Taking a layered approach

2019 has started off as an exceptionally busy time for us all at Archbond. We continue to provide our range of premium pool covers as well as help customers with their latest product lamination needs. You could almost say that we have layers upon layers of projects. Just like many of our lamination products when we bring together a variety of different substrates to meet demands across a wide number of market sectors.

Take for example a recent enquiry we have been helping a potential new customer with.

Here we are using our hot melt adhesive capability to laminate a fireproof membrane on to a fabric for use in the transport sector. The result? To deliver a quality layered product for the customer application.

And how had they been previously been doing this? Well, in short, with an aerosol spray adhesive. This was not only incredibly time consuming, but also very difficult to apply across the material web in a consistent manner.

Enter our hot melt process, which unlike our flame lamination, doesn’t rely on the material itself to act as an adhesive. But instead heats a separate adhesive substance which is evenly distributed by rollers across the material. The process is completed by feeding the materials through a compression roller which firmly bonds the layers together. Giving a consistent, quality product for our customers to use.

As we said, taking a layered approach, is just one example of how our technology bonds materials together. This is for use in items as varied as horse saddles, body cushioning pads, or even automotive protection. It’s why you will find Archbond technology in many more products than you would ever think. As we help provide the solution to manufacturing problems across commercial, leisure, automotive and healthcare sectors.

So, going back to our lamination capabilities and with layers in mind, are there any limitations to the number of different materials we can bond together?

Well, unsurprisingly, the answer is … ‘it depends!’ We often bond 3 layers and more using our flame, infra-red and hot melt lamination manufacturing. Sometimes even passing ever increasing numbers of layers through our processes more than once to deliver complicated structures that can be up to 8 layers or more.

Essentially, as long as the materials can be processed and the final substrate is less than 100mm and can be wound for onwards transportation, then the limit is often your imagination. And it’s imagination and experience that we bring to each project – ‘The Archbond Way’ as we discussed in our previous Blog. Fundamentally our ability and willingness to get stuck in and commit time and resources to solving problems. Ensuring we continue to be the UK’s leading lamination manufacturing business and deliver products for our customers.

And since we have mentioned the UK and product delivery and it being nearly the end of March, it would be remiss of us to ignore the impending question & challenges of Brexit…

What we can say is despite the many unknowns, like our lamination products, we have things covered. Our planned approach to stock holding, logistics and our supply chain will ensure that we support our customers. For both our standard and new product developments.

See what we mean – our layered approach is everywhere!