Industrial Strength Hook and Loop
Industrial strength hook and loop can refer to a few things. One, it refers to material used in industrial applications. The standard hook and loop we sell is used in industrial applications everyday. The main factor in determining material strength is the width and quantity of hook and loop being used. A four inch square of hook and loop is going to be 16x stronger than a one inch square.
Industrial strength can also refer to the VELCRO® Brand Industrial Strength hook and loop consumer products sold in most big box stores. This is a low profile molded hook mated with the standard loop 1000, with acrylic adhesive backing, similar to the standard material we sell.
As mentioned above, everything we sell is industrial strength. That said, there are sometimes constraints that a customer needs to work within that our standard material is not ideal for. Instances like very limited space, low profile applications, extra strong holds, etc. Since the more hook and loop you use, the stronger the closure strength, the same is true in reverse. The less hook and loop you use, the weaker the closure strength. Some applications are limited to 1” wide material for instance. Some need to be as thin as possible. Some need to hold strong in shear force, but peel apart easily. And others need to support a lot of weight. While there are answers for each of these challenges, and we do carry some specialty hook products that can resolve some of these issues, sometimes products need to be special ordered.
Industrial strength hook and loop with adhesive backing usually refers to acrylic adhesive which has a wider operating temperature range than the rubber based adhesive and holds up better to moisture and chemical use. But acrylic adhesive is not necessarily better than the rubber adhesive in all applications. The rubber adhesive bonds better to some substrates than the acrylic. Sometimes neither adhesive is ideal for the application. It is always better to go with the adhesive that bonds best to the substrate being used. Secondary factors like heat/cold, moisture, chemicals, etc. won’t matter if the adhesive does not bond to the substrate in the first place.
Industrial strength can also refer to the VELCRO® Brand Industrial Strength hook and loop consumer products sold in most big box stores. This is a low profile molded hook mated with the standard loop 1000, with acrylic adhesive backing, similar to the standard material we sell.
Types of Hook and Loop
As mentioned above, everything we sell is industrial strength. That said, there are sometimes constraints that a customer needs to work within that our standard material is not ideal for. Instances like very limited space, low profile applications, extra strong holds, etc. Since the more hook and loop you use, the stronger the closure strength, the same is true in reverse. The less hook and loop you use, the weaker the closure strength. Some applications are limited to 1” wide material for instance. Some need to be as thin as possible. Some need to hold strong in shear force, but peel apart easily. And others need to support a lot of weight. While there are answers for each of these challenges, and we do carry some specialty hook products that can resolve some of these issues, sometimes products need to be special ordered.
Types of Adhesive
Industrial strength hook and loop with adhesive backing usually refers to acrylic adhesive which has a wider operating temperature range than the rubber based adhesive and holds up better to moisture and chemical use. But acrylic adhesive is not necessarily better than the rubber adhesive in all applications. The rubber adhesive bonds better to some substrates than the acrylic. Sometimes neither adhesive is ideal for the application. It is always better to go with the adhesive that bonds best to the substrate being used. Secondary factors like heat/cold, moisture, chemicals, etc. won’t matter if the adhesive does not bond to the substrate in the first place.
Pros and Cons
- The stronger the hook, the lower the cycle life.
- Some hook and loop is strong in shear strength, but weak in peel strength.
- Acrylic adhesive is a medium tack adhesive and needs 24 hours to fully cure.
- Acrylic adhesive does not bond well to wood.
