Laminating services can be one of two different processes: either bonding two or more materials together using heat, adhesives or pressure, or applying a clear plastic film to the exterior of flat objects. Both of these services are commonly available and carried out in die cutting facilities that manufacture products like gaskets, o-rings, bumpers, credit cards, flooring and countertops.
All laminating services increase certain product characteristics, including strength, durability, weight, cosmetic appearance and resistance to temperature, moisture or chemicals. It extends the product's lifespan, provides protection to the exterior, and it is commonly used to manufacture items for the construction, office supply, printing, home interior and commercial goods industries. When two or more layers are bonded together, they form what is known as a composite material. Many modern products in building construction, like fiberboard and plywood, are composite materials. Paper or plastic items that require heavy use and need to last a long time are often laminated with clear plastic. Not only does this type of laminating provide increased durability and the ability to resist wear, but its aesthetics are improved, giving the product a professional look. Many posters, signs and ID cards are laminated. In an industrial setting, some gears are laminated with plastic to ensure quieter operation.
Each type of lamination is executed a different way. The process that produces a composite material uses adhesives, pressure and often heat to bond the layers together. The type of laminating that covers the material with a thin, clear film of protective plastic is adhered without the use of adhesive material. Instead, heat is applied, melting the plastic around the product. Once cured, the finished product is more rigid, shiny and durable. Any materials that have heat-sensitive inks, like cardboard box composites with printing on the exterior, are cold laminated, meaning the process is done without the use of any heat. Instead, the plastic film is coated with clear adhesive and applied with a roller. Kiss cutting, a form of die cutting that manufactures adhesive-backed products, uses the laminating process to produce a material-adhesive-paper backing composite. When two very different materials must bond together, specialty adhesives that are stronger than the standard variety are used to ensure the two substrates stay adhered with one another.
