They fix screens and displays, seal joints and absorb shocks, dissipate heat, bond components to the interior and exterior of devices or hold batteries and rechargeables firmly in place: Adhesive tapes are indispensable in electronic devices. Many manufacturers and suppliers rely on product solutions from tesa. For example, a smartphone contains up to 70 adhesive tapes, most of them double-sided – the smallest of them is just five micrometers (μm) thick, or 20-times finer than a human hair. The fact that the spirit of innovation knows no timeout at tesa is demonstrated by the latest product in the portfolio: the tesa® L-tape 869x.
Adhesive bonding in an entirely new light
Technologies
The inner workings of smartphones, tablets and smartwatches are held together by numerous tiny adhesive tapes. Many manufacturers rely on high-performance tapes from tesa for that purpose. Now tesa is taking a technological leap with a new innovation: an adhesive tape that is activated by light.
Holds like it’s bolted on
Dr. Michael Egger, Laboratory Manager in the Electronics division at tesa in Norderstedt, was involved 24/7 in the research and development surrounding the new L-tape. The best part is: “It is a translucent adhesive tape, which is activated by UV light and then achieves its full strength. That makes it the perfect alternative to the standard pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes or liquid adhesives.” According to the experts, these can lead to long hardening times, in some cases leaving messy bonding surfaces. Which means that the L-tape based on a reactive acrylic adhesive is especially suitable for the permanent structural bonding of very small components in smartphones, smartwatches etc., comparable with the bolting together of components. The L-tape can also be applied at room temperature. For that reason too it is a welcome alternative to what are known as heat-activated films (HAF), which only achieve the required adhesive strength at 120°C.
We are delighted to have created another all-rounder with genuine added value, the new L-tape.
Carsten Meyer-Rackwitz
Head of Electronics
An all-rounder with added value
As in the case of many innovative products in the past, the L-tape is a result of close cooperation between tesa and its customers – a carefully tailored and yet flexible adhesive solution, as Carsten Meyer-Rackwitz, Head of Electronics at tesa, emphasizes: “We are delighted to have created another all-rounder with genuine added value, the new L-tape. It not only securely bonds the smallest parts and components, but can also be used for many different materials. It is shock-resistant and retains its strength even when exposed to moisture or heat.“
Design freedom for manufacturers
In addition to its speed and efficiency in use, the tesa® L-tape 869x could well offer another attractive benefit for the fast-moving electronics industry, as Product Manager Lukas Gross explains: “It combines a lasting adhesive bond with the greatest possible design freedom. The L-tape can be precisely adapted in size and shape to the needs of the manufacturer.” For example, as a small, ring-shaped piece of adhesive tape, only 0.1 millimeters thick, for sticking a camera lens into a smartphone. And even if fewer metal components and more plastic ones are used inside devices of the future, the new adhesive tape could well provide a reliable sense of cohesion in many a “lucid moment”.
With the tesa® L-tape processes can be simplifyed thanks to high initial tack and immediate bonding strength and light activation.
More about tesa L-tape
tesa® L-tape combines the advantages of simple and convenient processability of a PSA tape – such as preparation of adhesive geometries down to the smallest dimensions, tackiness at ambient conditions, and high thermal stability – with the advantages of increased bonding performance known from structural bonding tapes or liquid adhesives.