3M Gulf celebrates the company's 100th anniversary with the most significant volume growth of its Scotch brand VHB (very high bond) joining systems in the Middle East region.

VHB is a truly advanced assembly tape offering dramatic improvements in design and performance to builders in the region, according to a spokesman for the company, which has its regional office in Dubai.

"VHB tapes sales have shown consistent volume growth of almost 40 per cent in the region over the past five years. The range has increased from five variants when created to 20 different tapes to best suit our customers' need in the GCC and we are looking set to exceed our sales target for next year," says Peter Lomax, sales and marketing manager, industrial department, 3M Gulf.

A result of more than 60 years of 3M leadership in tape and adhesive technology, VHB tapes offer greater flexibility for fabricators and builders in the Middle East and allow faster and easier assembly, by eliminating the need for mechanical fastening such as screws, welding or even liquid adhesives.

"From the thousands of applications in the Gulf region, our highest profiles were the Burj Al Arab Hotel, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, the Emirates Training Centre and the Aviation Club in Dubai, Faisaliah Towers in Riyadh and the headquarters of National Bank of Dubai," says Lomax.

Highstrength Scotch VHB tapes are used throughout industry today to replace screws, rivets, welding, liquid adhesives and other permanent assembly methods, he points out. They are virtually invisible when applied to join mated parts leaving surfaces smooth and clean, he adds.

''Specifically designed for bonding application to a variety of surfaces such as plastics, metals and glass, VHB tapes reduce holes to drill, screws to tighten and lessen the need to refinish surfaces and time-consuming clean-up. Fast, easy application accelerates assembly too. No special training is required and little or no equipment investment is necessary,'' Lomax says. ''VHB tapes provide continuous contact over mated surfaces, eliminating stress points and improving fatigue resistance.''

"The growing industrial infrastructure in the GCC markets encourages us to bring our expertise and the latest technology in this field in order to meet our customers' needs. VHB tapes are now widely utilised by local architects and consultants for internal and external cladding applications as the conventional assembly methods cannot match the performance and capabilities of VHB joining systems," comments Lomax.

Designed to handle both static and dynamic loads, VHB tapes are described as being ideal for exterior applications such as architectural signage, flexible roof systems as they are resistant to moisture and ultraviolet (UV) light.

They distribute stress over the entire bonded area to permit lighter, more flexible and less expensive materials, he says.

Primary applications for VHB tapes include: curtain wall panels/cladding; panel to frame attachment; stiffener attachment; overlay of damaged panels; decorative metal attachment; canopy and storefront systems; interior wall and ceiling system; decorative metal attachment; column covers; panel to frame assembly; architectural signage; sign mounting; skylights; plastics panel glazing; flexible roof systems and vapour burner seaming.