Laminating machines are used to cover something with a thin layer of something else. The purpose of lamination is usually to protect whatever product it covers from abrasion, contact with moisture or any other variety of unwanted physical deformation. Laminated surfaces can also be used as substrates for labeling and designs.
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In general terms, a laminate is the union of two or more layers of two or more different materials. Laminate glass, for example, is the layering of glass sheets and plastic sheets. While lamination is widely associated with the layering of clear plastic over thin sheets of paper or plastic, it is widely used for many other purposes outside of the context of that specific process. In packaging manufacturing, for example, lamination is an important process in the creation of suitable packing materials. Because of the fact that they produce packages instead of fill or otherwise manage them, laminating machines are not always considered to be packaging equipment. However, because packaging machines often make use of laminated packaging materials, laminating machines are often grouped together with the broader family of packaging-related machinery.
Many different sizes and designs of laminating machines are available. For instance, machines can use either sheets or rolls of laminate material. Because there are so many different kinds of laminated packaging products, a sufficiently large variety of laminating machines is necessary to produce them. Laminating machines that are used to layer plastic onto other objects usually feature a roll from which plastic is drawn, cut to size and then applied to objects. In the case of laminated foil packaging products, the machines may be connected to rolls of laminate material as well. In any case, all lamination processes involve the use of heat and sometimes also adhesive to cause the bonding of the laminate and the substrate material. Once a laminated packaging product has been produced by a laminating machine, it must be inserted into other packaging systems, such as filling machines and bagging machines, which will fill the laminate packaging before it is sealed by other machinery and prepared for shipment. Lamination can be applied to a wide range of materials; just a few examples include wood, glass, metals, plastics and even fabrics. Lamination continues to be a popular treatment process for packaging materials, and it is likely to continue in its popularity.
