Double sided materials are replacing traditional fixing methods in a range of industries and applications. They also offer additional functionality such as sealing, damping and conducting.
Our range of medical grade materials offer unique characteristics for stick to skin applications and can be sterilised by EtO, gamma and steam. Other products include speciality films and foils for a range of medical applications.
We offer coated and non-coated foam and rubber materials for a variety of applications including gasketing, sealing, vibration and sound dampening and energy absorption.
We offer a selection of the most versatile and satisfactory RFI and EMI shielding solutions, for effective shielding of wirelessly transmitting devices.
As electronics become smaller and more powerful, the need for effective thermal materials increases. We offer a variety of products to suit most applications.
For the management of temperature, humidity, gases and pressure, and the prevention of liquid, dust and chemical contamination. We hold an expanding range of materials to suit your every application.
We offer our customers access to a superior range of medical grade materials for the varied applications found within the healthcare market. Our commitment to quality, demonstrated by our ISO 13485 registration, FDA registration and ISO Class 7 Clean Room capability means our customers are confident in the superior quality we can achieve for their medical products.
We fully understand the key needs of the automotive market; we offer quality management to ISO 9001, clean room manufacturing and TS16949 compliance. This, combined with our access to World leading materials, makes us the first choice partner in the manufacture of automotive components.
We supply adhesive components into a range of electronics applications, from bonding of dissimilar substrates, to sealing, cushioning, shielding and insulating of components. Whatever your needs, our access to a variety of products, and the ability to create bespoke constructions and components, will ensure we have a solution to your unique requirements.
Industrial grade materials offer strength and resilience, as well as resistance to UV, chemicals, oil and extreme temperatures. Whatever your needs, our experts can advise on the optimum product for your application. We can convert your material into bespoke components for enhanced manufacturing efficiencies and cost savings.
The safety critical applications of this market require trusted adhesive solutions to ensure high quality and reliability of products. We offer a range of materials for bonding, sealing, insulating, shielding and venting for a range of detection, monitoring and emergency devices. Whatever your needs, we have the experience, materials and converting expertise to offer the optimum solution to the unique requirements of your products and processes.
We offer a range of specialist products and manufacturing processes to satisfy the safety critical needs of the defence industry. With Quality Management accreditation to ISO 9001, Clean Room manufacturing and SC21 accreditation, we are confident in meeting the quality expectations of our military and defence customers.
Adhesive tapes offer a range of trusted solutions for aerospace applications and are commonly used for bonding and sealing, as well as vibration dampening, shielding, cooling, masking and venting. We have access to a vast range of materials, which we can convert into bespoke components for enhanced quality and manufacturing efficiencies.
We offer a range of bonding tapes and films for the assembly and protection of furniture, partition walls, flooring systems, HVAC products, doors and windows. Whether you require a permanent bonding solution or temporary protection, we can advise on the optimum product for your unique application.
Modern lighting utilises many adhesive components to enhance the aesthetics and the efficiency of lighting products. We provide bespoke adhesive components to efficiently bond, seal, vent, dissipate heat and reflect light in a range of lighting applications.
Solar and wind energy products are subject to the harshest external environments throughout their lifetime. This includes extreme temperatures, UV light, wind, rain and debris. We offer a range of performance materials to protect components and resist these environmental extremes, as well as efficiently bond, insulate and vent internal components.
We have over 50 years experience in converting tapes and flexible materials for a diverse range of industries and applications. During this time we have built long lasting relationships with suppliers and customers and have built on our experience, capabilities and our reach throughout Europe and beyond.
From design conception to final production and assembly, quality is paramount in providing our customers with products that consistently reach their desired quality standards. We do this through external accreditation and auditing, as well as internal practices and performance monitoring.
Parafix is proud to partner with world leading tape and material manufacturers. With access to a broad range of products we offer our customers extensive choice and the opportunity to combine complimentary materials from any manufacturer, unique to their requirements.
We are proud of our ‘can do’ attitude at Parafix, always striving to solve our customers’ challenges. We are also committed to quality and aim to treat our customers, employees and communities fairly and with care.
Our company values ensure we add value to and maintain the high levels of service throughout all of our activities. Read our company values on this page.
In 1969 we started our journey as a small distributor of adhesive tape. Today we’ve become a leading converter in Europe, creating complex adhesive components used globally.
One of our company values is to support the local communities in which we operate. This page shares some of the community activities we engage in and good causes we offer our support to.
There are many reasons why tapes are replacing traditional fixing methods. Among these is the strong and reliable bond that tapes provide and their additional functionality such as sealing, shielding, insulating and cushioning. In addition to these benefits, joining with tape offers greater design options, product quality and enhanced manufacturing efficiencies.
A customised adhesive component offers a number of benefits to designers and engineers. Product designs can be streamlined with invisible joins and product manufacture is made simple with a convenient and easy to handle component. Adhesive parts can be designed with application aids, or for use in automated assembly processes.
Tape is replacing traditional fixing methods across many applications. Here we compare the benefits of using a tape in place of traditional fixing methods.
When choosing an adhesive product, there are some key criteria to consider so that the desired performance is achieved. By understanding the end product and conditions it will be subject to, a material can be specified that will last the full life of your product.
The way you use your tape is an important factor in ensuring the desired performance is achieved. We’ve put together some tips on looking after your material and applying it correctly.
The current pressure on traditionally lower-powered components and devices – typically 20 watts or less – to increase their performance has placed greater emphasis on the need to extract heat, to avoid malfunction or even damage.
As demand increases for more sophisticated electronic devices, so too does the speed and functionality required; causing more heat to be generated. In addition to this, with the shrinking in size of electronic devices, the more tightly packed components and increased wattage per square centimetre creates a denser thermal environment, further increasing the heat generated and increasing the risk of overheating.
Other contributing factors to greater heat generation include the expectation for devices such as smartphones and tablets to operate longer, as well as the widespread adoption of LED lighting, in which the surface area to manage thermal transfer is very small.
In turn, this has spurred research and development into new and more efficient thermal interface materials (TIMs). The end goal is pretty simple: to reduce the risk of creating a void in the interface between two surfaces by ensuring good contact (‘wetting’) and to have the highest possible level of thermal conductivity along with the thinnest possible interface. There are a range of TIMs available, all with relative pros and cons, but there is an option available for pretty much any design need imaginable today.
We’ve put together some design considerations for finding the optimum thermal management solution:
Power density One of the biggest issues to consider is power density. 100 watts over a square centimetre as opposed to 100 watts over a square inch have very different levels of power concentration and the higher the power density, the greater the need for thermal management.
Tip: Greases and liquid adhesives usually perform best in high power density applications.
Thermal impedance As well as thermal conductivity, equally important is thermal impedance, which depends on the ‘wet-out’ or ‘wetting’, thermal conductivity and the thickness of the TIM. For instance, a metal foil has excellent thermal conductivity, but could allow air to be caught in the interface between two surfaces, thus reducing effective removal of heat.
Tip: There is a wide variety of TIMs available to designers using either lower-power components or creating high-powered devices such as LEDs.
Thermal tapes Thermal management tapes have developed a great deal in the past decade and are often multi-purpose. They incorporate a fixing adhesive, meaning no additional fixing is required, and some contain EMI properties too. Tapes typically present a very cost effective option and can be die-cut to suit rapid assembly. Tapes do have a limit on the amount of power they can handle, though they will be sufficient for many lower-power density applications.
Tip: To achieve a sufficient degree of ‘wetting’, always seek out tapes that have good conformability.
Thermal pads Pads have evolved considerably in the past few years. Previously viewed as gap fillers, pads are now a good substrate with low thermal resistance and are excellent for providing the close conformity needed to ensure no air enters the interface between two surfaces.
As well as traditional silicone pads – which have excellent softness – acrylic pads are also available and have superior heat transfer properties, as well as eliminating oil swelling and the risk of silicone outgassing, which can lead to corrosion. While acrylic pads are not as soft as silicone, they are suitable for many powered design needs. Thermal pads can also be die-cut into custom shapes, to achieve a range of benefits, including rapid assembly.
Tip: Thermal pads require additional fixing materials, so this needs to be included in the design process.
Thermal greases and liquid adhesives Greases and liquid adhesives are usually the best option where an extremely thin interface layer is required. They both offer excellent wetting ability and liquid adhesives offer a high bond strength. An additional attachment method is required where using a thermal grease and these products can be messy in their application.
Tip: Greases and liquid adhesives are usually the best option for higher powered devices – e.g. CPUs.
