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How to Spec an Aerospace Bonding Tape Part: What to Send H-O for a Quote
The fastest way to a useful bonding-tape quote is to name the job and both surfaces, not just ask for a strong tape. A tape part is defined by the two surfaces and their finishes, the load, and whether the bond is permanent or must release, and the lowest-energy surface often decides the grade. Here is the short list of facts that move a request from vague to manufacturable, and what our engineering team does with each one. H-O converts tapes and supplies data; bond validation stays with your program.
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The nine facts to send, and what each one decides
A bonded or mounted tape part is defined by the two surfaces and the job, so a useful quote starts there, not with a tape name. The nine facts below are what our applications engineering team needs to recommend a grade and convert it accurately. H-O converts tapes and supplies the maker's data; bond validation for the application stays with your program. Send what you have and we will flag what is open.
- The job. Permanent bonding, sensor or bracket mounting, or fixturing that must release later. Removable and permanent grades are different families, so this comes first.
- Both surfaces and their finishes. Metal, glass, paint, powder coat, composite, or plastic, since the lowest-energy surface decides whether a general-purpose or an LSE grade is needed. Finishes matter as much as the base material.
- Bond area and geometry. The footprint available and the part outline, since bond area carries load roughly in proportion to its size, and the geometry sets the die-cut shape.
- The load on the joint. Static weight, peel or cleavage forces, and vibration, which inform the grade and whether a foam, transfer, or hybrid tape fits.
- Service temperature. Continuous and peak temperature, since a pure acrylic softens in a hot zone and points toward a silicone-acrylic hybrid.
- Cabin-interior fire requirement. Whether the part lives in the cabin where the FAR 25.853 context applies, so the grade's documentation can reference it.
- Removability requirement. Whether the part must come off cleanly later, for fixturing or rework, which points to a removable or cling-foam grade.
- Environment. UV exposure, fluids, humidity, and cleaning agents, which can rule a chemistry in or out.
- Format and quantities. Preferred liner, finger-lift tabs, roll or die-cut part, plus sample needs, estimated usage, and kit structure.
From Request to Converted Part
| What you send | What it decides |
|---|---|
| Job (bond / mount / fixture) | Permanent vs removable family |
| Both surfaces and finishes | General-purpose vs LSE grade |
| Bond area and load | Foam vs transfer vs hybrid; the cross-section |
| Temperature and fire requirement | Silicone-acrylic for heat; FAR 25.853 context for cabin |
| Format and quantities | Liner, finger-lift, die-cut shape, kit structure |
Qualitative guidance only; confirm grades, cleaning, and dwell on the maker's technical data sheet. Bond validation for the application is the program's.
What engineering does with the list
With the job and surfaces defined, we shortlist a family: acrylic foam tape for conformable panel bonding, an LSE grade for powder coat or composites, a transfer tape for a thin bond line, a silicone-acrylic hybrid for hot zones, and a removable grade for fixturing. The load and temperature narrow the grade, the fire requirement filters for cabin use, and the geometry and format set the converting method, including custom liners and finger-lift tabs. The output is a grade direction plus a converted-part quote, not a bond validation.
What happens after you send it
We confirm the grade direction and the converting approach, quote the converted, die-cut part to your drawing, and flag open questions, such as an unstated finish or a missing dwell-time constraint. For common configurations on materials we keep on hand, samples typically ship in three to five business days; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, with expedited service available. Every order carries the maker's TDS, including surface, dwell, and temperature guidance, under our ISO 9001:2015 certified quality management system.
The mistakes this checklist prevents
The list heads off the costly failures. Without both finishes, a general-purpose tape can be specified for a low-energy surface it cannot wet. Without the load, a thin transfer tape can be chosen where a gap-filling foam was needed. Without the temperature, a pure acrylic can be placed in a hot zone. And without the removability requirement, a permanent tape can be quoted for a part that must come off later. Nine facts up front replace several rounds of revision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important thing to tell H-O about a tape part?
The job and both surfaces with their finishes. Whether the bond is permanent or removable picks the family, and the lowest-energy surface, powder coat, composite, paint, or plastic, decides whether a general-purpose or an LSE grade is needed. Add the load and the temperature and we can point at a grade quickly.
Do I need a full drawing, or is a sketch enough?
A drawing or DXF is ideal for the die-cut shape, but a dimensioned sketch starts a quote, and we can work from a sample part. What we need early is the job, both surfaces and finishes, the bond area, and the load, since those define the tape before the cut shape is finalized.
Can H-O laminate tape onto insulation or gasket materials as one part?
Yes, and it is one of the most useful things we do. We laminate a bonding tape onto a gasket, insulation pad, bracket, or other substrate and die-cut the assembly as a single converted part with a finger-lift liner, so your line peels and places one piece instead of aligning two. Send both materials and the geometry and we will quote the laminated part.
Does tape work on GSE hardware that gets powder-coated after assembly?
For bond-then-coat work, pre-powdercoat grades are designed to survive the coating process and hold parts through it. Tell us the process temperatures and the sequence and we will steer toward a grade rated for it. As always, the surfaces and the process govern the bond, and the application validation belongs to your program.
How fast can I get bonding-tape samples?
For common die-cut configurations on tapes we keep on hand, samples typically ship in three to five business days. Standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval, with expedited service available. Lead time depends on the grade, the die-cut shape, and whether the part is a simple cut or a laminated assembly; confirm specifics with your quote.
Send the surfaces, get a bonding-tape quote
Send the job, both surfaces and their finishes, the bond area and load, and the temperature, and we will recommend a grade and quote converted, die-cut parts to your drawing.
Samples typically ship in 3 to 5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand; standard production runs about two weeks after drawing approval; expedited service is available. MOQ varies by material and part.
Family-owned in Winsted, Connecticut since 1971 · ISO 9001:2015 certified · OEMs worldwide send us a drawing — and get back their part.
Related reading
Request a quote for your aerospace bonding & adhesive tape part
Send H-O your drawing or describe the part—engineering reviews every RFQ and converts samples on your geometry.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
References
- ASTM D3330 (peel adhesion); ASTM D3654 (shear adhesion / holding power); ASTM D3652 (thickness); ASTM D2979 (probe tack); ASTM D1002 / D897 (adhesive bond strength). Cited by designation.
- FAR 25.853 (cabin-interior flammability context), cited by designation only; H-O makes no structural or airworthiness claim.
- Manufacturer technical data sheets: acrylic foam tape (AFTC), LSE acrylic foam and plastic-bonding grades, acrylic transfer and ultra-thin tapes, double-coated and differential tapes, silicone-acrylic hybrids, heat-activated, removable, cling-foam, and pre-powdercoat grades.
This article summarizes bonding-tape selection principles using the families and method designations cited on the parent application page. The bonding scope here is interior panels, placards and trim, sensor and bracket mounting, and fixturing and manufacturing assembly under the customer's own process approvals; tape is not presented as a substitute for certified structural fasteners on flight-critical structure, and no structural-flight or certification claims are made.
FAR 25.853 is cited by designation only as the cabin-interior fire-requirements context. Comparisons are qualitative; values are per each grade's current technical data sheet, and no test results are quoted. All parts are custom converted to order; minimum run quantities vary by tape and part. H-O converts adhesive tapes; it does not manufacture the adhesives.