The key to delivering a high-quality and effective product is using the right materials. Depending on your project, you may need to use laminating services for part of the project to get just the right amount of strength, flexibility and durability. When searching for a contract manufacturer, choosing one with industrial laminating services opens the door to many more possibilities and ensures you’ll have access to the right materials to meet your needs.
This post provides an overview of industrial laminating services and what you need to know before talking to a contract manufacturer.
What is industrial laminating?
Laminating is an industrial process where you create a new composite material by combining two or more materials. This could include combining foam and fabric for a stronger material, an adhesive film onto foam, or any other combination of foam, plastic film and fabric. It is used in a variety of industry needs, from medical devices to athletic equipment, to protect and strengthen components that are exposed to wear and tear or high temperatures.
During the laminating process, these materials are bonded, using two or more layers of material. The materials are bonded using heat, pressure, or an adhesive. At Janco, we use flame lamination and adhesive lamination processes.
Our industrial laminating capabilities are used to create wide range of products within many industries, including:
- Athletic protective padding
- Automotive
- Electronics
- Footwear
- Home furnishings
Laminating film vs. laminating fabric vs. laminating foam
Laminating two different materials can be done in a variety of combinations based on need. Simply put, the material dictates what kind of laminating process you use. Certain foams require an intermediary film for successful lamination to other materials, while other foams can bond together to other materials without the use of film.
The type of material also dictates the process used, such as heat or adhesive. At Janco, we offer laminating for both industrial and medical applications, however, there is a wide range of applications for industrial products and is more common for these types of products.
Post-processing services
When the laminating process is done, that’s not the end of the full manufacturing process. This newly created material commonly goes on to further processing, including:
- Die cutting
- Adding Velcro
- Stitching
- Adding graphics via heat stamping
These important steps are what transform the laminated materials into your product. Janco has the capabilities of doing this work in-house, which has been a benefit to customers looking to streamline their contract manufacturing services.
Full-service industrial laminating
When looking to create the right material for your products, laminating services could be the answer. Janco has 60 years of experience and our skilled team is here to offer you expertise on finding the right laminating services and materials.