coating machine, with a coating thickness typically between 0.03mm and 0.08mm to ensure stable adhesion and prevent adhesive overflow.
The coated aluminum foil then enters a drying chamber where it is dried and cured at 60℃-80℃. Afterward, it is cooled by cooling rollers and then laminated with release paper—the release paper protects the adhesive layer from contamination and facilitates subsequent use.
Finally, the laminated material is slit again and wound into rolls of specified lengths. After quality testing (including thickness, width, adhesion, tensile strength, etc.), it is packaged, stored, and shipped to various application scenarios.
Haomei Aluminium is one of the aluminum foil suppliers, providing thin and thick aluminum foils for you to choose from. Welcome to inquire what you need from us directly.