Industry Case Studies

Industrial

The manufacturing line is no place for run-of-the-mill tapes. From reinforced tape that bonds and joins to industrial-strength fabric adhesives and double-sided bonding tape that provides heavy-duty performance in your product, Plustar is primed to answer your demanding application needs. Partnered with industrial tape manufacturers like 3M, Combi, Nitto (Permacel), and tesa, we’re able to provide quality tape and bonding solutions that exceed your product demands and keep you up and running.

Commonly used for:

General Manufacturing
Distribution
Assembly

Case Study 1

Plastic Extruding

Plustar's client is an extruder of soft and hard plastic profiles wishing to protect the decorative surface of a continuously extruded soft plastic trim. The trim profiles to be protected are all unique widths ranging from 0.5" to 2.0"+. The continuous extrusion process also introduced labor challenges with off-the-shelf rolls of tape due to the shorter lengths and increased labor due to roll changes.

Plustar discovered that the key requirements are that upon removal, the tape must not cause ghosting on the surface of the material and should remove cleanly leaving no adhesive residue. The tape must be provided in narrow widths and long lengths. The tape should be capable of remaining adhered to the material during spooling, storage and final installation of the product.

The Solution:

Evaluation of the extrusion process and materials led to a suitable choice of protective film. Samples were provided and approved. Custom slit rolls of this film tape, as narrow as 0.5" and as long as 3,000 feet were required and provided for customer approval on their production line. Long length rolls reduce the number of roll changes and interruptions on the extrusion line. Due to the nature of the tape, a thin, stretchy film and the need for very long roll lengths, slitting and winding was performed in house at Plustar. Finished rolls are packaged appropriately to allow for long term storage and to prevent deformation of the rolls due to changes in temperature and humidity.

I'm very happy that Plustar was able to find a solution that met our unique needs. Plustar stocks our product in raw form and custom slits it to the widths required for each specific job.

Pat (Owner)

Case Study 2

Fresh Produce Distribution

Stretch Film – Our client and their operations team was tasked with reducing the annual package supply budget. They company spent approximately $51,000 on traditional Stretch Film and was looking to create a 10% cost reduction for the upcoming year.

Plustar evaluated the application, product load characteristics and presented multiple - new, high performance Stretch Films. These films are specifically designed to secure their unique loads while using less product to do so. Plustar's Stretch Film was pre-stretched and manufactured to be thinner and stronger than the traditional films on the market.

The Solution:

The customer tested and qualified one of Plustar's new films that met their satisfaction, accomplished the job they set out to do, and used 30% less material per load. So far this year, the customer is on pace to spend $34,000 on Stretch Film, and reduce their annual cost by 33%! Additional benefits included a lower environmental impact due to reduced film usage.

My Plustar sales representative was able to come in, analyze my application, show me something new, and identify a way for me to save over $10,000 annually! Through Plustar’s inventory management services, I have been able to receive an uninterrupted supply of product at a cost reductive price, leaving more time for me to get other things accomplished during my day.

Scott R. (Warehouse/Shipping Director)

Case Study 3

Food Production/Distribution

Carton Sealing in Cold Conditions – The customer was experiencing a carton sealing tape failure when they would transfer packages from the food production line to the refrigerator and freezer. This was causing boxes to open prematurely and product to be spilled out and wasted. They reached out to Plustar for help solving their tape challenges.

Plustar looked at the conditions and influencing elements surrounding the application. Identified temperature variations for each package and determined what items stayed on the floor, which went the refrigerator, and which went in the freezer. Measured time spent exposed in each temperature range. With this information, Plustar used their industry experience and expertise to make suggestions for changing the adhesive system per package, based on where it would need to be stored.

The Solution:

Use different tapes for different boxes based on where they will be stored; either the freezer, refrigerator, or warehouse floor. This helped the customer to not overuse premium freezer tape when it wasn’t needed, and not use general purpose tape in cold conditions. By matching the adhesive systems to the environments they will be exposed to, the customer has not seen any more spilled product due to tape failure.

I contacted my Plustar sales rep seeking a solution to a tape problem that had been costing us time and money. They came out that same day and used their experience to narrow down the right products for our application, and set us up with a new and more effective way of sealing our cartons.

Joel P. (Distribution Manager)