Mactac GS1001 Rivet Tape, 20 mil Rubber Transfer Adhesive, 1 in x 200 ft

GS1001 rivet tape does the job a rivet or a screw does. Twenty mils of solvent free, high strength rubber pressure sensitive adhesive is coated onto a release liner, and that adhesive carries the load across a sign face, a panel, or a trim run without a hole drilled anywhere. The bond forms on contact under hand pressure. No cure time, no mixing, no fastener head to countersink or seal.

The dry edge is the handling feature that defines the family. A 1.00 in lane of adhesive sits on a 1.50 in liner, which leaves a quarter inch of ungummed liner running past the adhesive on each side. That clean margin is something to grip. The roll does not stick to itself as it pays out, the adhesive stays off gloves during placement, and a long run can be steered with two hands on the liner instead of one hand chasing a flush edge.

A 20 mil coat weight is heavy for a transfer adhesive, and the thickness is what lets it wet out surfaces thinner tapes skate across. Rough concrete, textured powder coat, routed plastic, sanded MDF. It also grips low surface energy plastics such as HDPE, polypropylene, and polyethylene, where acrylic foam tapes often need a primer before they will start.

The adhesive works in both directions. Left in place it holds like a mechanical fastener. Peeled correctly it releases clean on many substrates, which is why it turns up on temporary signage, event installs, and A-frame sign panels where the substrate has to survive removal.

Where GS1001 Rivet Tape Replaces Fasteners

The 1.00 in adhesive width is the general purpose size in the family. It suits signs, plaques, nameplates, trim, and display work, and it delivers the most parts per roll of any 20 mil width. Mactac builds the GS series for the markets below.

• Sign and display: sign faces to frames, plaques, nameplates, ADA signage, channel letters, A-frame panels
• Building and construction: panel and cladding attachment, trim, architectural panels, office partitions
• Industrial and fabrication: gasket and seal placement, temporary clamping, staging during assembly
• Transportation and recreational vehicles: interior wall and ceiling panels, trim, insulation, weather stripping
• Appliance and white goods: badge and trim attachment, sound dampening pads, panel bonding
• Point of purchase: retail fixtures, temporary displays, craft and POP assembly

Set against the fasteners it stands in for:

How GS1001 Rivet Tape Holds Up in Service

Typical performance values for the GS Ultra High Tack adhesive:

• Quick tack of 20 or more pounds per square inch, so parts hold the moment they are pressed together
• Peel adhesion of 22 or more pounds per inch of width once the bond has wet out
• Shear resistance of 300 or more hours to fail, which is what lets it stand in for a fastener under sustained load
• Service range of 0 F to 180 F, with application down to 50 F
• Vibration dampening and moisture resistance across the full bond line, rather than point loading at fastener holes
• Acts as a third hand, holding parts in alignment while fasteners go in or a structural adhesive cures
• Doubles as a gap filler between panel and substructure where the fit is not perfectly flat

Surfaces have to be clean, dry, and free of oil, grease, silicone, and release agents, because contamination is the usual cause of a failed bond. The adhesive is rubber based, so it is not rated for chemical, solvent, or plasticizer exposure, and prolonged direct sunlight will age it on long term exterior work. Application temperature of 50 F and above matters most at the moment of assembly. Once bonded, the joint runs across the full 0 F to 180 F range.

Technical Specifications

Compatible Substrates

• Low surface energy plastics: HDPE, LDPE, polypropylene, polyethylene
• UHMW and corrugated plastics
• Aluminum, steel, and powder coated metal
• Wood, MDF, OSB, and plywood
• Concrete, masonry, brick, and cement board
• Glass and fiberglass
• Corrugated board and paperboard
• Composites and aluminum composite material panels

How Much Does One Roll Cover?

A 200 ft roll carries 2,400 linear inches of 1.00 in wide adhesive, which is about 16.7 square feet of bond area. How far that goes depends on how much tape each part needs.

These are planning estimates worked back from roll dimensions, not performance ratings. The bond area a part actually needs depends on its weight, its orientation, the substrate, and the service conditions it will see.

GS Series Coat Weights and Widths

The GS family is coated from 5.0 mil to 50 mil, in adhesive widths from 0.50 in to 11.5 in. Thinner coat weights suit point of purchase and craft assembly. Thicker coat weights suit panel assembly, vibration dampening, and moisture resistance, and they pull further ahead as the surface gets rougher.

Custom widths and coat weights are made to order and converted from master rolls, so an adhesive width that matches the part is usually available even when it is not a catalog size. Compare the full rivet tape range, and see Mactac for regulatory documentation and technical data across the industrial tape line.

GS1001 Questions

Why is the liner wider than the adhesive?

The adhesive lane is narrower than the liner on purpose. The liner runs past the adhesive on both sides, and that ungummed strip is the dry edge. It gives a gloved hand or a fingernail something clean to grab, keeps the roll from bonding to itself as it unwinds, and keeps adhesive off fingers while a strip is being placed. Chasing a flush liner edge on a 20 mil rubber adhesive is slow work, which is why the family is coated in lanes.

Is GS1001 the same thing as a transfer tape?

Yes. It is an unsupported transfer adhesive, which means there is no film or foam carrier in the middle. The full 20 mil is adhesive sitting on a release liner. That is why it conforms to an irregular surface better than a double coated film or foam tape, where part of the thickness is carrier doing no bonding work.

Should I use the 1.00 in width or the 2.00 in width?

Both are 20 mil adhesive on a 200 ft roll, and the adhesive is identical. The 1.00 in width is the general purpose size for signs, plaques, nameplates, trim, and display work, and it yields the most parts per roll. Move up to 2.00 in when the part gets heavier, the panel gets larger, or the bond needs more area. Doubling the width doubles the bond area without changing the chemistry, so it is the simplest way to add margin.

Can it really take the place of rivets?

In many applications, yes. That is where the name comes from. The adhesive holds 300 or more hours under shear load and peels at 22 or more pounds per inch, and it spreads that load across the whole bond line instead of a handful of points. Sign faces to frames, panels to substructure, and trim runs are the common swaps. Weight, orientation, and service conditions decide how much bond area a given part needs, so size the bond rather than matching a fastener count.

Will GS1001 hold outdoors?

It handles temporary and seasonal exterior work, and the rubber adhesive resists humidity and moisture well. Service range runs 0 F to 180 F. For a mount that has to survive years of direct sun, limit prolonged ultraviolet exposure, because sunlight ages rubber adhesives over time. An acrylic chemistry is the better answer for long term full sun exposure.

Does it need a primer on plastic?

Usually not. The heavy 20 mil coat weight and the high tack rubber chemistry are what let it grip HDPE, polypropylene, and polyethylene without the primer an acrylic foam tape often needs. Surface preparation still matters more than primer. Clean off mold release, oil, and silicone, and press the bond down firmly enough to wet out the full contact area.

Standards and Documentation

Mactac manufacturing sites hold ISO 9001 certification, and Mactac publishes regulatory compliance documentation and technical data sheets for the industrial tape line. Mactac is a member of the Gasket Fabricators Association and the Pressure Sensitive Tape Council. Determining whether a tape suits a specific end use stays with the buyer, so qualify the adhesive on the actual substrate and under the actual service conditions before a production release.

Need Help?

Need help sizing bond area for a sign, plaque, or panel? Call (800) 220-1966 or email [email protected].