Double Sided Tapes

Whether you’re bonding similar or completely different substrates, our double-sided tapes provide the strength, conformability, adhesion and aesthetic requirements you need to make your project successful.

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Image of 3M™ VHB™ Tape ready for use in an assembly plant

What is a Double Sided Tape?

  • Video still of a 3M Application Engineer talking about Double Sided Tapes
    A double sided tape has pressure-sensitive adhesive exposed on both sides, allowing two parts to be bonded together by the tape between them. A carrier that holds adhesive can range from a film as thin as a fraction of a millimeter up to a thick foam that helps damp vibrations. Similarly, adhesives can meet specific needs from low-tack that allows for repositioning all the way up to a permanent bonding solutions. A double sided tape that has a carrier can be produced with the same adhesive on both sides, or with different adhesives to meet the bonding requirements of different substrates. Our adhesive experts are happy to work with you to determine which of our thousands of tapes best meets your needs.
    • Double sided tapes can be customized by a converter to provide the precise shape you need for your final design. Learn more about 3M™ VHB™ Tapes and 3M™ Thin Bonding Tapes using the links below, or view specific products using the Products links.
    • Note: This page is about double sided tapes for industrial and manufacturing applications. Double sided tapes for consumer use can be found here.

  • Benefits of a Double Sided Tape

    While the characteristics of tape families and individual tapes vary, double sided tapes generally offer these benefits to your production:

    While the characteristics of tape families and individual tapes vary, double sided tapes generally offer these benefits to your production:

    Icons showing benefits of Double Sided Tape with clickable hotspots to learn more details

Faster Assembly Time

Tape is easy to apply either by hand or with automation, and there’s no waiting for an adhesive to cure or a mechanical fastening to be completed. Pre-taping units and then adding the second part in batches may also speed production in some instances.

Design Flexibility

Conformability, gap filling, invisible bond lines – double sided tapes give you the flexible design options you need. It also provides flexibility to your production by allowing parts to be pre-taped, then set aside to await next steps.

Immediate Handling Strength

Double sided tapes provide immediate handling strength with no cure time, allowing assembled parts to move immediately to the next phase of production.

Bond Dissimilar Materials and LSE Materials

Lightweight designs often require bonding different substrates using a different adhesive on each side of the tape. We also have adhesives that bond well to Low Surface Energy (LSE) materials such as certain plastics and paints.

Clean Aesthetics and Reduced Product Bulk

Double sided tapes offer virtually invisible bond lines without protruding fasteners. Tapes also reduce product bulk both by removing mechanical fasteners and allowing the use of thinner, lighter materials by evenly distributing stress across the bond.

Prevent Moisture Intrusion

Because even the thinnest tape provides adhesion to both substrates across the entire bond area, double sided tapes can help prevent moisture from crossing the bond line.

Different types of double sided tape

All double sided tapes provide the benefits above, but to help you narrow your selection they can be broken into broad categories: foam tapes such as 3M™ VHB™ Tape and tapes for thin bonding. Follow the links below to learn more about each.

  • Image of 3M™ VHB™ Tape being applied to a sheet of corrugated metal

    3M™ VHB™ Tape

    3M™ VHB™ Tape demonstrates high strength and long-lasting bonds. It is composed of a special acrylic foam that provides viscoelasticity and greater cohesive strength for demanding applications.

    Specific benefits of 3M™ VHB™ Tapes include:
     

    • Fatigue resistance
    • Gap filling between substrates
    • Accommodation of different thermal expansion rates
    • Vibration damping
  • Image of a sheet of 3M™ 300 LSEAdhesive with die-cut pieces removed

    Thin Bonding Tape

    Thin bonding enables the attachment of different substrates or composites using a strong but very thin tape to keep the overall profile as thin as possible.

    Specific benefits of 3M™ Double Sided Tapes for Thin Bonding include:
     

    • Low profile in the finished product
    • Attach foam or fabric
    • Conformable to irregular surfaces
    • Clear tapes for display panels and graphics
  • Some applications require cushioning but don’t need the extreme strength of 3M™ VHB™ Tape. These foam tapes can also bond multiple substrates and are customizable into specific final shapes.

    View 3M™ Foam Tape products


Image of a die-cut roll of tape being wound on a roll
Converted Bonding Products

Converters can help you determine which 3M products best suit your needs, then provide them in the shape and format you require.

LEARN MORE

Customer Testimonials and Videos

  • A worker applies 3M™ VHB™ Tape to assemble a shower head
    Nebia Customer Testimonial (2:11)

    Nebia was looking for an adhesive to assemble a better showerhead that would also use less water. They tested several options – and chose 3M™ VHB™ Tape.

  • Video still of workers at a machine on the assembly line
    WS Steel Customer Testimonial (2:18)

    WS Steel replaced spot welds with 3M™ VHB™ Tape and simplified their assembly process, saving time and achieving a 20% drop in manufacturing costs.

  • Video still: “Now challenging surfaces aren’t challenging. 3M™ Double coated Tape 93005LE bonds metal mesh to plastic.”
    Thin Tapes for Hard-to-Bond Surfaces (1:25)

    Plastics? Curved surfaces? Foam? Rubber? Powder-coated metal? Tapes with 3M™ High-Strength Acrylic Adhesive 300LSE make the unstickable… stickable.

  • Video still of a golfer about to swing
    Many Surfaces, One Adhesive (1:00)

    What do you want to bond? See some of the situations and substrates we designed 3M™ High Performance Acrylic Adhesive 200MP to handle.

Image of gray triangle pattern behind white text
“With the 3M™ VHB™ Tape, workers are able to handle the product with ease – its safe, its easy to use and its very intuitive to handle a tape and apply a tape product.”
Ellery Burton
Engineering Manager, WS Steel
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