What's the best adhesive tape for led strip?

 LED strips are becoming increasingly popular for linear lighting projects. Installation is usually easy – just peel off the tape and stick. But the tape quality is critical. Low quality tape can’t firmly grip the strips, causing them to fall off after working for a short time. This can be incredibly frustrating as you have to constantly re-stick slipping strips with high cost. 

In this article, we will discuss some of the most popular adhesive tapes used for LED strips and their specific features to help you make an informed decision.

Fistly, let us checkt the most popular adhesive tape for led strip lights as below.  

Note: Adhesion to stainless steel is measured by N/cm value alone, where higher numbers indicate stronger adhesion, the application scenario must also be considered.

3M 200MP-7N/CM

3M™ Adhesive 200MP is a popular choice for graphic attachment and membrane switch applications because it has excellent quality, consistency and durability. In addition, as a result of 3M’s innovative, proprietary process, 3M adhesive 200MP also offers the following excellent performance characteristics.

• Clarity (virtually free of vapor inclusions that are commonly found in adhesives produced by the traditional solvent coating technique).
• Excellent high temperature performance as well as excellent shear strength (that minimizes edge lifting and slippage of parts).
• Excellent resistance to harsh environments; this adhesive can withstand splashes of organic solvents, weak acids and bases and salt water, cleaning solutions, germicidals, disinfectants, oils, etc. In addition, it performs well after exposure to humidity and hot/cold cycles.
• Provides some initial repositionability when bonding to plastic parts (not metal) which allows graphic parts to be lifted and repositioned if initial alignment is incorrect.
• Finally, this adhesive family is provided with a variety of liner configurations to help ensure excellent process flexibility.

More information about 3M 200MP tape , please visit 3M webiste:

//multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/326931O/200mp-fiche-technique-3mtm.pdf

3M 300MP-8.6N/CM

The aggressive, tacky and compliant nature of 3M™ Laminating Adhesives 300MP present storage, handling
and slitting requirements that are often necessary in order to prevent damage to the rolls.

More information about 3M 300MP tape , please visit 3M website: 

//multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/121487O/laminating-adhesives-300mp.pdf

3M 9080 Tape-7.5N/CM

3M™ Double Coated Tape 9080HL is a Double Coated Non-woven Tape with Polycoated Paper Liner. High tack adhesive suitable for high temperature and bonding to LSE materials.

3M™ Double Coated Tape 9080HL is specially formulated for low- and high-speed splicing applications, followed if required by heat-setting or other oven-based processing conditions. The tape makes an excellent bond to paper and board, and many plastic film substrates including Polyethylene, Polypropylene and PVC.

This white 3M 9080 tape is thicker compared to 3M 200MP and 3M 300MP tapes. It is generally used for indoor applications.

More information about 3M 9080 Tape, please visit 3M website:

//www.3m.com/3M/en_LB/p/d/v000143146/

3M 4229 Tape-14N/CM

3M™ Acrylic Foam Tape 4229P is a medium-density, dark gray acrylic foam tape with high performance acrylic adhesives. 3M acrylic foam tape 4229P is characterized by high performance peel and shear adhesion, high internal strength, good conformability and excellent plasticizer resistance.

Typical applications include body side moldings; stainless steel, ABS and PVC rocker panels; wheel lip moldings, door edge moldings, nameplates/ ornamentation, luggage rack slats, wind and rain defl ectors, and dashboard overlays.

More information about 3M 4229 Tape, please visit 3M website:

//www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40065664/

TESA 4965-20N/CM

tesa® 4965 Original is a transparent, double-sided industrial mounting tape consisting of a PET backing and a tackified acrylic adhesive. Its adhesive technology is based on a patented and protected product formulation. Across all industries, tesa® 4965 Original is used to improve processes and applications. Based on tesa® 4965’s patented and protected technology, its unique performance is demonstrated through outstanding qualities such as versatility, durability, and safety. The double-sided industrial mounting tape is able to withstand numerous environmental factors such as humidity, UV light, and temperatures of up to 200°C / 392°F for limited periods of time. The tackified acrylic adhesive offers excellent hold on various surfaces, high tack, and good shear strength.
 

More information, please visit TESA website:

//www.tesa.com/en-us/industry/tesa-4965-original.html

Blue Thermal Tape-6N/CM

Blue Thermal Tape is engineered to efficiently transfer heat from high-power components to heat sinks, cooling fans, heat spreaders, and other devices. This tape is commonly used with LED strips, attaching the strip to an aluminum profile. The tape creates a preferential thermal path to rapidly conduct heat from the LEDs into the aluminum profile. This keeps the LED strip at an optimal working temperature for peak performance and longevity. By swiftly transferring heat away from hot LEDs and into aluminum heat sinking, Blue Thermal Tape enables LED strips to shine bright without overheating. It’s an ideal thermal management solution for high-output lighting applications.

This type of tape is generally manufactured in China and is relatively affordable with the lowest adhesion of all the options. It is usually used for LED strip installations where cost control is a priority.

Hanron LED strips are typically affixed with 3M 200MP & 300MP double-sided tape. For stronger adhesion and outdoor use, we recommend 3M VHB double-sided tape. For cost-sensitive LED strips to aid heat dissipation, we suggest using blue thermal tape for rapid heat transfer.

Conclusion

Among the tapes we discussed, 3M 200MP and 3M 300MP are excellent choices for general-purpose bonding, with good adhesion to a wide range of substrates. 

3M 9080 is ideal for mounting applications, where a clean and invisible finish is required. 

3M VHB 5608N provides excellent bonding strength and durability, making it suitable for heavy-duty applications. 

Tesa 4965 is a high-performance tape with good adhesion to difficult surfaces, while the blue thermal tape is ideal for heat dissipation in LED strip applications.

When choosing an adhesive tape for led strip light, it is important to consider the surface to which the tape will be applied, the conditions of use, and the required level of bonding strength. Each of the above-mentioned tapes offers specific features and benefits that make them suitable for various applications. By understanding the properties of each tape, you can choose the right one for your LED strip project and ensure its long-lasting performance.