Using Rolls of Tape vs. Die Cut Adhesives

Stick with me for a moment.

Building a car isn’t as simple as purchasing a block of steel and shaping, cutting, and grinding it into a vehicle. In fact, the vehicle-building process can be compared to die cut adhesives. 

Instead of labor-intensive processes, the automotive manufacturer purchases a chassis and adds pieces made separately. These assembled components are similar to die cut adhesives. Instead of hand-cutting parts or laminating multiple layers, the crucial pieces arrive prepped and ready to go.

While buying the materials and hand-crafting each component might be the right decision for some, others would far rather receive the parts as they’re ready for assembly. 

Here’s where the rolls of tape come in—full rolls of material aren’t always the best answer when you already intend on cutting them down to a more suitable size. Today, let’s explore how die cut adhesive tapes can reduce production costs and speed up your existing processes.

What Are Die Cut Adhesives?

Die cut adhesives are part components that result from converting a roll of material into custom sizes, shapes, and formats to simplify the assembly process. They often have adhesive on them to create physical bonds—permanent or temporary—between other components.

Die cutting adhesive tape can create tight, clean, low-profile connections. Another advantage of die cut adhesives is their ability to bond a wide range of items.

Rolls of Tape vs. Die Cut Adhesives 

People often wonder whether rolls of tape or die cut adhesives offer an advantage when planning their manufacturing process. However, there are multiple factors of comparison to consider. 

COMPARISON #1: COST 

💰 ROLLS OF TAPE:

• They cost less upfront than die cut adhesives 
• Slower application can cause increased labor costs

💰 DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Higher upfront cost

• The rapid part application contributes to a lower labor cost

If you’re looking at the same material, a die cut piece will always be more expensive due to production costs. However, instead of looking at the price of a die cut versus a roll, you should consider the total cost of assembly. 

Die cut parts fit solutions where the adhesive needs to be a specific shape or size for the application, however, they can also help increase your process speed and decrease your labor costs.

COMPARISON #2: APPLICATION SPEED

🏭 ROLLS OF TAPE:

• Slower application speeds 
• May require manual processes 
• Increased chances of application errors 
  
  

🏭 DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Provides better support to assembly operations
• Significantly increased production speed 
• Far more accurate than someone cutting strips of roll tape by hand

Production managers often view daily or hourly throughput as a baseline for productivity. Unfortunately, it’s also likely to keep them up at night.

Handling and dispensing rolls of tape is more complicated than it seems. While some applications are straightforward and smooth, the majority have corners, odd sizes, or cutouts, which slow down production speeds and increase the chances of error, especially when you are using rolls of tape. Application is a lot faster using die cuts and more accurate than someone cutting strips of roll tape by hand. 

COMPARISON #3: EASE OF APPLICATION

🤝 ROLLS OF TAPE:

• More challenging application 
• Covering a large area using a roll of tape is labor-intensive
• Removing the liner can be time-consuming

🤝 DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Features such as added tabs are easy to use
• Allow production to start and stop quickly 

Whether you’re applying rolls or die cut adhesive tapes, it often requires people power. Unfortunately, helping your operators complete an application isn’t always at the top of your mind. 

Tabbing is an excellent example of adjusting for ease of production. Adding tabs to a die cut piece (something not possible with rolls of tape) makes them more accessible to use and allows production to start and stop quickly. Apply your piece, handle the product as needed, then use the tab to remove the liner and expose the adhesive. 

COMPARISON #4: ACCURACY

📐 ROLLS OF TAPE:

• Application may be inexact and inconsistent 

📐 DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Hold tight tolerances in applications 

Cutting rolls of tape by hand can’t come close to the accuracy of a die cut piece. The difference in placing these two options is significant: one is an exact fit that’s easy to handle, and the other is a flimsy material that needs to be measured and cut every time.

Your workforce will not only perform better with die cut parts, but they’ll also feel less stress and pressure.

COMPARISON #5: DISSIMILAR SUBSTRATES

🟩🟨ROLLS OF TAPE:

• It can be challenging to cut your own parts out of differential material
• Pre-sold rolls may not have the substrate/adhesive combination you desire

🟩🟨 DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Extremely customizable (ability to choose shape, substrate, adhesive, liner, etc.)

Unless both surfaces have the same surface energy, a roll of tape, such as double-sided or transfer tape with the same material on both sides, won’t help bond two different substrates, save for differential adhesives (which are more expensive than typical materials.

Differential tape rolls you buy off the shelf may not suit your solution, but die cut parts can be fully customized to meet your needs (of course, you can always ask a converter about their custom tape roll options as well). 

COMPARISON #6: LESS WASTE

🗑️ ROLLS OF TAPE:

• Requires overlapping tape strips to create reliable masking
• Wasted material drives up a carbon footprint

🗑️ DIE CUT ADHESIVES:

• Die cut parts still create waste during production, but typically still less than rolls of tape

Naturally, you’d like to avoid as much waste as possible. Die cut pieces trimmed to an exact shape have no application overlap and result in less wasted material. 

Case Study: Efficiency of Die Cut Parts 

Let’s finish by looking to the automotive industry for a real-life example of surface protection and cost examination: Using a roll of tape, a worker paid by the hour needs at least 30 minutes to mask off a section.

Instead, that worker could use a die cut piece that only takes about a minute to apply. Yes, the part costs a little more, but it also saves tons of money through labor time. 

The focus should be on overall costs—the big picture—not just material costs. When you take a holistic view of production, you’ll see that the extra cost of die cuts is offset by increased productivity and a happier workforce.

Now that you’ve learned more about the pros and cons of die cut parts, perhaps you’re ready to decide which material format your solution needs. 

From our thirty-eight years of experience at Strouse, we’ve found that encouraging clients to try out their materials can be valuable for discovering the best solution. If you’re interested in trying out a material sample or a die cut part, contact us today. 

Lastly, to learn more about adhesive materials and the converting process, you can find more information in our Learning Center. 

Originally published: October 26, 2024