IPG AM AquaMask Masking Tape

Interchangeable with 3M Performance Yellow Masking Tape 301

AM AquaMask is a medium-grade, aqua-colored masking tape renowned for its balanced performance in demanding painting and finishing applications. Manufactured by American® brand (IPG), it features a saturated crepe paper backing and a pressure-sensitive natural rubber/resin adhesive. This combination allows for secure adhesion to both painted and bare metals and plastics, while ensuring clean, residue-free removal without paint flaking or surface staining. AquaMask is designed to work effectively with both solvent and waterborne paints, resist wet sanding, and offer UV resistance for up to three days, making it a versatile choice for achieving sharp, clean paint lines in various industrial and transportation settings.

Key Characteristics:

• Aqua Color: Distinctive aqua (blue-green) color for high visibility during masking applications.
  
• Saturated Crepe Paper Backing: Provides conformability and flexibility, allowing the tape to adhere well to contours and irregular surfaces.
  
• Natural Rubber/Resin Adhesive: Offers strong initial tack and secure adhesion to various substrates (painted surfaces, bare metals, plastics), while enabling clean, one-piece removal.
  
• Clean, Residue-Free Removal: A critical feature, ensuring no adhesive transfer or paint flaking upon removal, minimizing rework.
  
• Paint Compatibility: Works effectively with both solvent-based and waterborne paint systems, common in aviation.
  
• Wet Sanding Resistance: The backing and adhesive are formulated to resist water penetration, making it suitable for wet sanding processes.
  
• UV Resistance: Offers UV resistance for up to 3 days, providing flexibility for projects that might involve some outdoor exposure or longer dwell times.
  
• Temperature Resistance: Capable of withstanding temperatures up to approximately 225°F (107°C) for up to 30 minutes, accommodating typical paint curing cycles.
  
• Consistent Unwind: Designed for a smooth and consistent unwind from the roll, improving application efficiency.
  
• Better Bonding to Itself: Enhanced ability to bond to itself for improved painting process performance, especially when overlapping.

Application in Aviation:

• Aircraft Painting and Repainting: Essential for masking off critical areas such as windows, landing gear components, engine inlets, control surfaces, and detailed livery lines during primer, basecoat, and topcoat application on aircraft exteriors.
  
• Component Finishing: Used in workshops for masking individual aircraft components (e.g., panels, brackets, fairings) before painting, anodizing, plating, or other surface treatments.
  
• Stenciling and Markings: Enables the creation of sharp, precise edges for stenciled markings, national insignia, warning labels, and aircraft registration numbers.
  Interior Masking: Can be used for masking interior cabin elements during touch-up painting or refurbishment, where clean lines and residue-free removal are crucial.
  
• Protection during Repair: Applied to protect adjacent surfaces during localized repairs, sanding, or cleaning operations on the airframe or components.
  
• Composite Manufacturing and Repair: Used in composite fabrication processes for masking areas during lay-up, bonding, or sanding.

• All in-stock orders are processed within 1–2 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email.
• Orders with a lead time will ship according to the estimated shipping time shown on the product page.
• If we experience a high volume of orders or if an item is backordered, processing times may be slightly delayed. We will notify you promptly via email.

• Returns and damage claims must be made within a maximum of 3 business days after receiving the product, with prior authorization from Aircraft Shop Supply (Return Material Authorization - RMA). Returns without prior notice or written authorization will not be accepted. We strongly recommend inspecting the product upon delivery; many products require special storage conditions for which we are not responsible once they arrive to the client's facility. Please review the product's SDS for proper storage and handling.
• For products with 3 to 6 months of remaining shelf life, claims must be made within the next 2 business days after receipt.
• Returns are not accepted for products with less than 3 months of remaining shelf life.
• Returns are not accepted for products purchased during a low Shelf Life promotion, items sold with discounts, or special orders that must be placed directly with the factory.
• The customer is responsible for the return shipping cost, except in cases where the return is due to an error on the part of Aircraft Shop Supply.
• Refunds will only be issued after the product has been inspected and no damage is found.
• A 25% Restocking Fee will be charged for returns of products in good condition that are either no longer needed or were ordered incorrectly.
• A 35% Restocking Fee will be charged for returns of products with one year or less of remaining shelf life.
• No Restocking Fee will be charged if Aircraft Shop Supply is responsible for incorrectly shipping a product, or if the order is damaged upon leaving the warehouse.
• Hazardous Materials & Dangerous Goods: These items are sold as final and are not eligible for return approval.

At Aircraft Shop Supply, we are committed to shipping the highest quality and freshest product possible. To ensure efficient stock rotation and meet aviation industry standards, our inventory management is governed by the following policy:

1. Scope of Application
All Sales Channels: This policy applies to all orders processed by Aircraft Shop Supply, including but not limited to: website purchases, direct email orders, formal Purchase Orders (POs), phone orders, and contract agreements.

2. Inventory Management (FIFO)
All products with an expiration date are managed and shipped on a strict "First In – First Out" (FIFO) basis.

3. Minimum Shipping Margin
Standard Guarantee: We will not ship any products with fewer than 30 days of use remaining (days before expiration), unless previously coordinated and agreed upon with the customer.

No Automatic Guarantees: Outside of this 30-day minimum margin, Aircraft Shop Supply does not make any automatic guarantee as to the specific length of time remaining on any shelf-life item for standard orders.

4. Special Customer Requirements
We understand that certain projects, maintenance schedules, or regulatory standards require strict specifications. If your order has specific shelf-life requirements, please proceed as follows:

How to Request: If you require a specific Date of Manufacture (DOM), Date of Expiration (DOE), or a specific minimum shelf-life percentage (%), you must clearly state this requirement:

In the Comments/Notes section when placing an online order.

Explicitly written on your Purchase Order (PO) or quote request email for offline orders.

Validation Process: Once your requirement is received:

We will ship your order if the available stock matches your specifications.

If we do not have the exact batch, we will contact you prior to shipping with the shelf-life percentage (%) or dates we have available for your acceptance.

5. Limitation of Liability and Validity of Information
To ensure transparency and manage expectations, the following terms and conditions apply:

Time-Limited Validity: Any information provided by our team regarding the remaining shelf-life percentage (%) is valid only at the exact time the inquiry is made. Due to high inventory turnover, availability is subject to change without prior notice.

Informational Purposes Only: Shelf-life data provided by Aircraft Shop Supply is strictly for informational purposes and reflects the availability at the moment of inquiry. It does not constitute a batch reservation or a product warranty.

Supply Chain Liability Exclusion: Aircraft Shop Supply is not responsible for the time elapsed or any product expiration that occurs after the order has been prepared and packed. This includes, but is not limited to: the time between order placement, carrier transit times, intermediary storage, customs delays, and final delivery to the end user. It is the customer's responsibility to account for these logistical lead times within their planning.