Industrial quality branded tape for tough applications
3M™ 3739 tape is a 35 micron tape with a hot melt rubber adhesive, for carton sealing where strong immediate adhesion on paper and board is the priority. The hot melt rubber adhesive grips firmly on contact, making it well-suited to high-volume packing lines where cartons are loaded and moved quickly after sealing. Available in brown (48mm) or transparent (48mm and 75mm), on 66m or 132m rolls, all with 76mm cores. This 3M™ heavy duty tape can be torn by hand and run from a dispenser. Shelf life is 12 months from manufacture.
Sold in packs, priced per roll.
Where does 3M™ 3739 tape work best?
This 3M™ heavy duty tape tape suits operations where a reliable strong packing tape with fast initial grab is needed and the lighter economy grades have proved insufficient for the carton, board grade or packing speed.
- High-volume warehouse and fulfilment lines where hot melt rubber adhesion grips immediately and cartons move onto conveyors or pallets within seconds of sealing.
- Lines sealing on recycled or variable-quality board where the strong initial tack of hot melt rubber compensates for surface irregularity better than acrylic adhesive at equivalent speed.
- Operations requiring 132m rolls to reduce changeover frequency on busy sealing lines without switching tape grade or dispenser.
- Sites already using the 3M Scotch 3739 machine grade that need the equivalent hand and dispenser format on the same film and adhesive specification.
Not suitable for
How to use
Hot melt rubber adhesive bonds firmly on first contact; unlike acrylic, it doesn’t need time build strength, which makes it forgiving of fast application on busy lines but less tolerant of poor surface contact.
- Prepare the surface: wipe dust and moisture from the carton flap; hot melt rubber grips on contact so any contamination between tape and board is locked into the bond rather than pushed aside.
- Tear or cut to length: the 35 micron BOPP backing tears cleanly by hand at a sharp angle; for consistent lengths on high-volume lines a pistol grip dispenser with a 76mm core is the faster option.
- Apply with a 50mm overlap: run the tape across the closure seam with at least 50mm overlap onto each carton face, edge to edge without gaps.
- Press firmly along the length: run a thumb or roller along the full tape length; partial contact at the flap edge under load is the most common cause of seal failure on any polypropylene alternative.
- Store correctly: store at 15–25°C, maximum 65% relative humidity. Shelf life is 12-18 months from manufacture; rotate stock on a first-in, first-out basis.
Specifications:
- Backing: Polypropylene (BOPP)
- Adhesive: Hot melt rubber
- Film thickness: 35 micron
- Width: 48mm, 75mm
- Length per roll: 66m or 132m
- Core size: 76mm
- UV resistance: No
- Weight capacity: <30kg
- Shelf life: 12 months from manufacture
- Storage: 15–25°C, max 65% relative humidity
- Colour options: Brown, transparent
- Tearability: Hand and dispenser
- Recyclability: Not recyclable at kerbside
Choose the right tape
Product FAQs
Why does hot melt rubber adhesive suit high-speed packing lines better than acrylic?
Hot melt rubber bonds at full strength on first contact, so cartons can be stacked or moved to conveyors immediately after sealing without waiting for the adhesive to build strength. Acrylic adhesive develops its rated bond strength over minutes to hours, which gives excellent long-term performance but can cause early edge lift if cartons are loaded straight after sealing at high speed.
When is the 132m roll the better choice?
The 132m roll halves the number of roll changes compared to the 66m format on the same packing line throughput; it suits operations where changeover time is a meaningful cost or where the line runs across multiple shifts without a dedicated operator to reload tape.
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