In the highly technical arena of industrial painting, there’s a lot more to masking-up than just picking up a roll of masking tape and getting going.
Although a seemingly simple part of the process, anyone involved in masking up an expensive car, aeroplane or boat knows that a shortcut when masking up generally leads to very costly failures down the line.
Selecting the Right Masking Tape for Industrial Applications
Choosing the correct masking tape if the first step in creating a perfect finish. It’s worth considering a few more specialist tapes tailored to the job you’re doing, rather than just choosing the cheapest product.
High-Temperature Masking Tape
For applications where the product will be baked is a more obvious application, but It’s also worth considering high-temperature tape for situations where the object you’re masking will be outdoors or exposed to sunlight before unmasking.
High-Adhesion Masking Tape
High-adhesion masking tape is ideal for slight irregular surfaces including timber, rubber or shotblasted surfaces.
It’s also a good option for applications where there will be high-pressure spraying (including airless spraying) where the tape can easily be blown off during spraying.
Low-Adhesion Masking Tape
Low-adhesion masking tape is a good choice when the surface you are protecting is very delicate and must not face the risk to delamination when removing the tape.
Long-Life Masking Tape
Products like 3M’s 14-day tape are designed to be used on when you don’t plan to remove the tape for several days. The adhesive remains sticky but is still removable after a longer period without leaving a residue behind.
Blending Tape
Blending Tape is a flexible foam combined with a masking tape is designed for the masking of swage lines (like door apertures) and panel edges to blend old and new paintwork without forming a hard line.
Aluminium Tape
Aluminium masking tape is perfect for masking areas which need to have an extremely high protection against chemicals or any bleed. Typical applications for this include aircraft which will be exposed to paint stripper and other solvents.
Gaffer Tape
Gaffer Tape (also called Duct Tape, Duck Tape or Gaffa Tape) is not actually a masking tape but is often used for this where maximum adhesion is required on difficult or rough surfaces. It’s worth noting though that it doesn’t create a clean line and paint bleed is highly likely.
Fine Line Tape
Fine line tape is used for creating lines on cars, aircraft, boats or almost any other application. This tape is typically available in very narrow widths and has a flexible, highly accurate and clean edge. It can be stretched in curved shapes making it perfect for forming lines and curves on the item being painted.
Other Masking Products
Masking up more than just regular, small shapes? Here are a few other masking products you should have in your arsenal:
Masking films
Masking films are normally used alongside masking tapes and are used for protecting large areas that would take too long to mask using online tape. They vary in size and thickness, making them ideal for almost any industrial application. They are great for areas that need to be protected against any bleed through.
Masking paper
Masking paper is a good environmentally friendly choice, and is well suited to flat panels that won’t be left outdoors.
Bleed though is a factor to consider though, particularly if it’s going to get a lot of wet overspray on it during painting.
Masking film with tape
Some masking films are available with tape applied to one edge. These are extremely quick and convenient to use and are good for long, straight sections.
Masking blanks
Masking blanks are custom-made shapes which are ideally suited to masking up repetitive shapes, for example aeroplane windows. These can be made of a variety of materials and are extremely effective in saving time during masking and preparation.
Masking Tools
You’ve got the tape, you’ve got the films, now what about the tools and other things to go with it? Here are some of the more useful tools we’ve seen:
Magnetic strips
Magnetic masking strips are flexible, reusable magnets which hold masking film and paper in place on cars when being sprayed.
Masking paper dispenser trolleys
Masking paper dispenser trolleys are great for not only dispensing masking paper, but they also apply a strip of masking tape along one or two edges of the paper when being unrolled, ensuring a much faster and cleaner masking job.
Scalpels
Available in a range of sizes and types, scalpels are invaluable for cutting very intricate shapes and very precise cuts when masking up small components.
Safety cutters
Quite simply, these are a safe and very efficient way to cut long stretches of masking film or paper. No risk of cuts or damaging the surface being masked!
In Summary: Selecting the Right Masking Tape for Industrial Applications
Selecting the right masking materials is a critical part of the preparation for painting, and there’s a huge difference between selecting something that will “just about do the job” and something that’s got a specific use in mind.
Spend a bit more time and money on the right tool for the job and you’ll save an enormous amount of time and money further along in the process.
