Chem-Set VST7863 LSE High Bond Tape, 59 mil, Black, Gray or White

Chem-Set VST7863 is a 59 mil primerless acrylic foam tape and a 3M LSE-160WF alternative for bonding medium and low surface energy plastics, powder coatings, clearcoats, and ceramic car paints without a primer or other surface modification. A highly conformable foam core follows irregular and mismatched surfaces, and high initial tack grabs on contact. There is no mixing, no dispensing equipment, and no cure time to wait on.

Available in black, gray, and white, in 1/2 in, 3/4 in, and 1 in widths on 36 yd rolls plus a 900 mm log roll, with a siliconised red PE liner. PFAS and PFOS free per the manufacturer. Primerless does not mean prep free, so the steps further down this page still decide whether a joint holds.

Key Product Details

Black, gray, and white share the same construction and the same published values. A mil is one thousandth of an inch, so both 59 mil and 0.059 in turn up on prints and purchase orders.

Peel Strength Depends on What You Bond

The data sheet publishes peel on three substrates instead of one. The spread is large enough to design around.

Read that as design guidance. Eleven pounds per inch on polypropylene is a useful number when the alternative is a primer step, but it is not the strength you get on ABS. On a polypropylene part, keep the joint loaded in shear or tension and avoid exposed edges that can be picked at.

What VST7863 Bonds To

VST7863 is made for medium and low surface energy materials. On these it bonds after cleaning, with no primer or other surface modification, per the manufacturer:

• Medium and low surface energy plastics, including ABS and polypropylene (the two with published peel values)
• Powder coatings
• Clearcoats
• Ceramic car paints
• Stainless steel (published peel)

Powder coat still needs a test. Powder coating chemistry varies from one formulation to the next, and no data sheet can tell you which one you have. Bond a sample of your actual coated part and pull it before you commit a production run.

Polyethylene, TPO, TPE, and other plastics the data sheet does not name need a call. Send us the part and the material and we will tell you where it stands.

Wood, particleboard, concrete, and other porous materials are not covered by the data sheet. Call us before specifying VST7863 on them.

Performance in Production

• Primerless adhesion takes the primer step out of the process: no wipe-on, no flash-off window, no excess to clean up. You still clean the part, and on molded parts release agents are a common reason a bond fails.
• The highly conformable foam core follows irregular and mismatched surfaces. It conforms to surface variation without filling a true gap.
• High initial tack grabs on contact, so parts hold position while you work instead of needing clamps or temporary fasteners.
• Peel is 37 lb/in on ABS, 19 on stainless steel, and 11 on polypropylene. Design the joint in shear or tension across the full tape area, especially on polypropylene.
• 73 lb/in² dynamic shear and 70 lb/in² normal tensile are lab numbers on test panels. Size the bond area from your actual load, and run a pull test on your own parts before you set a rating.
• Static shear holds 1000 g at 72°F and 500 g at 150°F for 7 days. It is not rated at 200°F, so a warm service environment needs a test, not an assumption.
• Replaces rivets, screws, spot welds, and liquid adhesives per the manufacturer, with no visible fasteners on the finished face and no bi-metal corrosion path from a dissimilar metal fastener.
• 24 month shelf life at 40 to 95°F. Keep rolls out of a hot truck bay or an unconditioned mezzanine, and away from conditions where condensation forms on the roll.

The Tradeoff: Temperature

The adhesive that bonds low surface energy materials without a primer gives up some temperature range compared to a general purpose grade. Worth knowing before you spec it.

Where that bites: a dark exterior panel in direct sun can run hot at the surface, and anything that passes through a paint bake or powder coat oven after bonding is a test, not a given. If your part needs both low surface energy adhesion and high temperature, call us.

Common Applications

• Automotive and aftermarket: trim, moldings, badges, and emblems on clearcoats and ceramic car paints
• Trailer, truck, and specialty vehicle: badge and applique mounting and trim attachment on painted and clearcoated surfaces
• Metal fabrication: bonding to powder coated enclosures, cabinets, and machine guarding after the coating process
• Sign and display: attaching trim and hardware to powder coated cabinets and raceways
• Plastic housings and panels: ABS and other medium and low surface energy plastic parts, with the specific plastic confirmed by a call or a test
• Replacing a general purpose tape plus primer wherever you want to take the priming step out of the process

Available Sizes and SKUs

Custom slit widths from 4 mm up to 250 mm and jumbo rolls are also made for this tape. Call for details.

3M LSE-160WF Alternative: Working From a 3M Part Number

If you are specced into a white 3M LSE-160WF or a 3M VHB 5962 and need another source, the closest Chem-Set matches are below. The cross reference is matched on construction and color.

A cross reference is a starting point for selection, not a statement that two products perform the same. 3M positions LSE-160WF for polypropylene, TPE, and TPO. VST7863 publishes an 11 lb/in peel on polypropylene, so if polypropylene or a polyolefin is your main substrate, test on your own part before you switch. The specifications on this page are ours, published from the current manufacturer data sheet. Read both data sheets and test the tape in your own joint before you commit a production process. Working from a 3M number that is not listed here? Call us, our full cross reference covers the other LSE thicknesses.

Related Products

• Chem-Set VST7825 LSE High Bond Tape, 25 mil and Chem-Set VST7831 LSE High Bond Tape, 31 mil for thinner bond lines on parts that can follow the joint on their own
• Chem-Set VST7847 LSE High Bond Tape, 47 mil for rigid parts that need a thicker core than the thin LSE grades
• Chem-Set VST6160 High Bond Tape, 63 mil, Gray or White if your substrates are high surface energy and you need the higher temperature rating
• Full Chem-Set VST tape line for the other LSE thicknesses, the low temperature grades, and the complete cross reference chart
• Tape Wizard to narrow the grade by substrate and application

How Primerless Acrylic Foam Tape Bonding Works

Acrylic foam tape does not dry or cure. It builds strength as the adhesive flows into the microscopic texture of the surface, so the bond you get is decided by surface prep, pressure, and dwell time. A primerless grade removes the primer step, not the rest. These are the steps that determine whether the joint holds.

1. Get the conditions right. Bring the parts and the tape to at least 65°F before you apply. Below that the adhesive is too firm to flow. Between 32°F and 65°F, the VST low temperature grades are general purpose, so call us before using one on a low surface energy plastic.
2. Clean the surface, and skip the primer. Remove polar contamination such as fingerprints and light oil with a suitable cleaner. Grease and mold release need a stronger non-polar cleaner. On molded plastic parts, release agents are invisible and a common reason a bond fails. Use lint free tissue, and use surface test inks to confirm the cleaner is working.
3. Assemble right after the liner comes off. Apply the tape to one part, position the assembly, remove the red liner, and mate the parts immediately. The open adhesive face picks up airborne dust fast.
4. Apply real pressure. Roll the joint at 10 to 50 N/cm, with about 30 N/cm for most work, at roughly 24 in/min. Faster roller speeds need more pressure. Pressure matters more on a low surface energy plastic than anywhere else, because the adhesive is working against the substrate.
5. Let the bond build. The tape reaches full strength after about 24 hours at ambient temperature, and warmth speeds it up. Plan shipping and load bearing service around that window.

Design the joint for shear. Keep the load in shear or tension across the full tape area. Peel and cleavage loads concentrate stress on one edge and start a failure that walks across the joint. That matters most on polypropylene, where the published peel is 11 lb/in.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chem-Set VST7863 used for?

VST7863 is a 59 mil primerless acrylic foam tape used to bond medium and low surface energy plastics, powder coatings, clearcoats, and ceramic car paints without a primer. Typical work is trim, badges, and emblems on painted and clearcoated surfaces, attachment to powder coated enclosures and cabinets, and ABS and other plastic housings and panels. It replaces rivets, screws, spot welds, and liquid adhesives.

Is VST7863 an alternative to 3M LSE-160WF or 3M VHB 5962?

VST7863W is the closest Chem-Set match to 3M LSE-160WF and 3M VHB 5962WF, and VST7863B is the closest match to 3M VHB 5962 and 5962P. All are acrylic foam tapes made for medium and low surface energy substrates. It is not a 3M approved substitution, and the two manufacturers do not publish identical test conditions. 3M positions LSE-160WF for polypropylene, TPE, and TPO, so if one of those is your main substrate, the right answer comes from testing it in your own joint. Call us to set up a test.

Does VST7863 bond polypropylene without a primer?

The manufacturer says VST7863 bonds low surface energy plastics without a primer or other surface modification, and its published peel on polypropylene is 11 lb/in. That is lower than the 37 lb/in it gets on ABS, so keep the joint loaded in shear rather than peel and get your capacity from bond area. Polyethylene, TPO, and TPE are not named on the data sheet, so call us with the part before you spec it.

Will VST7863 stick to powder coat?

It is made for it, and it is the grade to try first. The data sheet lists powder coatings, clearcoats, and ceramic car paints as suitable surfaces. Powder coat chemistry varies, so no data sheet can promise your coating. Bond a sample of your actual coated part and pull it before you commit a production run.

How thick is VST7863?

VST7863 is 1.5 mm (0.059 in, 59 mil) with a tolerance of ±10%. If you are replacing a thicker or thinner tape, check the gap in your joint and test the bond before you change a production process.

What is the difference between black, gray, and white VST7863?

Color. Black (VST7863B), gray (VST7863G), and white (VST7863W) share the same construction, thickness, adhesive, and published performance values. Pick on appearance at the joint: black for dark panels and automotive trim, white for light colored parts, gray for everything in between. Our 3M cross references differ by color, so use the table above.

Should I use VST7863 or a general purpose grade with a primer?

Use VST7863 if low surface energy plastic or powder coat is the main thing you are bonding, or if you want the priming step out of your process. Use a general purpose grade with a primer if you need the higher temperature rating or you are mostly bonding metals and glass. VST6160 holds to 212°F continuous against 194°F here.

How hot can VST7863 get in service?

194°F (90°C) continuous and 248°F (120°C) short term, with a -40°F floor. That is lower than the general purpose VST grades, and it is the tradeoff for primerless low surface energy adhesion. Static shear is not rated at 200°F. A dark exterior panel in direct sun, or any part that goes through a paint bake or powder coat oven after bonding, needs a test. If you need both low surface energy adhesion and high temperature, call us.

Questions on fit for your low surface energy or powder coated application, or working from a 3M part number? Call (800) 220-1966 or email [email protected].

3M and VHB are trademarks of 3M Company. Chemical Concepts is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by 3M. Third party part numbers are referenced for product identification and cross reference purposes only.