Chem-Set VST6160 High Bond Tape, 63 mil, Gray or White

Chem-Set VST6160 is a 63 mil gray or white acrylic foam tape and a 3M VHB 4956 alternative for bonding panels, trim, and stiffeners without visible fasteners. It is the thickest of the general purpose VST grades, with a conformable core that absorbs the movement between materials that expand and contract at different rates. High initial tack grabs on contact, with no mixing, no dispensing equipment, and no cure time to wait on.

Supplied in 1/2 in, 3/4 in, and 1 in widths on 36 yd rolls with a red PE liner, and PFAS and PFOS free per the manufacturer. Acrylic foam tape builds its bond through surface prep and pressure rather than cure, so the steps further down this page decide whether a joint holds.

Key Product Details

Gray and white share the same construction. The two columns split only where the published values differ. A mil is one thousandth of an inch, so both 63 mil and 0.063 in turn up on prints and purchase orders.

What VST6160 Bonds To

VST6160 is designed for materials with high and medium surface energy. On these it bonds after cleaning, with no primer:

• PVC and ABS, the two the data sheets name
• Other high and medium surface energy plastics
• Glass
• Steel
• Aluminum
• Ceramic

Low surface energy plastics need a primer. Polypropylene, polyethylene, and similar materials will not hold reliably on a clean-and-stick process. Prime them first. LORD 459X Adhesion Enhancer is documented for use with double sided tapes and is made for TPE, TPO, and EPDM surfaces. If low surface energy plastic is your main substrate and you would rather skip the priming step, the VST 78xx grades are formulated for it. Call us and we will tell you which route fits your part.

Painted and powder coated surfaces need a check before you commit. The VST6160 data sheets do not list painted or powder coated surfaces, and coating chemistries vary a lot. Call us with the coating system you are running.

Wood, particleboard, concrete, and other porous materials are not covered by the data sheets. Call us before specifying VST6160 on them.

Performance in Production

• The 1.6 mm conformable core gives the tape more material to follow a surface that is not flat. It is the thickest general purpose VST grade, and it conforms to surface irregularity without filling a true gap.
• Gray and white publish different dynamic shear and tensile values. If a drawing allows either color, design the joint to the gray values so both colors qualify.
• 23 lb/in 90° peel and the shear and tensile results 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.
• The static shear results hold through 200°F for 7 days, so a joint that carries steady weight in a warm environment is tested against creep, not only against a short pull.
• High initial tack grabs on contact, so panels hold position while you work instead of needing clamps or temporary fasteners.
• Service range runs from -40°F to 212°F continuous and 320°F short term. Application is the narrower window. Apply at 65°F or warmer.
• 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.

Common Applications

• Sign and display: sign cabinet and raceway assembly, PVC and ACM panel bonding, trim and nameplate attachment, point of purchase displays and retail fixtures
• Trailer, truck, and specialty vehicle: body and side skirt panel bonding, interior ABS and PVC panels, rub rail and exterior trim attachment, badge and applique mounting
• Metal fabrication: panel to frame and stiffener to panel bonding, hat channel attachment, steel and aluminum panel assembly where welding or rivets leave marks on the visible face
• Cladding and facade: ACM and rainscreen panel attachment to subframe, trim, closures, and reveal details
• PVC trim and millwork: bonding PVC trim, moldings, and fabricated components where the data sheet calls out PVC directly
• Appliances and commercial kitchen equipment: decorative trim, control panels, and door panel attachment
• Bonding dissimilar materials that expand and contract at different rates, where a rigid fastener would fatigue the joint

For load bearing structural glazing and metal cladding, the dedicated Chem-Set structural glazing and structural cladding grades are the right specification rather than a general purpose tape. Call and we will get you to the correct grade.

Available Sizes and SKUs

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

3M VHB 4956 Alternative: Working From a 3M Part Number

If you are specced into a gray 3M VHB general purpose 62 mil tape and need another source, the closest Chem-Set match is VST6160G. 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. 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 thinner, thicker, clear, low temperature, and low surface energy grades.

Related Products

• Chem-Set VST6120 High Bond Tape, 47 mil, Gray or White for thinner bond lines on parts with normal flatness
• Chem-Set VST6110 High Bond Tape, 31 mil, Gray or White and Chem-Set VST6364 High Bond Tape, 25 mil, Gray or White for flexible parts that can follow the joint on their own
• Chem-Set VST6100C Clear High Bond Tape, 40 mil when the bond line will be visible through glass or clear plastic
• LORD 459X Adhesion Enhancer for priming TPE, TPO, and EPDM before taping
• Full Chem-Set VST tape line for the low temperature grades for cold shop conditions, the low surface energy grades for polypropylene and polyethylene, and the complete cross reference chart
• Tape Wizard to narrow the grade by substrate and application

How 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. 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, use the VST low temperature grades instead.
2. Clean the surface. Remove polar contamination such as fingerprints and light oil with a suitable cleaner. Grease and mold release need a stronger non-polar cleaner. Use lint free tissue, and use surface test inks to confirm the cleaner is working.
3. Abrade or prime where the surface calls for it. Mill finish aluminum and stainless steel benefit from mild abrasion followed by a cleaning wipe. Low surface energy plastics need a primer or activator. Apply primer only where the tape lands and wipe off the excess right away.
4. 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.
5. 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 is what pushes the adhesive into the surface, and a tape that is placed but not pressed will not reach its rated strength.
6. 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.

Joint design matters as much as prep. Design the bond so the load runs 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chem-Set VST6160 used for?

VST6160 is a 63 mil general purpose double sided acrylic foam tape used to bond panels, trim, stiffeners, and assemblies without visible fasteners. Typical work is sign cabinets and raceways, trailer and truck body panels, steel and aluminum panel assembly, ACM and rainscreen cladding, PVC trim, and appliance panels. It replaces rivets, screws, spot welds, and liquid adhesives.

Is VST6160 an alternative to 3M VHB 4956, RP62, or CV62?

VST6160G is the closest Chem-Set match to 3M VHB 4956, RP62, and CV62, and it is also offered against 3M RP+160GF and RP+160GP. All are gray general purpose acrylic foam tapes. It is not a 3M approved substitution, and the two manufacturers do not publish identical test conditions, so the right answer for your assembly comes from testing it in your own joint. Call us to set up a test.

Is there a Chem-Set alternative to 3M VHB 4979 black?

VST6160 does not come in black, so it is not a direct match to 3M VHB 4979 or 4979F, the black versions of 4956 and 4956F. If black is not a hard requirement on your print, gray VST6160G is the same general purpose acrylic foam type. Call us with your application and we will tell you what fits.

What is the difference between gray and white VST6160?

Color, plus a small difference in the published shear and tensile values. Gray (VST6160G) and white (VST6160W) share the same construction, thickness, density, adhesive, peel adhesion, and static shear results. Dynamic shear and tensile are published separately for each color, and the figures are in the table above. Choose white where a gray bond line would show on a light colored part, and design to the gray values if either color might ship. We do not cross white to a 3M part number.

Does VST6160 bond polypropylene or polyethylene?

Only with a primer. VST6160 is formulated for high and medium surface energy materials such as PVC, ABS, glass, steel, aluminum, and ceramic, and it bonds those directly after cleaning. Polypropylene, polyethylene, and similar low surface energy plastics need a primer or activator first. LORD 459X is what we usually recommend there. If low surface energy plastic is your primary substrate and you would rather skip the priming step, the VST 78xx low surface energy grades are built for it.

Will VST6160 stick to painted or powder coated metal?

That needs a check first, because the VST6160 data sheets do not list painted or powder coated surfaces. Paint and powder coat chemistries vary a lot, so the right prep depends on the coating. Call us with the coating system you are running and we will work out the prep or point you to a grade built for it.

How cold can it be when I apply the tape, and how cold can the finished assembly get?

Apply at 65°F (18°C) or warmer. Below that the adhesive is too firm to flow into the surface and the bond will underperform no matter how much pressure you use. Between 32°F and 65°F, use a VST low temperature grade. VST8262 is the low temperature gray at the same 63 mil. Service temperature is a different question. Once the bond is properly made, the assembly holds from -40°F up to 212°F continuous and 320°F short term.

Where is Chem-Set VST6160 made?

VST6160 is manufactured in South Korea.

Questions on fit for your panel bonding or assembly 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.