Choosing Hot Melt Adhesive Film Thickness And Width

Why Film Instead Of Powder

Powder puts adhesive where it lands. Film puts the same amount of adhesive everywhere, fixed by thickness rather than by line speed, scatter head condition or operator technique.

That matters in two situations above all: a narrow seam that powder cannot reach cleanly, and a large laminated panel where an uneven coat weight shows as patchy adhesion after ageing.

The Thickness Range

United Industry supplies thermoplastic adhesive film in TPU, PES, PA and EVA with thickness from 50 to 200 micron. The TPU hot melt film is stocked in five thicknesses: 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 mm.

Thin film suits smooth, light substrates where a small amount of adhesive is enough. Thicker film is for rough, open or uneven surfaces, where the adhesive has to fill as well as bond.

See TPU Hot Melt Adhesive Film

Width And Roll Length

TPU hot melt film comes in 100 cm and 150 cm widths, 100 yards per roll. Transfer hot melt film is cut from 20 mm up to 1500 mm wide in 100 metre rolls, which covers narrow numbering tape and full panel widths from the same product.

Ordering the width closest to the finished shape is the simplest way to cut film waste, and it removes a slitting step from the line.

See Transfer Hot Melt Film

Processing Temperature Decides Which Film

TPU hot melt film is suitable for a variety of processing temperatures from 110 to 160 C. Transfer hot melt film works at 140 to 170 C. If the substrate cannot take 140 C, the decision is already made.

The other separator is the property being bought: the TPU film is elastic, waterproof and non-permeable, which is what waterproof zips, seamless pockets and seamless underwear need. The transfer film is specified on excellent wash resistance, which is what a numbered sports jersey needs.

Typical Applications By Film Type

TPU film goes into leather and fabric lamination, heat transfer printing, TPU bonding, waterproof zips on outdoor jackets, seamless pockets on ski suits and plackets, pressing glue for the net cloth of sports shoes, seamless underwear, bonded labels and embroidery labels, sound and heat insulation materials, synthetic board and metal film composites, electric conductive cloth, reflective material, seamless mobile phone covers, IC card packaging and PVC composites.

Transfer film goes into fashion and sports suit heat transfer printing, where the wash test is the acceptance criterion.

Customisation

Other specifications can be customised. If the requirement sits between two standard thicknesses, or needs a width that is not stocked, state it with the enquiry rather than designing the part around a standard roll.