How to Use and Store Rigid Box Stay Tape

We work side-by-side with rigid box equipment manufacturers and operators every day. We’re familiar with the ins and outs of rigid box production and carry high-quality stay tape to help customers reduce their amount of suppliers and streamline orders. In this article, we will touch on product specifications, the benefits of using our stay tape, and how best to apply and store it. 

What Is Stay Tape Exactly?

Stay tape is the glue-backed tape used in the rigid box manufacturing process.  Paperboard is fed either by hand or automatically into the machine to create the box. Our stay tape is applied with heat and pressure to hold the corner together.

You've likely seen LD Davis involved with the rigid box wrapping and laminating processes. Many of our protein glues are considered the "industry standard" for U.S. rigid box manufacturers. But, after hearing from our customers that they felt they had few options for stay tape, we added to our products to give customers more flexibility.

Product Specifications

We carry several types of stay tape, mainly brown kraft paper and white, to meet different specifications.

Brown Stay Tape

Our brown kraft paper is coated with a heat-activated vinyl resin adhesive designed for use on all types of paperboard. Heat-Seal stay tape with a wide heat seal temperature range. Recyclable closures with a uniform coating.  Not all stay tapes are made the same.  LD Davis’s stay tape is PFAS compliant.  If your product needs to be PFAS compliant, contact us.

White Stay Tape

White Stay Tape is a heat-sealing, vinyl resin-coated white virgin kraft paper suitable for all cardboard boxes. Not all stay tapes are made the same. LD Davis's stay tape is PFAS compliant. If your product needs to be PFAS compliant, please contact us.

The Benefits of Using White Stay Tape

Typically, most box makers prefer white stay tape when using a whiteboard. When the outside of the board is white, using a white stay will prevent the stay tape from showing through the cover material. When the inside of the box is also white, the white tape is preferred to help hide any imperfection in the corner of the box.Troubleshooting the quad is another good use for white stay tape. That’s right, it has nothing to do with the look of the box. Think about it, you are having issues with one corner not adhering, but it’s difficult to troubleshoot which side because all four sides look alike. It might take some time to figure it out, but with one side corner being white you can easily see what direction the box came out of the machine.

Our white stay tape is 100% virgin paper stock. What does that mean? Since it’s not recycled, there are no questions about what the paper is made from. Virgin paper stock also has longer fibers, making it much stronger than recycled paper where the fibers tend to be much shorter. Not to mention a stronger adhesion bond as well!

How to Apply Stay Tape Correctly

Temperature Settings

Older K&D, FMC, and Crathern quads were supplied with percentage timers that put the heat on for a certain percentage of the time and turned the heat off for a percentage of the time. This system worked for many years but is not as effective as other current methods. Emmeci Quads have a thermostat controlling the heat, this is a much better method, but they only sense the temperature in one corner (the New Emmeci Digital lines sense the temperature on all four corners). 

Regarding heat, all quad heaters are designed to a certain wattage. This is accomplished by the wire inside the heater cartridge wrapping around many times and achieving a certain ohm rating. Over time the heaters lose their effectiveness and, eventually, stop working.  If you were to take an ohm meter and check all four heaters on a brand-new quad, they should be the same. If you check the ohm readings on an older quad, you might get four different readings, thus having a different temperature on each corner. 

We use an inexpensive laser thermometer to check all four corners, and if the heat is about the same on all four corners, you are fine. Then it comes down to the actual temperature you are running. You must ensure you work with the lowest corner if they are different. Most stay tapes can operate from 275 °F to 457 °F (this varies based on the form material and moisture content of the board you are running).

Pressure

Regarding pressure, the systems are different on K&D, FMC, and Crathern Quads versus the Emmeci Quads. No matter what type of equipment you are working on, the pressure must be consistent on all four corners. The pressure can vary if the form is not square, or the machine is out of square. If you notice that the stay tape is sticking on some corners and not others, check the pressure on those corners.

Dwell Time

The dwell time is basically controlled by the design of the machine. Some suppliers stay tape states 0.3 seconds. Our tape states 0.5 to 1 second depending on speed and temperature.  We are running our tape on high-speed Emmeci lines that are running at 3,000/hour (50/min) with no issues as well as at speeds of less than 1,000/hour (20/min) without any issues.

How to Store Stay Tape

Regardless of the type of stay tape purchased, the proper way to store it is generally the same. This controlled moisture product is best when stored in a conditioned environment. Storage temperatures are recommended to range between 50° F (10°C) and a maximum of 68° F (20°C) with a 40-60% relative humidity to avoid any tape defects.

Pallets should be opened only when ready to use. We recommend that you do not leave any of the products unpacked and open to the air. Also, keep the rolls away from very high heat, and do not press the side rolls to avoid any paper blocking or damage.

Let us know if you have any additional questions about using or applying stay tape. Our experts can help.