Design the joint for the tape
Acrylic foam tape is strongest when the load spreads across the bond. Design the joint right and the tape outperforms the fasteners it replaces; design it wrong and any tape will let go.
Design for shear
Shear loads run parallel to the bond surface — the load the sizing tables are built on. Spread the load across as much continuous tape area as the part allows, and use the per-pound tables on the Tape Calculator page to size the total length, then add margin for real-world conditions.
Avoid peel and cleavage
Peel concentrates the entire load on one edge of the bond line; cleavage pries the joint apart from one side. Both unload the tape a strip at a time. If your geometry forces a peel angle, redesign the bracket, add a mechanical stop, or talk to us before you commit.
Practical rules
- Use continuous strips rather than small dabs wherever the part allows.
- Maximize bonded area; keep the load close to the surface to cut leverage.
- Match tape stiffness to the joint: both BeeBond cores are conformable foam (1.10 mm Black, 1.00 mm Clear) that wet out across slight surface variation.
- Respect the temperature envelope: 90 °C long-term, 150 °C short-term.
- Allow 24 hours of cure before loading the joint to its design load.
The full Design Playbook (PDF) is available through the guides portal. Designing something structural or unusual? Send it through an Application Review — surfaces, load, and environment — and we will help you spec it.