In 1926, Richard Drew of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Firm (also referred to as 3M) developed Scotch Tape, possibly the most famous adhesive tape across the world. It was originally created for use in automobile-painting, to create defining lines between completely different colours. Earlier, gummed tapes eliminated paintwork as it was peeled off, so Drew set about inventing a pressure-delicate tape that will not scar paintwork. Further developments noticed him coating cellophane with adhesive and, in 1930, the domestic tape we're all so acquainted with, was released.

Since then, the fundamental rules of adhesive tape have been utilized to different uses. Now there are a various and assorted range of tapes for various purposes, including gaffer tape, pipeline identification tape, plumber's tape, electrician's tape and packaging tapes. Tapes can now supply safety towards electrical current, temperature and the escape of gasoline or liquid, as in the case of double sided acrylic foam tape tape, which makes use of open or closed-cell sponges for defense as well as the bonding together of various surfaces.

Nevertheless, pure occurrences have supplied many inspirations for the advances in industrial tape know-how; in 1948, a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral returned from a stroll to find some plant burrs clinging to his jacket. By 1956 he had perfected the notion of using tiny hooks to lock things collectively, by creating strips of nylon material - one covered in hooks and the other consisting of hundreds of tiny loops. His invention is now used worldwide in a variety of industries and applications. It's sturdy, lightweight, durable, washable and easily separated and is called Velcro. Initially, Velcro was used within the fabric business; sewn onto totally different materials to offer simple opening and closing. Recently, this has been up to date and it may well now be purchased as an adhesive tape, offering a variety of different uses.

Once the potential of adhesive tape had been acknowledged, analysis went in to its sturdiness and strength. Early tape offered little of either, but analysis and the event of synthetic materials offered more advances. Initially, fabric fibres had been used to create Duct tape which was used by the military to restore plane, rifles and jeeps. Not like medical tapes that have been being used at the time, Duct tape is waterproof and, after the Second World War, it was used in the housing industry to connect heating and air con ducts together. Industry also saw the potential for adhesive tape and researched its tensile strength. The end result was a plastic-based tape that is generally referred to as packing tape. In addition to being waterproof, it additionally offered an unprecedented power that has now made it one of the most versatile tapes within the world.