Thermal paper is an especially fine paper coated with a material formulation that changes color when it is exposed to heat, which allows for inkless printing.
It is e.g. used in thermal printers for point of sale (POS) receipts at cash registers and credit card terminals, to print parcel labels in logistic centers or price/weight labels in supermarkets, for adding machines, for parking and transportation tickets, or for technical printouts and RFID tags in medical and healthcare markets.
The global thermal paper market is showing continuous growth due to the rising needs of above-mentioned applications. Its size was valued at USD 3.20 billion in 2018 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.7% over the next years
This increasing demand for an especially delicate paper asks for a delicate flying splice tape to ensure reliable splice processes during the manufacturing process of the base paper and the various coating steps (precoat, thermal coat layer including leuco dyes, developers, sensitizers, as well as optional protective coating layers).
Several tape features are key:
- Particularly thin tape to avoid coating material collecting behind the splice
- Easy and fast opening of the tape
- Secure bond of the tape on delicate paper
