Dorrie International's family of flock tapes are engineered products. They are constructed of raw materials which deliver as much process latitude as is possible to the end user. Unfortunately, many of the same qualities that allow them to meet these process requirements also make them susceptible to environmental changes: namely, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures.

In response to some recent tape breaking problems, we have published these guidelines:

• Tape guide (shoe) clearances — Tape guides should be designed to take slit width tolerance into consideration. I.e. 13mm tape should dictate a 13mm tape guide ±0.127mm (Dorrie's stated slit width tolerance).
  
  
• Pre-heating of FlockTape™ — Warming of Dorrie FlockTape™ (via heat-gun, hot shoe, etc) prior to presentation to either guides or the die face will help to alleviate breaking problems. The heat will soften any camber or wrinkles in the tape, thereby presenting a flat, straight surface to the die.
  
  
• FlockTape™ Tension — The unwind process should be designed to isolate the unwind from the die and place minimal tension on the system. This will minimize tape breaks, especially in the proximity of splices.
  
  
• Die Face Protection — Some processes incorporate a small piece of Teflon® (or similar) to protect the backside of the FlockTape™ as it enters the die. Hot steel touching the backside of the tape prior to profile application will cause tape breaks.

For help or advice in implementing any of these process suggestions, contact your Dorrie representative by calling (203) 846-2087 or emailing info@dorrie.com.