Preventative Maintenance Tips For Water-Activated Tape Dispenser

You’ve bought your water-activated tape dispenser and are now completely sold on the many benefits that using the gummed tape provides your company—product security, strength, increased productivity and employee safety. To make sure you maintain all these benefits, you’ll want to keep you dispenser running in tip-top shape. If you follow these simple preventative maintenance tips, your dispenser will provide you with years of worry-free service. Note: This post was created to assist you in maintaining your Better Packages dispenser; however, these tips may be applicable for others like a gummed paper tape dispenser.

Gummed Paper Tape Dispenser Maintenance

It's important to ensure you maintain your dispenser and tape dispenser parts as regularly as possible. Two of the most important elements are to make sure your water brushes and shear blades are clean. Glue from the tape may accumulate and reduce dispenser functionality. Optimally, you’ll want to clean water-brushes weekly. Cleaning is easy and quick.

To clean the brushes, (and maintain moistening effectiveness): 

• If you are using an electric dispenser, unplug power from the machine. Remove the water bottle    and water tank. Be careful. The heater may stay hot for a while after machine is off/unplugged
• Remove the brushes from the tank
• Wash the brushes with warm water and mild soap.
• Place the brushes back into the water tank. If you are using a Better Packages’ dispenser, position brushes so that the top of the brushes are cut at an angle. Shorter brushes go in the back. The longer length bristles must be toward the front of the machine. If it is not a Better Packages’ machine, check your operator manual.

While you are cleaning the brushes, clean any accumulated tape dust with a dry brush or blower.

The shear blades should be cleaned monthly. Clean any accumulated glue from the blades using a scraper.  (Don’t scrape the cutting edge because the blade may become dull and need replacement.)

Once a year, give your dispenser a thorough cleaning.

• With a dry brush or blower, clean all accumulated pieces of tape, tape dust and any other foreign material from inside the machine.
• Clean the bottom of the heaters and pressure plates that have accumulated glue.
• Oil upper and lower blades lightly with light machine oil.
• Clean all covers with a damp rag.

Important Tip For Tape Dispenser Maintenance

Never spray cleaning fluid or lubricant into the machine. Never clean or work on an electric or electronic dispenser with the power turned on. Always turn the power off and unplug the machine before servicing.

Follow these simple maintenance guidelines and your water-activated tape dispenser will provide you with many years of repair-free service.

Check out the free ebook for tape dispensing solutions.