  In this paper, we investigate the periodic peeling behavior of opposing
symmetric peeling fronts involving an elastic tape peeled off from a deformable
substrate of finite thickness, backed onto a rigid foundation. We treat the
problem by means of an energetic formulation, and we found that, depending on
the values of the initial detached length $l$, substrate thickness $h$, and
peeling periodicity $\lambda$, the translational invariance of the peeling
process is lost and restored, as the elastic interaction between the peeling
fronts is limited by the substrate thickness. Indeed, given $h$ and $\lambda$,
a critical value of the detached length can be found, which is able to prevent
unstable peeling of the tape under a fixed applied load, thus resulting in
enhanced adhesion strength, with respect to the classical Kendall's solution
for peeling from a rigid substrate. On the other hand, given the geometrical
system configuration (i.e. the detached length $l$) the load necessary to
trigger the peeling can be minimized by conveniently tuning the ratio
$h/\lambda$. This feature might be of interest for the development of
innovative designs for future biomedical devices, such as Transdermal Drug
Delivery Systems or wound dressing, requiring low peel adhesion for safe
successive removals.
