It's a competitive time for specialty tape makers, with many companies jockeying for position as innovation and customer cost pressures usher in new opportunities. A company's specialty tapes have to be on the mark or competitors have the knowledge and wherewithal to exploit weaknesses. Some companies in markets such as automotive and electronics have been able to spec in high performance tapes and experience less price competition, but companies pursuing general industrial applications continue to compete on both price and performance.
Whatever the region, tape possibilities are expanding as industries - automotive, construction, graphics and more - replace mechanical fasteners with these lighter, faster, less expensive alternatives. For three shrewd firms in North America and Europe, Rohm and Haas' water-based PSAs are keeping their specialty tape businesses at the top of their games.
Novagard Solutions™, which runs all aqueous adhesives, supplies single-sided and double-sided PVC foam tapes for applications like residential weather stripping and sound and vibration dampening.