It’s always interesting to watch new warehouse employees try to use the portable packaging tape gun.
Once you get the hang of it, this handy tool is the definition of simplicity. But for someone who is unfamiliar with how to load it and use a tape gun, the handled tape dispenser can be the Rubik’s Cube of warehouse equipment.
A packaging tape dispenser is used to seal cardboard boxes so that they are secure for shipment. They use a packaging tape with adhesive on one side only. These tools can be potentially dangerous because they have a sharp cutting blade that is used to cut the tape. Because misuse of this tool can result in a cutting injury, proper training for new employees is essential.
If the paper tape dispenser is not already loaded with tape, you will need to add a new roll of tape to the tool. Simply hold the tape roll in your right hand with the end of the tape on the left and the sticky side facing down. With your left hand pick up the tape gun and push the tap roll onto the large roller.
Push the tape roll all the way in. If it doesn’t fit snugly, you are using the wrong type of tape roll.
At the front of the gun will be a smaller roller, along with a guard lever. Lift the guard lever and thread the end of the tape roll through the smaller roller. Then simply pull the tape up toward the blades, release the lever and pull the tape through so that the blade cuts off the end.
Now you are ready to use the tape gun. A single roll of tape usually has either 55 or 110 yards of tape, so depending on how much packaging your are doing, it should last for a long time.
To seal a cardboard box using the tape gun, fold the bottom two flaps that are facing each other inward. Then fold the remaining two flaps inward. Place the exposed end of the tape with the sticky side facing the cardboard on the side of the box directly above the place where the two flaps come together.
Press the sticky side of the tape down so that it adheres to the side of the box, then roll the tape along the seam caused by the two flaps coming together. Finish by pulling the tape up the opposite side a few inches. Then push the blade at the top of the tape gun down on the end of the tape to cut it.
To make the tape more secure, smooth it down with your hands along either side of the seam and up the sides of the cardboard box.
Fill the box with whatever your are shipping along with whatever packaging materials you are using — Styrofoam peanuts, plastic air bags and so on — then use the same procedure to seal the remaining open side of the box. Your box is now sealed and ready to be sent.
Tape guns are convenient to have when you are packaging a lot of materials. To prevent misplacing your tape gun or having it accidentally lost or broken, you might consider using a tape gun holster, especially if you are using your packaging tape gun frequently.