PTFE Heat Seal Tape, matched to your machine
A heat seal is built from three parts: the metal element that heats, the metal band it runs on, and the PTFE heat seal tape that covers them. We make the first two, in our own building. So when we tell you which tape belongs on your machine, it's because we've made the parts underneath it. Self-adhesive and non-adhesive, 3 to 6 thou, on 30 metre rolls.
The Heat Seal Tapes We Supply
One thing up front, because it matters when you're picking a supplier. We don't manufacture this tape. A supplier makes it to our specification and we supply it. What we do make, in our own building, are the elements and the bands it goes over.
Self-adhesive PTFE tape
The one most machines take. PTFE coated glass cloth with a silicone adhesive backing, in 3 thou, 5 thou and 6 thou (0.076mm, 0.127mm and 0.15mm), on 30 metre rolls. Widths from 15mm up to 70mm. Thinner gives a crisper seal line and wears through sooner. Thicker lasts longer and softens the seal. Tell us the machine and we'll tell you which way to go.
Non-adhesive PTFE tape
Harder to find in the UK than it ought to be. Plenty of sellers only stock the self-adhesive version, which is no use if your machine clamps or tensions the tape rather than sticking it down. We supply non-adhesive PTFE tape in 6 thou at 70mm on 30 metre rolls, with other widths to order.
Zone tapes and crepe edges
Some machines want PTFE where the seal happens and something else either side. Zone tape does that: a 50mm roll split 10/30/10, so the middle 30mm does the sealing and the edges do their own job. There's a crepe-edged version too, 55mm overall with 25mm usable, 15mm crepe edges and a 5mm overlap, in 5 thou. Odd layout? Send us the numbers.
Getting the size right
Most tape that fails was the wrong tape, not bad tape. Wrong thickness for the dwell time, wrong width for the jaw, adhesive where the machine wanted none. Send us the make and model, or the dimensions off the roll you're replacing. If we think you're ordering the wrong thing, we'll say so.
Which Tape Does Your Machine Take?
Two ways a tape gets held on, and they are not interchangeable. Check yours before you order, because this is where most wrong orders start.
Heat Seal Tape Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Substrate | PTFE coated glass cloth |
| Thickness | 3 thou (0.076mm), 5 thou (0.127mm), 6 thou (0.15mm) |
| Widths | 15mm to 70mm as standard, other widths to order |
| Roll length | 30 metres |
| Backing | Self-adhesive (silicone) or non-adhesive |
| Zone formats | 50mm overall split 10/30/10, and crepe-edged 55mm overall with 25mm usable |
| Continuous temperature | Up to 260°C, the same working limit as our PTFE coatings |
| Commodity code | 70196400 |
These are the sizes we supply most often, not a catalogue. If your machine takes something else, send the dimensions and we'll price it.
We Don't Make This Tape. We Make What Goes Under It.
Worth being straight about, because most sites in this market are vague on it. The tape is built to our specification by a supplier, and we supply it. We're looking at bringing the slitting in house. We're not there yet, and we'd rather tell you that than let you find out later.
What we do make, on our own site, is the heating element and the endless band. We PTFE coat them here too. That's the whole reason this page exists. A heat seal is three parts and we build two of them, so when you send us a machine model we already know what the element runs at, how long the jaw stays shut, and what that does to a 3 thou tape against a 6 thou one.
Buy from a general tape converter and you get tape. Good tape, probably. But nobody there has ever made the element it sits on, so nobody there can tell you why yours keeps lifting at the edges after a fortnight.
The element and the band are ours
We manufacture impulse heat seal elements and endless heat seal bands, and PTFE coat them in the same building. The tape is the third part of that assembly, so we supply it alongside.
Specified, not just stocked
It's made to our specification rather than picked off a wholesaler's list. That's how the same roll turns up every time you reorder, which matters more than it sounds when a line is running.
One order, one delivery
Elements, bands and the tape that covers them on a single order. One supplier, one lead time, one person to ring when something is wrong.
An engineer answers the phone
Not a call centre. Someone who knows what a VFFS jaw does to a tape, and can tell you what you need without three emails first.
Machines That Take PTFE Heat Seal Tape
Heat seal tape covers the sealing face on most machines that use heat and pressure to close a bag or a pouch. If yours is not on this list, it very likely still works the same way.
- Vertical form fill and seal (VFFS)
- Horizontal form fill and seal (HFFS)
- Flow wrap machines
- Impulse bag sealers
- Bench and foot sealers
- Vacuum packers
- Band sealers
- L-sealers and shrink wrappers
- Tray sealers
- Sachet and stick pack machines
- Constant heat jaw sealers
- Medical pouch sealers
We supply parts for Ishida, Ilapak, Rovema, Bosch and dozens of others. Send the make and model with your enquiry and we'll match the tape to the machine rather than to a size chart.
Heat Seal Tape Questions
What is PTFE tape for a heat sealer?
PTFE heat seal tape is a thin PTFE coated glass cloth that covers the heated element or sealing jaw on a heat sealing machine. It stops the plastic film sticking to the hot metal, gives a clean release on every cycle, and protects the element underneath from wear. It comes self-adhesive or non-adhesive, usually between 0.076mm and 0.15mm thick, and it is a consumable: the tape wears out and gets replaced while the element carries on.
What's the difference between self-adhesive and non-adhesive PTFE tape?
Self-adhesive tape has a silicone adhesive on the back and sticks straight onto the jaw or element. Non-adhesive is held mechanically instead, by clamps or by tension, depending on the machine. Fitting one where the other belongs is the most common ordering mistake we see. If you are not sure which yours takes, look at how the old one was held on, or send us a photo.
Which thickness do I need?
3 thou (0.076mm) for a crisp seal line and fast cycles. 6 thou (0.15mm) where you want the tape to last and can live with a slightly softer seal. 5 thou (0.127mm) sits between them and suits most general packing. Dwell time and film type both push the answer around, so tell us what you are running and we will work it out.
Do you supply non-adhesive PTFE heat sealing tape in the UK?
Yes. Non-adhesive PTFE tape in 6 thou at 70mm on 30 metre rolls is a standard line for us, with other widths to order. It is the harder of the two to source in this country, so it is worth asking rather than assuming nobody supplies it.
How long does heat seal tape last?
That depends on cycle rate, temperature and how abrasive your film is, so anyone quoting a flat number is guessing. What we can tell you is that tape failing early is usually a symptom of something else: the wrong thickness, a jaw that has gone out of flat, or an element running hotter than it should. If yours is going through tape faster than it used to, that is worth a phone call.
Can you supply the element and the band as well?
That is the main thing we do. We manufacture impulse heat seal elements and endless heat seal bands and we PTFE coat them on the same site. Most customers who buy tape from us are already buying the parts underneath it, on the same order.
Tell Us What Machine You're Running
Send the make and model, or just the dimensions off the roll you are replacing. We will tell you which tape fits and what it costs. If we think there is a better option than the one you asked for, we will say that too.