The Different Types of Industrial Lamination We Offer
Lamination has a multitude of applications and uses, especially in the packaging industry. The main uses of lamination are in the food industry and the manufacture of technical laminates for the solar energy and insulation panel sectors.
Industrial lamination
Laminating is the process of bonding two or more flexible packaging webs using a bonding agent. Webs consist of films, papers, or aluminium foils. An adhesive is applied to the less absorbent substrate web. After this, the second web is pressed against it to produce a duplex or two-layer laminate.
Lamination is used for:
- Improving the appearance of the product
- Offering UV protection
- Enhance the colours of printed images
- To add a scratch resistant surface
- Protecting the product
Hot lamination
Hot lamination machines use heat to melt or activate an adhesive material to secure the plastic around the product. Hot lamination typically provides more durable protection at a faster rate.
- Hot lamination has more applications and includes different materials and other heat settings
- Materials used for hot laminators are generally cheaper than the materials used in a cold laminator
PUR adhesive lamination
PUR (Polyurethane Reactive) is a reactive hot melt adhesive that is heated before processing and is then applied to a molten state. This creates an instant bond between materials as it cools down.
- PUR works well with materials that are different to each other and achieves a high-quality bond with products that are typically difficult to bond, including nonporous materials.
- It can bond almost instantly
- It is flexible and has different uses. For example, it can set hard or rubbery
- It does not shrink or curl after being set
- Comes in a variety of forms
Hot melt lamination
Hot melts are applied to a material in the liquid state. Once the second material is brought into contact, the adhesive cools down and solidifies very quickly. Hot melt lamination bonds almost instantly after being activated by heat. It does not contain water and therefore has a very short cure time.
Unlike flame lamination, hot melt doesn’t rely on the material itself to act as an adhesive. Instead, a separate adhesive substance is heated up before being evenly distributed by rollers across the material.
Infrared lamination
Similar to the flame lamination process, infrared lamination also creates a thin layer of molten polymer to the compress with another piece of material to form the adhesive.
Infrared lamination is commonly used across the automotive, textile and glass industries. Infrared lamination is used to create a stable fusion between materials or layers and involves high-temperature infrared heat and chemical reactions. This results in products with fantastic protection and durability.
Discuss your requirements with our experts today for upcoming lamination projects.
