Permacel is a former division of the Nitto Denko company that manufactures industrial adhesive tape and was originally created by Johnson & Johnson in the 1920’s. In the late ’20s Johnson & Johnson began selling surgical tape to the automotive industry. By 1927 the healthcare corporation, having realized a new market for their tape product, created a division to market ‘masking tape’ to the industrial sector. In 1953 this division had expanded dramatically and was named Permacel.
Building a Brand
Over the years Permacel, now Nitto Denko, have been responsible for the advent of many new technologies in the tape manufacturing industry. They are the inventors of several tape adhesives, creating approximately 350 varieties of tape for the industrial market. Their most well-known inventions are cellophane tape and duct tape.
Duct Tape
Perhaps Permacel’s most infamous adhesive, Duct tape, was invented in 1942. It was originally created to keep the moisture out of ammunition cases during the Second World War. In those days it was manufactured with strips of cotton duck cloth, the same material Johnson & Johnson used to manufacture their medical tape. Unlike the medical tape, this new product featured a coat of waterproof plastic and an army green color. Soldiers nicknamed it ‘duck tape’. For convenience in the field, duck tape enabled soldiers to rip off pieces of the tape without the aid of scissors or knives.
After the war, the name changed once again when the iconic product began to be used on air ducts. Now called ‘duct tape’, the color was also changed to blend in with the silvery-grey of the metal air ducts.
By the ‘70s duct tape was a household product known for its versatile uses.
Permacel and Nitto Products
Label Adhesives: After being acquired by Avery International, Permacel began manufacturing self-adhesive labels. Labels can be printed to suit the user’s needs and feature a long lasting adhesive. The adhesive sticks to plastics and metal surfaces without risk of coming loose.
Thermal Insulation Products: Permacel’s product base also extends to thermal insulation. These products are designed to increase heat flow management thereby saving costs and boosting heating efficiency.
Specialty Tapes: There are several tape products produced by Permacel today including:
- Double-sided tapes and single-sided tapes
- Electrical insulation tapes
- Film tapes
- Aerospace Tapes
- Foil Tapes
- Bonding Tapes
- Cellophane tapes
- Sealing and gasket tapes
- Protective Film tapes
