Technologies

The sound of future at tesa

The echo of the future comes in many variations – in the concert of innovations, tesa set the tone early on. For 125 years, technical adhesive tapes have played an often important and surprising role in many fields. 70 years ago, the inventiveness of clever product developers made radios audibly better. Today, tesa applications in 2 billion smartphones intone progress.

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For the first generations of smartphones, it was hardly conceivable that a firmly bonded battery could be exchanged without any problems or that all materials could simply be recycled. Today, tesa adhesive technology is proving the opposite in around two billion of these small high-tech wonders. Smartphones were not yet invented in the 1950s, but already back then tesa stood out with smart ideas. What was good for cozy warmth thanks to sealed windows could also be useful for a more pleasant sound on the radio.

From "moll" (German for 'minor key') like tesamoll® – which already decades ago was considered an innovation in sound insulation –  to "dur" (German for 'major key') like durable in the 21st century: The high-tech era places the greatest demands on the material structure of products. A smartphone must survive everyday strains and stresses for as long as possible, it must be shockproof, protected from internal and external overheating – and even the tiniest components must always remain safely in position. Up to 70 tesa® products may be found in a smartphone today. 

Adhesive tapes have many advantages over other mounting methods because they save weight and space and are easy to use. The innovative tesa® solutions, which were specially developed for smart devices, are wafer-thin (0.003 to 0.5 millimeters), often as fine as a single human hair. Optically clear adhesive and mounting tapes are used for the lamination of displays, while other tesa® special tapes not only bond components, but also take on additional functions such as light and heat management; they can conduct or shield electricity or absorb shocks.

Above all, however, the patented tesa® Bond & Detach® technology ensures that the little all-rounders for netsurfing, chatting, listening to music and making calls are durable, meaning that they last longer thanks to battery replacement. In the interests of sustainability, technology may help to avoid electronic waste – allowing consumers to hold back from purchasing new products at short intervals. 

Striking new notes

All around the world, 500 product and technology developers are working on new ideas at tesa®, 75 of them in the rapidly growing Electronics sector. In the Chinese laboratory in Suzhou alone, thousands of mobile phone tests are carried out every year and new options are tested together with engineers from large industrial customers in the Customer Solution Center. For this purpose, the cell phones are sent to the "torture chamber", where they are put through their paces in 100 test procedures, that is, they are examined for their suitability for everyday use. 

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Softly muffled rock ’n‘ roll

In the distant past of electrical engineering, such highly complex processes were still a dream of the future. However, tesa® made exciting inventions early on. tesamoll® not only guaranteed the protection of sensitive surfaces, but since 1950 it also worked wonders as insulating tape in the "electronics compartment". Reliably! Even today, the product is an evergreen for use in electrics. The special insulating tape is used for electrical installations and insulation as well as multifunctionally for repair work.

High-tech 2021 or progress in the fifties: In the very beginning, there was and still is a technical adhesive tape. Thin, thick, transparent, opaque, tear-resistant or elastic, removable, permanent ... tesa® is always building new bridges into the future and finding clever new uses for its products. Everything at its time – and there is always "music" in it. In the 1950s, it was rock ’n‘ roll from the radio that, thanks to tesa® insulation, came through the loudspeaker without any white noise or vibration. That was also the time when electrical machines first helped with accounting in large offices. Unfortunately, they rattled loudly and created disturbances in the working ambiance. tesa® dampened the annoyance in a very innovative way – with "moll".

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From flop to bestseller

The world's first technical adhesive tape comes from the Beiersdorf creative workshop – and was intended for defective two-wheelers. In the 1890s, the company actually wanted to market a new plaster, but it stuck too strongly to the skin and irritated it. The pharmacist Troplowitz quickly modified it and used it to create the first technical adhesive tape, the "Cito Sportheftpflaster" (sports adhesive plaster) with its new purpose to repair bicycles. An innovative sensation, because back then pneumatic tires often got punctured on the streets. This attitude continues to work at tesa today. In our series "125 Years of Innovations", we use selected examples to show you our innovation spirit and will present you with quite a few surprises!