Gummed Carton Sealing Tapes
Gummed Tape is available in several different strengths and three different styles.
Reinforced Tape
Reinforced Gummed Tape is available in several different sizes and strengths. Recently manufacturers have added metric sizes as well.
For general applications a light weight tape will work just fine. If most of your cartons are under 20 pounds, this grade is recommended. If you have an occasional heavier box, you can "H" seal top and bottom flaps by adding the extra pieces on the sides. You can also add a band around the middle of the box.
From there you will find medium grades, medium heavy, and heavy. The width runs from 2" up to 3" or 60mm up to 76mm. The most common width is 70mm in the standard grade.
When pricing tape, we recommend finding one you like and then buying the tape by the foot. If you are buying 10 rolls of 450' for $64.00, your cost is $ 0.0142222222222 per foot (64.00/4500'). After determining price per foot, buy the longest roll that will fit in the machine. The largest roll will save time and labor in your operators having to change out the rolls. (Estimated time average 3-5 minutes depending on how far the packer has to walk to get another roll of tape. At $10.00 per hour, change out will cost $0.83 for 5 minutes!) We offer both 375' and 450' rolls. You can also look at the weight per case.
This tape is dispensed in the Better Pack 500, Better Pack 555eS, Better Pack 333.
Asphalt Reinforced Gummed Tape
Used mainly by the Federal Government and considered out of date. Asphaltic tape will gum up a tape machine very fast due to the black asphalt used in the manufacture of the tape. With the advancements in tape, we recommend using the 3-way non-asphaltic reinforced gummed tape above. This tape is dispensed in the Better Pack 500, Better Pack 555eS type machines that incorporate an automatic blade oiler to prevent build up of black asphaltic materials on the cutting edge.
Paper Tape
Plain Paper Gummed Tape aka Non-Reinforced Kraft Sealing Tape used to be the only tape used prior to 1966. Gradually over the years usage has dropped to a mere trickle of pre 1966 levels. Today the most common is 60# tape available in 2", 2 1/2" and 3" standard widths with 600' on a roll. Kraft tape is used on light boxes, generally under 25#, and mostly for inner pack type applications. This tape is dispensed in the Better Pack 500, Better Pack 555eS, Better Pack 333, or in the Pull and Tear.
The other style of plain gummed tape is known as "inch and a half, gummed side out." This tape is used in meat markets, and in printing companies for binding. The tape is dispensed in the Better Pack TapeShooter 404.
Printed Tape
We also handle the equipment to print on tape as it is dispensed. The CT#6 by Better Packages for the electronic tape dispensers prints your message and offers the ultimate security by personalizing your tape.