Die cut masking tape

While there are various techniques for masking parts for powder coating, anodizing and other metal finishing, here are some options for tape slit-to-width or die cut masking tape in specific shapes that can save you time and money. 

Option 1

Use regular tape rolls at the appropriate width that has been pre-slit to the exact width required. We slit tape in-house to the width you need with no upcharge - even for single rolls. For example, we have a customer that occasionally purchases about a half dozen rolls of tape slit to 1.100" wide. Then as they mask the part, the tape is cut to length, applied to the part, and trimmed to fit. It's effectively "making your own die cuts." Perhaps not super efficient, but we can at least slit the tape to the width you need as a start. 

Because of that, this is the most cost effective option in terms of material pricing. It is helpful to be aware that in some cases, this method of custom trimming of a simple length of tape on the part is the only way to mask it effectively. But note that other options listed below may save time on labor. For custom tape widths, Viadon slits nearly all tapes in-house, and there is no up-charge for a custom width roll, except for a nominal increase on the narrowest widths (under 0.125" - not available on all tapes). You can find our high temperature masking tapes here, and our industrial masking tapes here.

      

Option 2

Over the past 10 to 15 years, many metal finishing companies have invested in plotter cutters to make their own small quantities of custom die cuts. This allows for one-off shapes or dozens to a few hundred that can be produced in a relatively short amount of time and applied quickly to save on labor costs for masking.

If your custom masking needs do not justify that cost, that's okay! Viadon offers plotter die cutting services for certain materials, done in-house, at low cost to you. For more information about our lined green polyester masking tape, click here.

     

Option 3

Die cut circles, squares and rectangles are, generally, easy to produce in larger quantities using hard tooling. Viadon carries a wide range of circles from 1/8” up to 9.5” in diameter, allowing us to cut most any tape to those sizes on a release liner. For circular masking needs, these are a great option. We also have many straight-blade rotary tools.

This allows for consist cutting of the length of the tape as it goes around the roll. Because we can custom slit the tape to width, it provides the capability to cut squares or rectangles in a huge range of sizes. Viadon die cuts masking tape circles and square/rectangle shapes in-house. Call or email us for more information on options or for FREE samples of most sizes. 

     

Option 4

Custom die cut shapes are sometimes the best way to save money when considering masking. If the quantities justify the tooling cost, then rolls of die cut shapes that are specific to a given part can be produced quickly (with tooling in stock, usually same-day or next day) and at a far lower cost than most masking tapes applied manually and then cut by hand.

While green polyester and high temperature crepe tapes are typical materials, we can also apply tape to liners in-house by laminating tape to a release liner and then die cut the material afterwards. While we source tooling from rotary tool manufacturers, we produce all custom industrial masking tape die cuts in-house on one of our two rotary die cutting machines.

      

     

The above-listed custom die cut masking solutions provide various means for you to be able to reduce costs, improve efficiency and get parts to your customers more quickly. Viadon will always work to provide you with the best solution for your specific needs, and never try to upsell you on parts that are unnecessary or unjustified.

So how can we help you and your business with faster, better, less expensive masking? We’ve seen thousands of masking jobs requiring custom solutions to improve efficiency and are here to help you figure out how to solve yours. We’ve been doing that since June 2000, and are ready to review your challenging masking problem. Give us a call or send us an email to get going now.

Viadon. A cut above.