Top Applications of Reflective Tape: From Traffic to Everyday Use
Reflective tape
It is a safety industrial tape that serves as a warning. It is commonly used to mark hazardous areas, and signify vessels, and trucks, ensuring traffic safety, especially in low-light or nighttime conditions.
Of course, reflective tape comes in various types. Some can be attached to fabrics and are used to make safety clothing, shoes, and hats. Another type is used for home decoration, such as on windows and hallways, providing both aesthetic appeal and a certain level of safety.
INTRODUCTION
This tape is one of the main products of Shenzhen World Packing Industrial Limited. It is highly functional, practical, durable, and available in various styles to meet different needs, making it popular among customers.
Classification of Reflective Tape
1) PET surface layer
Features:
PET offers excellent weather resistance and chemical resistance. It has a smooth surface, is scratch-resistant, and provides strong UV protection, ensuring long-lasting performance. The material has high strength, is difficult to tear, and is environmentally friendly, often used as a recyclable material.
Applications:
Used for outdoor signage that requires long-term durability, such as traffic signs, vehicle reflective decals, etc. It is suitable for environments that demand strong durability, waterproofing, and corrosion resistance.
2) PVC surface layer
Features:
PVC has good flexibility, making it easy to cut and apply. It offers good water resistance but has relatively weak weather resistance and UV protection. It is cost-effective and can be enhanced with plasticizers to improve flexibility.
Applications:
Ideal for short-term signage, such as temporary road barriers and warehouse labels.
3) Acrylic surface
Features:
Acrylic has high transparency, strong gloss, and striking visual effects. It offers good wear resistance and impact resistance. Compared to PET, acrylic is harder but less flexible.
Applications:
High-end decorative signage, such as mall displays and advertising signs. It is used in situations where visual impact is important, such as decorative reflective decals.
4) Inkjet acrylic
Features:
Based on an acrylic layer, inkjet technology allows for the printing of complex patterns or text. It retains the transparency of acrylic while offering rich colors and high clarity. However, the printed layer has slightly lower scratch resistance and requires a protective film to enhance durability.
Applications:
Used in the advertising industry, such as custom signage and creative design plaques. It is also suitable for personalized decoration, such as reflective pattern designs on vehicles or home interiors.
5) Pure PVC
Features:
Based on an acrylic layer, inkjet technology allows for the printing of complex patterns or text. It retains the transparency of acrylic while offering rich colors and high clarity. However, the printed layer has slightly lower scratch resistance and requires a protective film to enhance durability.
Applications:
Used in the advertising industry, such as custom signage and creative design plaques. It is also suitable for personalized decoration, such as reflective pattern designs on vehicles or home interiors.
Working Principle
The working principle of reflective tape is primarily based on the characteristics of light reflection and refraction. Its reflective effect comes from the microprism structure or glass beads on its surface, which reflect incident light back toward the light source. This is achieved mainly in the following ways:
Microprism Reflection
The surface is coated with precisely arranged tiny prisms, which can reflect light multiple times and direct it back to the original light source (known as retroreflection). This reflection method makes the tape appear especially bright when illuminated by light sources such as car headlights or flashlights at night.
Glass Bead Reflection
The surface of the reflective tape is coated with glass beads of high refractive index. Light enters the beads, undergoes refraction, and is then reflected back to the original direction by the underlying reflective material. Glass beads are cost-effective, provide stable performance, and are commonly used as reflective materials.
These materials exhibit retroreflection characteristics, where incident light returns almost along its original path, allowing drivers or users to see it, thereby achieving a warning effect. In contrast, the reflection on regular object surfaces is diffuse reflection, where light scatters in multiple directions, resulting in much lower reflective efficiency compared to reflective materials.
Production Process of Reflective Tape Patterns
Upon close observation, it can be seen that different types of reflective tapes have distinct patterns.
Microprism Pattern Production
Using mold embossing technology, microprism structures are pressed onto the surface of the plastic. The pattern design in the mold determines the surface pattern of the reflective tape, such as diagonal lines, grids, etc. This process is complex but results in significant reflective effects and is mainly used for high-performance reflective materials.
Glass Bead Surface Pattern
Glass beads are adhered to the tape surface through coating or spraying methods. Laser engraving or chemical etching technology is used to form patterns (such as zebra stripes, checkered patterns) on the underlying reflective film.
Printing Process Patterns
Some reflective tapes use screen printing technology to directly print reflective ink onto the surface of the tape. This method offers strong pattern diversity and allows for custom complex designs.
Multi-layer Composite Process
Multi-layer materials (such as PVC or PET) are compounded, and patterns are formed through cutting or heat pressing. This process is commonly used for PVC or low-cost tapes, with simple patterns but stable effects.
Company Info.
Shenzhen World Packing Industrial Limited is a supplier of packaging products such as adhesive tapes and stretch films with more than 20 years of production and export experience. Our products are exported to many countries around the world and we have been committed to providing customers with high-quality products with stable quality and price advantages.
Our reflective tape boasts an annual sales volume of 150,000 rolls and is highly praised by customers. If you are looking for a cost-effective, reliable, and versatile reflective tape, don't hesitate to contact us!
Email: sales@world-packing.com
Phone: +86-755-28332523
Whatsapp:+86 18688985770
