Progress in road construction

The redevelopment of the globally successful TOK®-Band Spezial was a great challenge for DENSO.

In 1977, the original TOK®-Band revolutionised road repair and established itself as a clear market leader, thanks to its exceptional quality and proven long service life. This bitumen joint tape can be used to perform large-scale replacement work on damaged lane surfaces, as well as to repair smaller surface areas. After applying a primer, the tape is rolled out and fused to the surface using a gas burner, creating a perfect seal on the asphalt surface. TOK®-Band Spezial is much more than the world's first bitumen joint tape – its outstanding quality and exceptional performance have turned its name into a synonym for all joint tapes of this type.
Flaming TOK<sup>®</sup>-Band Spezial using a gas burner
Flaming TOK®-Band Spezial using a gas burner

So why would we change this successful product at all?

When working with TOK®-Band Spezial, a DENSO employee noted that a road construction worker was using his foot to apply pressure to the tape during the fusing process, fixing it in place. From this observation, the idea for an even simpler application method was born: The bitumen joint tape needed a self-adhesive side! 
Initially, envisaging TOK®-Band being applied "cold", without using a gas burner to fuse it into position was impossible. However, by 1996 and after two years of intensive research and material testing, we had found the answer. The industry was impressed by the new development – and the solution has been setting new standards worldwide ever since. TOK®-Band SK is self-adhesive, so heat is no longer required to apply it to the required surface. Just a short time after application, the tape is permanently fused to the cut or machined edge. The laborious process of using a gas burner to fuse the tape is no longer required, generating significant time and cost savings for users. TOK®-Band SK is so easy to apply that the work can be carried out by only one person. Today, TOK®-Band SK is a permanent fixture in the road construction industry.

Sometimes, even little things turn into big ideas.

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