Packaging tape is a type of adhesive tape purposed for general sealing, wrapping, enclosing, and bundling to prepare items for handling, storage, or shipping. Packaging tape and film is widely used to seal boxes, bottles, and other isolating storage units, but is only temporary. Packaging tape operation is consistent, despite the mechanism of adhesion. Packaging tapes are applied to the seams and joints of various storage receptacles to maintain a tolerance that keeps cargo within the restraint of the receptacle. Packaging tapes are common for sealing box seams in parcel delivery; sealing caps of bottles; tamper-proofing pill and food containers; the bundling of similarly-shaped items into one larger, more manageable footprint; and the enclosure of items in a protective film or liner. Tapes contrast by the materials of construction, as well as the type of adhesive employed. Package tapes are often applied by the use of a dispenser, which eases the unraveling and cutting of the sticky adhesive. Production processes often automate packaging with the use of a carton sealer. Examples are Parcel tape, colloquially box tape or packing tape, is a simple, medium-strength tape designed for sealing corrugated fiberboard seams. It is widely used in package delivery and mail services, as well as general sealing and enclosing. Brown-colored and translucent tape is most common, but other designs with messages or patterns are manufactured. Adhesion is achieved by pressure sensitive or water-activated designs on a paper, polymer, or acrylic carrier. Filament tape (a.k.a strapping tape) is a high-strength, pressure adhesive type of packaging tape, and is most often used for bundling items, pallet stacking, and seam sealing. The carrier is frequently polyester or polypropylene and fiberglass, providing the capability to withhold several hundred pounds of pressure. Multiple pieces of tape in a cross-seam orientation can significantly increase box strength.
