What are the best Automotive Masking tape

The Automotive masking tape (Auto body masking tape) is applied on the car to mask off the areas that should not be treated or painted.

The Auto body masking tape can be used alone on the surface to protect, or aid the application of other products such as masking film or masker.

Auto body masking tape is very important, protecting the car body from overspray of primers, abrasives and paints. Auto body masking tape is for sure the most versatile and flexible product involved in car paining.

Auto body masking tape is applied on the car to mask off the areas that should not be treated or painted. A good tape should resist the high temperature required during drying cycles, withstand the chemicals in the paint and guarantee perfect adhesion to prevent the paint from bleeding through. Additional qualities include removal without residue, high conformability to fit irregular surfaces, easy and controlled unwind.

 

Tape width: the width of Auto body masking tape is important, as different tapes are required for different uses. Larger masking tapes are perfect to support masking films and paper when covering wide areas of the car, while the narrowest tapes can be used directly on small components or surfaces for a high precision masking. Another important feature to consider is the thickness of the tape, which is the distance between the backing and the adhesive surface.
 

Tensile strength: tensile strength indicates the force required to break the tape or, in other words, the maximum load it can withstand. A tape with a high value of this parameter avoid breaks and rips when applied and removed.
 

Elongation capability: strictly related to tensile strength, elongation is the ability of the tape to stretch when force is applied. Elongation is important when applying the tape on the car, stretching it to fit irregular surfaces: in this particular case, we talk about conformability.
 

Temperature resistance: this is one of the most important features of a car masking tape. Car painting requires one or more drying cycles, during which the car is exposed to high temperatures: in these phases, the tape has to keep its hold steadily and prevent the paint from bleeding, or the adhesive from sticking too much to the paint itself. Good car masking tapes should withstand a temperature above 80° to perform properly.
 

Shear adhesion: this parameter indicates the ability of a car masking tape to bear the weight of an object prior to come loose from a vertical plane. In car painting, you have to consider shear adhesion when choosing a tape to apply masking films or paper: in this case, shear adhesion indicates the time the tape can keep the film in place, before slipping downward.
 

Water and solvent resistance: when you are using water-based paints, water resistance is important as it refers to the capability of the tape to resist water, keeping unaltered the features of its adhesive. Strictly related to water resistance we find solvent resistance, which indicates the ability of the tape to resist the attack of organic solvents.

We are at the end of our guide: you have now some more information to choose the best car masking tape for your job