tesa has launched an assortment of flame retardant adhesive tapes, tesa® flameXtinct, which is already used successfully in the construction industry, to be used across all industries.
To ensure public health and property protection, fire protection regulations are of particular importance in many sectors. These regulations set standards for manufacturing processes and all integrated materials, such as adhesive tapes, used in sophisticated assembly applications of various components. The use of flame retardants is an essential part of the fire safety standard because they may delay or reduce the spread of fire.
"Our goal was to bring a strongly adhesive, flame retardant and halogen free adhesive tape onto the market that may be used across all industries. During the development process, we soon realised that tesa® flameXtinct is an innovative solution for significantly improving fire protection, especially for applications in aviation, on ships, in commercial and special vehicles or in rail transport. The products were extensively tested by our development team and comply with all important regulations. The feedback from our first customer talks is consistently positive. We are confident that on the market the assortment will catch on," says Andreas Walkembach, head of industrial trade and converting Europe at tesa.
flameXtinct is currently available as fleece and film carrier, PE foam adhesive tape or as an acrylate core adhesive tape available in various thicknesses. The assortment is ideal for mounting lightweight elements or permanently bonding components such as mirrors or strips.
The global launch of the assortment was preceded by extensive development work. Teams from different areas worked together at tesa in the project and evaluated approximately 150 adhesive recipes, one of which proved to be the most effective. Today, the portfolio includes seven adhesive tapes in different thicknesses and structures in proven tesa quality, modified to feature the new flame retardant properties.
The assortment will soon be expanded. "We are currently working on adding further innovative products to the tesa® flameXtinct series. The feedback from our partners and customers is particularly important to us in order to further develop the tesa® flameXtinct assortment together with them and make it even better," adds Walkembach.
The flameXtinct assortment was developed to encompass fire protection properties. The tapes meet all current requirements according to UL94 & FMVSS 302; they self-extinguish after a short time and are halogen free. Therefore, in the event of a fire, less toxic smoke is produced, which is the main source of health hazards in fires. Also, by not using halogenated flame retardants, the product is in line with international guidelines that are increasingly limiting the use of flame retardants containing bromine or chlorine.
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