An Introduction to 3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fasteners

3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fasteners offer closure alternatives to zippers, screws, snaps,
hooks, bolts and more. They offer greater design flexibility, faster product assembly, smoother
and cleaner exterior surfaces and improved product performance in many applications. The hook
and loop fasteners consist of two strips of nylon fabric which engage to form a quick fastening
attachment. Simply pull the strips apart by hand to disengage.
The woven hook is covered with flexible J shaped hooks, about 300 hooks per square inch
(46/sq. cm.) protruding up from a woven backing. The woven loop backing is covered with
thousands of soft, pliable napped loops, providing for thousands of openings and closings
(cycles). The hook and loop are preshrunk to insure maximum dimensional stability and flatness.
These Scotchmate reclosable hook and loop fasteners are coated on the backside with a firm
synthetic rubber pressure sensitive adhesive designed to function for indoor applications. This
adhesive is especially suited for attachment to low surface energy substrates such as
polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.

*The following technical information is supplied by 3M™ and data should be considered representative or typical only and should not be used for specification purposes.

Application Ideas:

3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fasteners SJ3526N and SJ3527N family of products
can provide a firm adhesive bond to a wide variety of surfaces, including, but not
limited to those listed below. Because product performance will depend on actual
conditions within any specific application, it is essential that the user evaluate the 3M
product to determine whether it is fit for a particular material purpose and suitable for
the user's method of application.
Plastics
Paper and Cardboard Acrylic ABS
Glass Sealed Wood Polycarbonate Polystyrene
CARC Paint Bare and Painted Metal Polypropylene Rigid Vinyl
Fabrics Polyethylene
Scotchmate reclosable fasteners SJ3526N and SJ3527N family of products are not recommended
for attaching to flexible vinyl or plasticized substrates.
Scotchmate reclosable fasteners SJ3526N and SJ3527N family of products has shown to
be useful for:
Anti-Scratch surface Attaching Accessories and Equipment
Medical Braces Vibration and Sound Dampening Control
Attaching Exhibit and Display Graphics

The following information is intended to assist the designer considering the use of 3M™ Scotchmate™ Reclosable Fasteners. Final product performance depends on actual conditions, including the fastener selected, the conditions in which the fastener is applied, the time and environmental conditions in which it is expected to perform. Because many of these factors are uniquely within the user's knowledge and control, it is required that the user evaluate the 3M™ product to determine whether it is fit for a particular purpose and suitable for the user's method of application and desired end use.

As a general rule, four square inches of fastener area per pound of static load to be supported is suggested as a starting point for evaluation. More or less area may be needed  depending on specific conditions or end use applications.

For complete details on techniques and options for attaching Scotchmate, please see the technical bulletin on Attaching Scotchmate. 3M™ Scotchmate™ Loop Reclosable Fasteners can be mated with any of the Dual Lock™ products. See technical bulletin above .

Pressure Sensitive Adhesive attachment: The fasteners and substrate surfaces should have equilibrated for a minimum of 1 hour at temperatures of 68F (20C) or greater before application. Generally these adhesive backed fasteners should be applied to surfaces that are smooth, dry and free of oils, mold, release agents or other surface contaminants.

The substrate surface should be cleaned to remove any surface contaminants with an appropriate cleaning method for the customer's substrate, type and quantity of surface contaminants that need to be removed. Note: Be sure to follow all government regulations and the manufacturer's precautions and directions for use when using solvents or other cleaning methods.

After the substrate has been cleaned and dried, the liner is removed from the fastener's adhesive and without touching the adhesive, the fastener’s adhesive is applied to the surface using light finger pressure. The fastener can then be rolled down, to increase contact of the adhesive with the substrate's surface, by one of two methods.

The pressure-sensitive adhesive bonds to the substrate on contact and parts can be handled immediately. Adhesive bond strength increases with time, pressure and temperature.  A minimum of one hour dwell is recommended before applying a load or disengaging assembled parts. Recommended time to achieve maximum bond strength is 24 hours.