Material Approval Request (Laser): 3M VHB tape

Space and infrastructure Issues & Requests
#1

Hi all! (and LCC)

I’d like to request approval for cutting 3M 5962 VHB sheet stock with the laser. VHB layer stack is acrylic foam, acrylic adhesive, and PET liner. I’ve attached the SDS and TDS for reference.

SDS Section 9: Physical and chemical properties - flammability is not applicable.

No mention of decomposition products.

Here is some precedent of cutting with a CO2 laser (via Universal Laser Systems)

Thanks!
Derek

SDS - 3M VHB 5962.pdf (99.1 KB)
TDS - 3M VHB 5962.pdf (482.1 KB)

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#2

Wow this stuff looks really interesting and useful! I hope it can be approved and good to see it has been cut on other laser cutters. Final say would defo be the LCC. It would be good to know more about the decomposition products. Looks like the product is mostly acrylic foam and adhesive.

#3

This stuff is the bee’s knees. We use it at my work to stick everything to anything permanently and forever. It literally holds some of our exhibits together. According to the promotional material, it holds trucks together and windows on skyscrapers. It’s like duct tape and a prayer, but on crack (you could say VHB and Aztec-scale human sacrifice?). This tape even sounds like a drug that would get you banned from the States.

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#4

Thanks for bringing this request to the LCC for consideration.

The provided SDS is not a ‘real’ SDS however there were no obvious red flags found in the supporting material.

Adhesive Type: Modified Acrylic
Foam Type: Very Conformable Acrylic Foam
Liner: PET Film
According to the RDS it doesn’t involve California’s prop 65 legislation, aka, it doesn’t cause cancer.

With that in mind the LCC is going to provide a provisional approval to cut 3M VHB tape.

However the LCC would like to have some initial observations made and reported back to this thread and to the slack laser channel.

  1. A few photos/short videos of cuts being made with this material showing the amount of smoke generated, flare ups (if any)

  2. A smell check should be completed. i.e. Does cutting this material stink up the space? Is there a noticable smell outside at the vent?

  3. A “nice to do” but not absolutly essential is that a Burn Test be conducted on small piece of this material. i.e. get a small square of this material and set it on fire with a blow torch and observe color of the flame. Again a short video clip would be great.
    Hackaday-> Identify Plastics before Laser Cutting

If no further issues are observed with this material then it will be given full approval for VHS laser use.

Regards from the LCC

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#5

Thanks @Majicj and LCC! Apologies for the late reply, I only recently got around to cutting the 3M VHB tape (~1mm thick).

As requested, here are a few photos and videos of cutting. I didn’t notice any abnormal smells from cutting. Unfortunately I forgot to check the outside vent.

If required, I can post a video of the burn test.

Video 1 - a little bit of smoke
Video 2 - no smoke
Photo - smoke

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#6

Hi Folks (and the LCC) -

I’m also looking to laser cut some of this exact same tape.

Would I be able to use it as an approved material, or would I need to submit a separate material approval request?

  • Sampath
#7

3M VHB Tape is approved for laser cutting at VHS.

A separate material approval request is not required,

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