Wrapping tape is a critical material layer in cable structure. Although seemingly thin and lightweight, it directly impacts the reliability, stability, and lifespan of a cable. It integrates physical protection with electrical, thermal, and chemical functions. For manufacturers, mastering the materials and application techniques of wrapping tape is an essential course for enhancing product competitiveness and meeting the demands of scenarios like new energy and data centers.
I. Core Functions of Wrapping Tape
Wrapping tape provides multi-dimensional protection for cables:
Mechanical Buffering and Shaping: Buffers stress during armoring, prevents scratching and crushing, and ensures structural integrity.
Physical and Chemical Protection: Blocks high temperatures, oil, chemicals, and moisture, delaying insulation aging.
Electrical Performance Optimization: Provides additional insulation, improves voltage withstand; metal composite tapes (e.g., Aluminum Foil Mylar Tape) attenuate electromagnetic interference (EMI) through reflection and absorption, ensuring signal integrity.
Structural Stability and Process Assistance: Secures the cable core, facilitates uniform sheath extrusion, and enhances cable roundness and flexibility.
II. Detailed Analysis of Key Materials
Metal Composite Shielding Tape (Aluminum Foil Mylar Tape/Copper Foil Mylar Tape)
Composition: Aluminum foil/copper foil laminated with PET film, available in single-sided/double-sided self-adhesive types.
Characteristics: 100% coverage, low transfer impedance. Aluminum foil tape offers cost advantages and wide application; copper foil tape provides better shielding effectiveness for high-end/high-frequency applications.
Processability: "Foil-in" is used for simplified shielding; "Foil-out" often serves as the inner layer of composite shielding, combined with braided shielding. Lamination strength and foil thickness uniformity are key.
Applications: Cables requiring electromagnetic compatibility, such as shielding layers for computer cables, instrument cables, security cables, and new energy vehicle high-voltage cables.
Polyester Tape (PET Mylar Tape)
Characteristics: High-strength biaxially oriented polyester film substrate, high tensile strength, excellent dimensional stability, heat resistant (typically up to 120°C or higher).
Function: Reinforces bundling and provides thermal insulation, resists thermal deformation during sheath extrusion, ensuring a tight structure.
Applications: Cabling and wrapping of power cables and communication cables.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Wrapping Tape
Characteristics: Made from PTFE dispersion resin, featuring a porous fibrous structure.
Advantages: Extremely low and stable dielectric constant, low loss, suitable for high-frequency/high-speed transmission; wide temperature range (-200°C to 260°C), excellent flame retardancy, chemical corrosion resistance, and weather resistance.
Applications: High-end RF coaxial cables, aerospace cables, high-frequency data cables, medical equipment cables, etc.
Other Special Materials
Non-woven Fabric/Water-Blocking Tape: Polyester fiber base, soft, breathable, oil-absorbent. After impregnation with water-blocking powder, used for longitudinal water blocking in submarine/optical fiber cables.
Semi-conductive Water-Blocking Swelling Tape: Used for shielding layers in high-voltage cables, smoothes the electric field, and combines buffering and water-blocking functions.
Mica Tape: A fire-resistant insulating material made by laminating mica paper with fiberglass cloth. It maintains insulation integrity in flames and is the core material for fire-resistant cables (Class A). Mainly divided into Phlogopite Mica Tape and Synthetic Mica Tape: Phlogopite Mica Tape uses natural phlogopite as raw material, offering good flexibility, penetration resistance, and cost advantages, widely used in medium/high-voltage fire-resistant power cables; Synthetic Mica Tape uses synthetic fluorophlogopite, featuring higher purity, superior high-temperature resistance (up to 1100°C), and more stable electrical properties, suitable for special fields with extremely high fire resistance requirements such as nuclear power and ships.
III. Brief Overview of Wrapping Processes
Longitudinal Wrap (Longitudinal Folding): Tape is folded axially along the cable, high efficiency, generally moderate tightness, suitable for symmetrical communication/flat cables.
Helical Wrap (Overlap Winding): Spiral winding (angle > 30°), tape edges overlap, providing tight wrapping and good shielding continuity, commonly used for power and control cables.
Open Wrap (Open Helical Winding): Spiral winding (angle < 30°), large gaps between tape edges, material-saving, flexible, good bending performance, used for mobile installation cables like robot cables and cable carrier (drag chain) cables.
IV. Selection Trends
High-Performance and Composite Materials: Such as high flame-retardant polyester tape, corona-resistant mica tape, ultra-thin high-strength PTFE tape.
Environmental Sustainability: Development of wrapping tapes made from recyclable polyester or bio-based materials.
Process Compatibility: Materials need to adapt to high-speed production and maintain stability during high-temperature processes like extrusion and vulcanization.
Conclusion
The selection of wrapping tape is crucial in cable design. From PET tape and Aluminum Foil Mylar Tape to PTFE tape, each material provides a precise solution for specific electrical, mechanical, and environmental challenges. Correct selection requires systematic consideration of material properties, processes, and end-use applications.
About ONE WORLD
As a professional material solutions partner in the wire and cable industry, ONE WORLD provides a comprehensive range of high-performance wrapping tapes, including Metal Composite Shielding Tapes (Aluminum Foil/Copper Foil Mylar Tape), Polyester Tape (PET Mylar Tape), PTFE Tape, as well as Non-woven Water-Blocking Tape and Mica Tape (including Phlogopite Mica Tape and Synthetic Mica Tape). We ensure high performance and consistency of our materials and, by understanding your specific application scenarios and process challenges, provide professional selection support and customized solutions to help you build more reliable and competitive cable products.
Post time: Jan-29-2026