Thermally Conductive Double-Sided Tape ⁽¹⁾

High Temp Tapes is a thermally conductive double-sided tape manufacturer supplying materials that combine heat transfer with pressure-sensitive bonding. The range includes carrierless and reinforced constructions for heat sinks, heat spreaders, PCBs, FPCs, and metal housings. Selection should consider bond-line thickness, surface condition, electrical isolation, mechanical load, and assembly method before volume production.

· Material: Thermally conductive acrylic PSA with carrierless or reinforced constructions.
· Structure: Transfer adhesive, fiberglass-reinforced tape, and supported constructions where applicable.
· Supply Form: Master rolls, slit rolls, narrow widths, sheets, kiss-cut parts, and die-cut components.
· Compatible Surfaces: Aluminum, anodized or coated metal, PCB, FPC, and qualified metal housings.
· Customizable: Width, contour, holes, tabs, liner style, winding direction, part pitch, and tolerance.
· Supply Stage: Prototypes, pilot builds, repeat production, and volume purchasing.

Choose the Construction Around the Interface

A carrierless thermal adhesive suits flat, closely matched surfaces where a thin interface matters.

A fiberglass-reinforced tape is better when dimensional stability, narrow-width slitting, handling, or die-cut integrity matters.

Minor machining marks or coating variation may need more conformability. A defined gap or large tolerance stack should not simply be addressed with thicker tape; another thermal interface material may be more suitable.

Benefits

· Combines heat transfer and double-sided bonding in one assembly step.
· Offers carrierless and reinforced structures for different interface conditions.
· Supports electrically insulating grades where required.
· Converts into slit rolls, sheets, kiss-cut parts, and die-cut components.
· Allows validation on actual production surfaces.
· Supports repeat orders through approved drawings and lot-to-lot criteria.

How Should Thermally Conductive Tape Be Validated Before Production?

Use representative parts, including the intended surface finish, mounting direction, and component weight. Apply controlled pressure and check for broad contact without trapped air.

After the bond develops, run sustained heating and check temperature behavior, edge lift, movement, and loss of contact. Add thermal cycling where relevant.

For vertical or heavier components, peel strength alone is not enough. Check sustained shear and creep at a representative operating temperature, especially where vibration is present. Mechanical retention may be needed if movement continues under load.

Select Thickness by the Real Thermal Path

Thermal conductivity is only one part of interface performance. Bond-line thickness, flatness, pressure, contact area, and trapped air also affect the result.

On flat surfaces, a thinner bond line can reduce material thermal resistance. Where surface variation limits wet-out, a more conformable construction may perform better.

Published ASTM D5470 reference testing on one fiberglass-reinforced thermal tape illustrates the effect. For a 0.15 mm sample, measured thermal impedance decreased from about 0.87 to 0.82 C-in2/W when test pressure increased from 5 psi to 15 psi. These are industry reference figures, not High Temp Tapes product data; compare thermal values only with their thickness, pressure, temperature, and method.

TDS / Technical Range

Match the Adhesive to the Surface You Actually Use

Bare machined, anodized, painted, powder-coated, oxidized, and oil-contaminated aluminum surfaces can behave differently.

A heat sink mounting tape qualified on smooth bare aluminum should not automatically be approved for another finish. Surface energy, coating chemistry, texture, and contamination can change wet-out and bond stability, so representative production surfaces should be included in sample validation.

Converted Parts Should Fit the Assembly Process

High Temp Tapes can convert suitable constructions into precision slit rolls, sheets, kiss-cut parts, and die-cut components. For drawing-based parts, confirm contours, holes, tabs, liner dimensions, and orientation.

Manual placement may benefit from an extended liner or pull tab. Semi-automatic or roll-fed processes may require defined part pitch, winding direction, liner-out orientation, and core size. Set tolerance from the material, geometry, liner, and tooling route.

Applications

· Aluminum heat sink attachment where finish, bond area, weight, and mounting direction are validated.
· PCB-to-heat-spreader and PCB-to-metal-housing thermal interfaces.
· FPC bonding where thin construction and accurate positioning matter.
· Power electronics requiring heat transfer with specified electrical insulation.
· Metal chassis or housings used as part of the thermal path.
· LED modules and boards, with exact LED-specific values handled on the dedicated product page.
· Custom converted parts for manual, semi-automatic, or roll-fed assembly.

Production Inputs for Repeat Orders

Repeat production starts with a clear record of the heat source, receiving material, bond area, surface finish, available thickness, thermal and electrical requirements, temperature, mounting direction, component weight, vibration condition, and assembly method.

For converted parts, include drawing revision, critical dimensions, tolerance, liner, winding direction, part pitch, and production quantities. The approved sample should establish the construction and geometry for repeat orders.

For repeat programs, define lot-to-lot checks for thickness, adhesion, liner release, and converted dimensions.

When Is a Thin Bond Line Better Than a More Conformable Tape Structure?

Choose a thinner construction when mating surfaces are flat, contact area is broad, and the assembly can maintain even pressure. More conformability is useful when minor surface variation would otherwise leave incomplete contact.

The goal is a stable interface with good wet-out and enough mechanical holding. Heavy, vertical, or vibration-exposed heat sinks should be validated under representative heating and load.

FAQ

How do I choose between carrierless and fiberglass-reinforced thermal tape?

Use carrierless construction for flat, low-profile interfaces; use fiberglass reinforcement when handling stability, narrow slitting, or die-cut integrity matters.

Which specifications should be confirmed before a sample is made?

Provide substrate finish, bond area, thickness limit, thermal/electrical requirements, temperature, component weight, mounting direction, drawing, tolerance, liner, and assembly method.

What test information should be reviewed before volume purchasing?

Review thermal values with thickness, pressure, temperature, and test method. Adhesion data should identify the substrate and dwell condition, with lot-to-lot requirements defined for repeat programs.

How are MOQ requirements different for slit rolls and die-cut parts?

MOQ depends on construction, master-roll availability, width, tooling, part geometry, liner configuration, and quantity. Custom die-cut parts may also require drawing approval.