Sponsored by 3M
You’ll never find an electrician without a trusty roll of black vinyl tape. This important product helps to hold wires in place, as well as insulate and protect from the elements. You wouldn’t want to leave for work without it.
It’s easy to take electrical tape for granted, but less than a hundred years ago, this simple and versatile tool of the trade didn’t even exist. 3M has devoted these past 75 years to the ongoing development and engineering of the tape to ensure its quality for electrical work.
Electricians are Essential to Modern Life
On the 75th anniversary of Scotch® Electrical Tape, 3M is celebrating the important role that electricians play in the modern world. Electricians are some of the most important people in constructing and maintaining homes, businesses, and vehicles. Without your hard work and attention to detail, life would be much more challenging. Electricians bring warmth, light, and entertainment to modern society.
At home, we rely on electricity for cooking and refrigerating foods, powering entertainment systems, heating and cooling, and providing plenty of light to keep up with everyone’s busy schedules.
Businesses depend on electricity to catch attention with glowing signs, bring visibility to merchandise, maintain essential temperatures, and keep its cash registers and computers running.
Modern vehicles have an ever-increasing list of electrical parts, and solid electrical work does its part to keep motorists from being stranded on the roadway. Vehicle electric systems also provide important safety features that make travel less risky in various conditions.
If you’re a seasoned professional electrician , you’re an important link that keeps modern life buzzing with electricity. Scotch® Electrical Tape is a reliable tool to help you do your best work as an electrician.
Electrical Tape’s Colorful History
Electrical tape is an essential part of your toolkit, but let’s take a look at the history that made it possible.
The earliest commercial tape for electric insulation was cotton friction tape, available in the 1930s. It didn’t provide the moisture protection and adhesive abilities that we expect from today’s electrical tape, and it wasn’t resistant to high temperatures or fire. The tar coating on the tape also made electrical jobs a very sticky endeavor.
Vinyl plastic emerged in the early 1940s and was first used for cable insulation. However, the earliest forms of vinyl tended to quickly degrade and didn’t last long in tape form. Engineers and scientists at 3M set out to create a reliable tape that could be used for many electrical applications. The increased industrialization of the world around the time of WWII made these developments especially important.
In 1946, inventors Snell, Oace, and Eastwold of 3M patented a new vinyl electrical tape with a non-sulfur-based rubber adhesive that was compatible with the vinyl. This new type of tape became commercially available later that year.
Vinyl electrical tape wasn’t always black. Early versions were either yellow or white, depending on the application. However, it was soon discovered that lighter colored tapes became unstable when exposed to ultraviolet light, and black became the standard industry color for vinyl electrical tape. Other colors are occasionally used for specific applications, but black is best in any condition that could have exposure to sunlight.
Important Flex and Stretch
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3M has devoted these past 75 years to the ongoing development and engineering of the tape to ensure it’s perfected for electrical work. 3M has refined their tape formula over the decades to create maximum flexibility.
We’ve all had jobs where the wires just didn’t seem to go the way you’d expect, or you find yourself working in a very tight space. That’s why flexibility and stretch are so very important in the tape that we use. 3M’s continual research for the past seven and a half decades has resulted in premium
performance and reliability for all-around performance, in a wide range of conditions.
And Scotch® Electrical Tape is UL Listed and CSA Certified, and manufactured in the US so you know exactly what you’re getting in each package.
Tape for the 21st Century
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Scotch® Electrical Tape has been the favorite of electricians for 75 years. The most popular tape among professional electricians is Scotch® Super 33+ Vinyl Electrical Tape, since it’s a premium grade vinyl tape that can be used in a wide variety of jobs. It’s available both in stores and online.
Scotch® Super 33+ has protective jacketing which provides up to 600V splice insulation. Pressure-sensitive rubber-resin adhesive will keep the tape from slipping while you work and continue to stay in place after the job is done. PVC backing on the tape delivers electrical and mechanical protection, providing a protective barrier against abrasion and moisture. It has strong resistance to chemicals, damage from UV rays, abrasion, and corrosion. It’s even flame retardant, in case of a fire.
Scotch® Super 33+ can be used for both indoor and outdoor jobs. Even in extreme temperatures, the adhesion continues to hold steady. The tape can be used in temperatures between 0°F-221°F with minimal loss of adhesion. Scotch® Super 33+ can be used for both low and high voltage applications.
It’s also very easy to apply tape to your wires. The tape is super conformable for an easier application and a tighter seal. Scotch® Super 33+ is also highly stretchable, with elongation up to 250% without breaking.
The tape is lightweight and easy to unroll, making it a snap to use when you have your hands full on the job.
3M Understands Electricians
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3M employs a team of innovators who continue to test and develop products with the latest technology. Thousands of scientists and researchers collaborate to make sure that each available product is designed with science in mind. The company has been awarded recognition as one of the Best Employers for Innovators.
As each new generation of electricians learns trade skills from the experienced professionals who came before them, they discover products of quality that are essential to the work. Scotch® Electrical Tape is a top choice for many seasoned electricians. It’s important to work with a trustworthy product and know that you’ll only need to do the job once. You can count on a permanent application that keeps your work up to exacting standards.
Scotch is the original vinyl electrical tape. You might think you could save a few pennies by substituting a generic electrical tape, but it might impact the quality of your work, and cost you in the long run. Scotch Electrical Tape is designed to save time and frustration at the very start of a project. You do high quality work, and your electrical tape should, too.
The Scotch® brand demonstrates its reliability and performance in products that you can count on. And when you buy Scotch® Electrical Tape, you know you have a proven tool you can rely on to stand the test of time.
You’ll never find an electrician without a trusty roll of black vinyl tape. This important product helps to hold wires in place, as well as insulate and protect from the elements. You wouldn’t want to leave for work without it.
It’s easy to take electrical tape for granted, but less than a hundred years ago, this simple and versatile tool of the trade didn’t even exist. 3M has devoted these past 75 years to the ongoing development and engineering of the tape to ensure its quality for electrical work.
Electricians are Essential to Modern Life
On the 75th anniversary of Scotch® Electrical Tape, 3M is celebrating the important role that electricians play in the modern world. Electricians are some of the most important people in constructing and maintaining homes, businesses, and vehicles. Without your hard work and attention to detail, life would be much more challenging. Electricians bring warmth, light, and entertainment to modern society.
At home, we rely on electricity for cooking and refrigerating foods, powering entertainment systems, heating and cooling, and providing plenty of light to keep up with everyone’s busy schedules.
Businesses depend on electricity to catch attention with glowing signs, bring visibility to merchandise, maintain essential temperatures, and keep its cash registers and computers running.
Modern vehicles have an ever-increasing list of electrical parts, and solid electrical work does its part to keep motorists from being stranded on the roadway. Vehicle electric systems also provide important safety features that make travel less risky in various conditions.
If you’re a seasoned professional electrician , you’re an important link that keeps modern life buzzing with electricity. Scotch® Electrical Tape is a reliable tool to help you do your best work as an electrician.
Electrical Tape’s Colorful History
Electrical tape is an essential part of your toolkit, but let’s take a look at the history that made it possible.
The earliest commercial tape for electric insulation was cotton friction tape, available in the 1930s. It didn’t provide the moisture protection and adhesive abilities that we expect from today’s electrical tape, and it wasn’t resistant to high temperatures or fire. The tar coating on the tape also made electrical jobs a very sticky endeavor.
Vinyl plastic emerged in the early 1940s and was first used for cable insulation. However, the earliest forms of vinyl tended to quickly degrade and didn’t last long in tape form. Engineers and scientists at 3M set out to create a reliable tape that could be used for many electrical applications. The increased industrialization of the world around the time of WWII made these developments especially important.
In 1946, inventors Snell, Oace, and Eastwold of 3M patented a new vinyl electrical tape with a non-sulfur-based rubber adhesive that was compatible with the vinyl. This new type of tape became commercially available later that year.
Vinyl electrical tape wasn’t always black. Early versions were either yellow or white, depending on the application. However, it was soon discovered that lighter colored tapes became unstable when exposed to ultraviolet light, and black became the standard industry color for vinyl electrical tape. Other colors are occasionally used for specific applications, but black is best in any condition that could have exposure to sunlight.
Important Flex and Stretch
3M has devoted these past 75 years to the ongoing development and engineering of the tape to ensure it’s perfected for electrical work. 3M has refined their tape formula over the decades to create maximum flexibility.
We’ve all had jobs where the wires just didn’t seem to go the way you’d expect, or you find yourself working in a very tight space. That’s why flexibility and stretch are so very important in the tape that we use. 3M’s continual research for the past seven and a half decades has resulted in premium
performance and reliability for all-around performance, in a wide range of conditions.
And Scotch® Electrical Tape is UL Listed and CSA Certified, and manufactured in the US so you know exactly what you’re getting in each package.
Tape for the 21st Century
Scotch® Electrical Tape has been the favorite of electricians for 75 years. The most popular tape among professional electricians is Scotch® Super 33+ Vinyl Electrical Tape, since it’s a premium grade vinyl tape that can be used in a wide variety of jobs. It’s available both in stores and online.
Scotch® Super 33+ has protective jacketing which provides up to 600V splice insulation. Pressure-sensitive rubber-resin adhesive will keep the tape from slipping while you work and continue to stay in place after the job is done. PVC backing on the tape delivers electrical and mechanical protection, providing a protective barrier against abrasion and moisture. It has strong resistance to chemicals, damage from UV rays, abrasion, and corrosion. It’s even flame retardant, in case of a fire.
Scotch® Super 33+ can be used for both indoor and outdoor jobs. Even in extreme temperatures, the adhesion continues to hold steady. The tape can be used in temperatures between 0°F-221°F with minimal loss of adhesion. Scotch® Super 33+ can be used for both low and high voltage applications.
It’s also very easy to apply tape to your wires. The tape is super conformable for an easier application and a tighter seal. Scotch® Super 33+ is also highly stretchable, with elongation up to 250% without breaking.
The tape is lightweight and easy to unroll, making it a snap to use when you have your hands full on the job.
3M Understands Electricians
3M employs a team of innovators who continue to test and develop products with the latest technology. Thousands of scientists and researchers collaborate to make sure that each available product is designed with science in mind. The company has been awarded recognition as one of the Best Employers for Innovators.
As each new generation of electricians learns trade skills from the experienced professionals who came before them, they discover products of quality that are essential to the work. Scotch® Electrical Tape is a top choice for many seasoned electricians. It’s important to work with a trustworthy product and know that you’ll only need to do the job once. You can count on a permanent application that keeps your work up to exacting standards.
Scotch is the original vinyl electrical tape. You might think you could save a few pennies by substituting a generic electrical tape, but it might impact the quality of your work, and cost you in the long run. Scotch Electrical Tape is designed to save time and frustration at the very start of a project. You do high quality work, and your electrical tape should, too.
The Scotch® brand demonstrates its reliability and performance in products that you can count on. And when you buy Scotch® Electrical Tape, you know you have a proven tool you can rely on to stand the test of time.
