Buy electrical insulating tape and be prepared for any defect: Insulating tapes are true all-rounders

The first mass-produced insulating tape could be bought in the early 1930s. It was still made of impregnated cotton fabric. 3M produced the first of these PVC-based tapes in the mid-1940s. This modern material had higher adhesion and improved moisture protection. Today, we still use PVC or Soft PVC as a base material for cable insulation tape.

In the years that followed, PVC tapes were improved and the product range was constantly expanded. Newer tapes offer improved long-term stability, adhesion and heat resistance and are easy to unroll. The adhesive layer does not come off, the material always remains flexible. In addition to an extended temperature range, high tear strength, elasticity and resilience are the advantages of today's best products.

Strict quality controls and tests of raw materials and processes ensure the consistently high quality of insulating tape. For almost any application, even under the most adverse conditions, users can choose from a complete system of high-quality, coordinated insulating tapes for use in repair, service and maintenance. In addition to PVC electrical tapes in various colours and qualities, the range also includes corrosion protection tapes, self-sealing rubber tapes, marking tapes, conductive metal tapes and assembly tapes.

PVC insulating tape for cables, pipes and more is also popular with professionals as an all-purpose repair tape

Electrical insulating tape can be found in most households and should not be missing from any toolbox. It is mainly made of PVC and is non-conductive, making it suitable for repairing the insulation of live wires and is often used by electricians. It is also popular as an all-purpose repair tape.

Due to the large number of electrical appliances, there are a number of cables in almost every home that are easily damaged and thus represent a source of danger. A quick and easy remedy is adhesive tape. You will find a wide range of colours and can choose between wide and narrow tapes in different sizes.

To keep the safety risk low, adhesive tape belongs in every good toolbox. Where do craftsmen buy such tape? The best place is at Verpacking, because we have a huge selection and favourable prices. Due to its high flexibility, our adhesive tape can be easily adapted to different shapes. The fabric tape unwinds easily, has a stabilising effect and adheres firmly. Therefore, it can be used over a long period of time and can be used for various repairs.

Packing tapes are a simple, inexpensive and reliable means of sealing shipping boxes and are used daily in trade and industry as well as in the household. But what appears at first glance to be a very simple product is actually much more complex than one might think.

From paper packaging tape to double-sided adhesive tape to extremely flexible PVC adhesive tape, the requirements and materials used vary greatly depending on the application. Adhesive tapes are an indispensable everyday tool for electrical work, but at the same time so familiar and banal that you almost don't notice them. Insulating tapes fulfil important and irreplaceable functions in electrical installations.

Since the first generation of tapes, materials, technologies and special solutions have been continuously developed and improved. The range of tapes for electrical work is just as extensive as for a variety of other applications. In addition to PVC electrical tapes in various colours and qualities, the range also includes corrosion protection tapes, self-sealing rubber tapes, marking tapes, conductive metal tapes and mounting tapes.

Our electrical tapes are suitable for insulating, fastening, binding, sealing and marking

We offer engineers, specifiers and electricians a wide range of PVC and rubber-based electrical tapes that are ideal for insulating, fixing, binding, sealing and marking. Different sizes, colours and materials enable the professional use of electrical tapes in a wide range of applications: whether as a quick aid for cable repairs, for sealing connection points, as a visual warning sign for temporary cable laying or as a clear cable marking: insulating tapes can be used universally.

This is also reflected in the wide range of adhesive tapes: the tape family includes classic insulating tape, conductive adhesive tape, heat-resistant adhesive tape, self-welding adhesive tape and fabric adhesive tape. Different electrical tapes are characterised by different mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength and abrasion resistance, electromagnetic properties or tightness and water resistance. Thanks to this diversity, the insulating tape family can meet almost all requirements.

The use of high-quality insulating tapes offers optimum protection against UV radiation, dust, moisture, dirt, acids, alkalis and solvents, and this over a wide temperature range. When it comes to masking, sealing and padding, our adhesive tapes are hard to beat in terms of efficiency, speed, durability and safety. Appropriate standards and certifications guarantee the high quality of the insulating tapes.

Perfect protection of cables and wires with insulating tapes from Tesa and 3M

Insulating tapes are non-conductive. They are highly resistant to abrasion and protect cables and wires from moisture and mechanical stress. When overlapped, the tape can be used as a water or vapour barrier. Soft PVC adhesive tapes are easy to apply at temperatures from -5°C to +70°C, easy to unroll and easy to tear off by hand. A self-sealing silicone tape is suitable for temperatures from -65°C to +260°C. Iso-Tapes contain high-quality adhesive; they have good adhesion and better release. This allows the tape to be removed from cables within 72 hours without leaving aggressive adhesive traces.

Which manufacturers are most in demand? Tesa electrical tape is very popular. This is a classic PVC electrical tape with rubber adhesive for insulating and repairing. The self-sealing repair tape is also in demand: it adheres without a sticky surface and is therefore also suitable for use on wet surfaces.

In addition, 3M is one of the leading manufacturers of adhesive tapes. 3M Scotch Electrical Tape is one of the most popular items here. According to the manufacturer, it is UV-resistant and elastic even at low temperatures. Inexpensive plastic adhesive tape is also available online in our shop.

What should you look for when buying insulating tape?

If you want to buy a good insulating tape, you should consider a few things to find the right tape for the purpose. Adhesive tapes come in different widths, thicknesses and lengths. Depending on whether you are wrapping a thin electrical cable or temporarily sealing a hose, a narrower or wider tape may be beneficial. Common widths range from 10 mm to 25 mm and the most common is the 10 m x 15 mm tape in blue or green-yellow. In case of mechanical impact, it is advisable to choose a correspondingly thicker tape. If the tape is used indoors, a light tape with rubber as the adhesive is often sufficient. Acrylic adhesive tape has the best properties in terms of UV, temperature and weather resistance.

Other quality features are tear resistance and heat resistance. Electrical tape is also characterised by the fact that it is available in different colours such as black or white as electrical cable and in different signal colours such as yellow or red as colour coding. Green-yellow insulating tape is also common to identify the protective conductor in an electrical installation. Incidentally, it is usually marked with the VDE-Isoband test symbol.

Insulating, sealing and repairing: Cable insulating tape belongs in any technical toolbox

You can use insulating tape to separate cables from each other so that no more electrons can jump from the conductive tape of one cable to that of the other. That's why no workshop or technical case should be without insulating tape. But even if the name suggests otherwise, the adhesive tape is actually used less for insulation, because there are safe solutions for this nowadays. It is used more for tying cables and holding them securely. Adhesive tapes play an important role, especially when it comes to colour-coding individual current-carrying cables and their inputs and outputs. That's why you should always have different colours in your toolbox. There are six common colours of insulating tape Where do electricians buy it in red, blue, yellow, green, black and white? At Verpacking you can put together your own colourful insulating tape set with different coloured insulating tapes. You will find all this in our assortment.

Self-sealing tape is a special tape for sealing, repairing and insulating. The tape sticks to itself without adhesive and adheres well to dirty, oily and wet surfaces. The tape is suitable for sealing, it seals openings and leaks in hoses, lines and pipes.

Self-sealing tape repairs cables with a dielectric strength of up to 8000 volts and can also be used in extreme cold and heat (-65 °C to +260 °C) and under water. Premium adhesive tape satisfies even the highest demands! The self-adhesive sealing tape has a dielectric strength of 35 kV/mm and can be used at temperatures from -40 °C to +90 °C.

Unlike other adhesive tapes, the insulating tape for cables is not conductive and is therefore suitable for repairing and insulating cables, for example. Adhesive tape can also be used for identification. With different colours, for example, users can make different markings.

How to use insulating tape in different everyday situations

You can use this tape to renew the sheathing of electrical cables. Therefore, it is used for quick, major and minor repairs. For example, you can temporarily seal a leaking garden hose so that water no longer flows out or a cable no longer conducts electricity. The tape is also suitable for masking, fixing or marking cables. Depending on where you want to use the tape, it should have a striking colour. Otherwise, the tape should be barely visible. A black tape is often practical for this.

PVC insulating tape can also be used in many everyday situations. Because it is waterproof, even minor damage to a hose or cable can be temporarily repaired with tape. Masking tape in all colours can also be used to mask, mark or fix objects. With strong adhesive power and high flexibility, it can be easily attached to various surfaces such as glass, metal, plastic, etc.

Make sure to use VDE-approved insulating tapes as intended in electrical engineering. To achieve a durable and safe result, adhesive tape should always be applied in overlapping layers. The latter must be laid 50 mm looser and free of tension so that the tape does not come loose again.

How to find the right insulating tapes for different purposes

It is very important to match the tape and the purpose. Be sure to check which applications the tape is approved for. For example, adhesive tape from our range can only be used with low-voltage electrical cables up to 6000 V. You should also consider the length of the roll and the thickness of the glue, the width and thickness of the adhesive tape. Some tapes are 19 mm wide, 25 metres long and temperature insensitive up to 90 °C.

Good insulation tape is easy to unwind and wrap around a wire because it is soft and elastic. It provides strong adhesion that lasts for a long period of time. Therefore, the tape is usually not only resistant to UV radiation, but also cold and heat resistant and can withstand strong temperature changes.

The adhesive tape can not only be used to update the cable sheathing, but can also be used for various smaller and larger repairs. For example, leaking hoses can be temporarily sealed until they are completely replaced. In addition, the insulating tape is suitable for masking, fixing or marking, for example to identify cables. Since it adheres to many surfaces such as plastic, glass or metal, it is versatile.

Even when using brown, white or transparent standard adhesive tapes, there are some material differences. The backing material is polypropylene or PVC film or kraft paper.

PVC is particularly resilient, flexible and tear-resistant and is especially suitable for making sturdy plastic cartons. In combination with natural rubber adhesive, it can be unrolled silently and evenly in the form of adhesive tapes. Because it is easy to print, it is often used to make custom-printed adhesive tapes.

Polypropylene has a high tear strength and is ideal for making light to medium weight boxes. Depending on the adhesive used, it rolls as quietly as PVC tape. Paper has proven to be a stable backing material and can stretch depending on the processing. It is suitable for light to medium-weight cartons and can be easily labelled or printed.

Both synthetic and natural materials are available as glue. Hot melt is a synthetic rubber that sticks quickly. It is also transparent and easy to wrap around the tape. Acrylic is a synthetic water-based adhesive. It impresses with its high transparency and good permanent adhesion as well as UV and ageing resistance.

Where can I use insulating tape? Finding the right tape for indoor and outdoor use

With insulating tape, companies acquire a versatile and high-quality adhesive tape made of PVC with good resistance to moisture, abrasion, acids and alkalis. It is suitable for indoor use as well as weather-protected outdoor areas where temperatures can vary from 0 °C to 90 °C. The tape is designed for general insulation up to 1 kV and its large colour range is ideal for marking and colour coding.

The electrical tape is voltage resistant up to 6000 V and is a proven partner for plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen. The tape impresses with excellent adhesive properties at low temperatures, even on steel, and can be used both outdoors and indoors. The tape is certified according to the applicable standards.

As mentioned at the beginning, the tape is waterproof and does not conduct electricity. It is often made of PVC, which makes it flame retardant, so users can use it to wrap cable sheathing. This gives the tape high strength and makes it particularly resistant. It proves its versatility as it can be used on various surfaces such as metal, glass or plastic.

Professional insulation in compliance with VDE 0340-3-1

You want to use PVC insulating tape for electrical applications? Then be sure to follow this important advice: Professional insulation should only be carried out with tried and tested heat shrink tubing! Fuse tape is marked with the VDE mark or a comparable test mark. Strictly speaking, however, this only means that the tape is non-conductive and does not affect the existing insulation. Using insulating tape to permanently repair cables that are damaged or to sheathe bare, live cables is no longer one of the uses of tape today, because safety standards for cable lines have been greatly tightened since the 1030s.

You can easily unwind a good vinyl tape to apply it directly to the pipe for sealing. Repair tape has certification and is very flexible, so it will conform exactly to the texture and thickness of the cable. However, if you want to make permanent repairs, it is only suitable to a limited extent, as it offers less stability and strength compared to a cable jacket such as heat shrink tubing. Tape is perfect for insulating something for a short time or temporarily.

Insulating tape is the all-purpose repair solution for professionals and do-it-yourselfers

As an all-purpose repair tape, rolls of insulating tape are not only popular with electricians, but can also be found in the toolbox of many DIY enthusiasts. Practical and inexpensive are sets with several rolls in different colours that can be used for different purposes. If you are looking for adhesive tape for outdoor use, you should pay attention to the type of adhesive.