CTI Will Save you Time and Expense on Lamination Services
Without a doubt, running a business comes with many tasks. This is true whether your company is large, small, independently-owned or a corporation. The multiple tasks are sometimes difficult to process on your own. Especially, this is true when highly technical and expensive equipment is involved. Therefore, whenever you have an opportunity to effectively outsource certain processes in the manufacture of a final product, it often makes sense to do so. Indeed, laminating is one of these instances. The time, cost and expertise required to ensure proper application isn’t available in every company’s portfolio of talents. Fortunately, it is a talent among many at Conversion Technologies International. Consequently, it makes sense to explore our lamination services to save you time and money.
Overview of our Lamination Services
First, let’s explore the different types of lamination services. If your laminating needs don’t seem to fall directly into a specific category, don’t worry. It’s likely that we can fulfill the needs of your specific project. In fact, we find that each customer has unique needs tied into their laminating projects. While the application may differ, the overall technique remains the same. Ultimately, that is one of the keys to our overall success. We explore your needs; then, we adapt our techniques; next, we find innovative ways to make your project work. When you read through some of our problem-solving successes, you’ll see how varied our approach can be, based on the project at hand.
All lamination involves the joining together of 2 or more layers of materials in order to enhance the quality or function of a product or in some way improve its viability. This improvement can take many forms, such as adding a water-repellent, fire-retardant or insect repellent function to an existing product.
Some of the materials we have worked with for our lamination services are:
- Cellular sponge
- Cork
- Fabric
- Foam
- Latex
- Natural Rubber
- Polyester
- Polypropylene
- PVC
- Silicone
- Thermoplastic
- Foil
- And many more
As with all of our contract services, we employ the latest, state-of-the-art coating equipment, including:
- Slot Die – used to deliver a solution onto a substrate via a narrow slot. This method offers better uniformity with very thin films.
- Roll Coating – the best method to use when coating flat, thin substrates, mainly for wet coating.
- Gravure Coating – this method has evolved from a printing context, since it is best for certain coatings with the viscosity of ink. It uses engraved rolls to deliver the coating to the web.
- Hot Roll Lamination – heated rollers melt glue and extrude the glue onto a film. We then apply the heated film to a substrate.
- Hot Melt Spray Coating – using a spray coating allows coverage over a larger area and is popular for furniture assembly and similar large format lamination products.
- Belt Lamination – we use this method for higher volume laminating when bonding components requiring steady, continuous pressure. The lamination takes place between two conveyor belts which consistently apply the necessary pressure.
We also have the expertise and equipment to handle materials requiring water-based adhesives. The equipment that we use for those cases include:
- Gravure roll
- Knife-over-roll
- Meyer rod
Our lamination services have been instrumental in developing and improving laminated material for products in many industries. Among them are:
- Automotive
- Roofing materials
- Fiberglass and insulation
- Consumer products
- Construction
What is the difference between hot lamination and cold lamination?
Depending on the ultimate goal for a particular product, the materials involved and the configuration of the design, we must choose either a hot or cold lamination process.
The two processes differ in the type of adhesives necessary for the lamination to take place.
A ‘hot’ lamination uses an adhesive that activates by running the material through a hot-roll laminator, if it requires temperatures between 210 and 240 degrees.
‘Cold’ lamination utilizes a stronger adhesive and we apply it using pressure, rather than heat.
Perfecting the Process of Laminating Services
Now that you know what is available, let’s get into another crucial element – perfecting the process of lamination services.
Time is money. We’ve all heard the phrase; it rings true for a reason. Being efficient is cost-effective. Plus, the more quickly you can accomplish a task for a customer, the happier everyone is. Likewise, it’s imperative that your staff is using their time effectively to do what they do best. If you’re using your valuable team to complete tasks outside of their area of expertise, you’re wasting time, money and possibly talent they could use better elsewhere. Instead, turn to our tried-and-true process to complete lamination projects in a timely manner.
Our Simplified Process
We have developed a simple process over time and we apply it to all projects. By following these steps, we can assess that a project is a good match of our capabilities to our clients’ requirements. Then, the steps take us from the idea stage through final production. Some companies want to be part of every step and others want to hand over complete responsibility for the project. By having the flexibility to deal with both scenarios, we are able to provide excellent results for all of our clients.
- Initial Consultation—the first step to any project is our free, no-obligation consultation. This discussion with the client is critical to determining that the project is a good match for our facilities and equipment and that we understand all requirements and goals.
- Research & Development—by allowing our clients to access our state-of-the-art facilities, we can test new materials, products or techniques for a client. Many companies do not maintain their own R&D department, but need to develop new products or improve existing ones. Our facility allows them to do this and save time, money and effort while using our expertise and equipment.
- Lab Testing/Sample—sometimes, a client needs a sample to make a major production decision. We have the ability to produce samples at any point during the manufacturing process, usually with minimal cost.
- Pilot Trial Run—there is a lot of value in assessing a new product before the final production run begins. We understand that it is important to eliminate a lot of expense down the road by ensuring that the finished product is exactly as anticipated; therefore, we consider a trial run a necessary step in manufacturing any product.
- Production—by utilizing our process, we can be confident that the full production run will be successful. At this point, product testing has proven that everything will work as planned and there is total confidence in the final production run.
Find A Lamination Service That Gets It Right
More importantly, simply getting a project completed quickly isn’t enough. Your final product must be high-quality. Otherwise, you’ve wasted time and money and risked losing the loyalty of your customers. Our dedication to customer service directly translates to your customer service.
Yes, our team is efficient. Truly, our clients appreciate how quickly we process laminated materials. The streamlined process above ensures that speed. However, we never sacrifice quality over timeliness in our methodology.
Other Ways CTI Can Help with Your Production Needs
Our capability does not stop with laminating. We also provide the following services:
Adhesive and General Coatings:
Our well-equipped and efficient facilities serve many industries with our coating applications. Some of the materials we work with include acrylic, acetate, latex, silicone and neoprene among others. The experts we have on-site work with hot melts, water-based adhesives, water-repellent, fire-retardant and spray adhesives.
We can handle cure temperatures up to 350°F, widths up to 120 inches, roll weights up to 2,000 lbs. and maximum adhesive thickness of 60 mil.
If you have a need for a coating operation and want to save the cost of investing in this costly equipment, contact us to discuss your project. It is likely that we will save you both time and expense.
Slitting and Die-Cutting:
CTI also offers some of the best fully-customizable slitting and die-cutting services in the country. Our equipment includes several flat-bed die cutters; therefore, we can cut from sheet or rolled form.
Additional Specifications:
- Cut materials up to 5/8”
- Sheet sizes up to 40” x 60”
- Rolled materials up to 60” width
Research and Development:
There are many reasons for companies to utilize our R&D services.
Large companies may want to focus on their core business and not staff and equip an entire research and development department. That endeavor can be a very expensive proposition for even the largest budget.
Similarly, Small companies have an even greater need to focus their budget on the products or services they provide. Usually, they can’t allocate large sums of money for research and development, even though they understand that staying ahead of the competition requires constant upgrading and replacing of current products.
Ultimately, by using the services of a contract manufacturer, a company, large or small, can achieve the advantages of an R&D lab without the high cost. Fortuitously, CTI offers these services for a wide variety of industries and can provide as little or as much input and technical expertise as the client requires. Moreover, we enjoy the process of assisting with the development of a new product and eventually even handling the manufacturing end, if needed. Our flexibility allows us to fit into your supply chain wherever you require our services. With the years of experience our engineers have to offer, you may end up with a much better result than you had originally planned!
Proven Customer Satisfaction
In the end, lamination services and other services are all about results. Our years of experience are yet another key to the success that we share with you. We serve some of the largest corporations in the country right along with smaller businesses who realize the value of utilizing our expertise and equipment. No matter the size of your company, saving time and money is critical to your bottom line.
At times, you have a need for a small process in the manufacturing cycle that may require a huge investment. Not only do you need specialized equipment, but there is the associated cost of hiring and training technicians to run the equipment. All of this takes not only money, but also valuable time. When taking a new product or an improved product to market ahead of competitors, weeks or even days can mean the difference between success and failure.
Our clientele includes:
- Clorox
- Dupont
- Firestone
- Ford
- Hanesbrands
- Owens Corning
- Steelcase
- Henkel
- Lear
- Johns Manville
- Sauder
- And many more
At CTI, we offer the perfect combination of state-of-the-art equipment, fast response times, diverse facilities with modular, flexible layout, top-of-the line technical support, solutions to your process-engineering issues and completely customizable contract manufacturing processes.
In today’s economic environment, cost savings in all facets of a company’s budget are critical to survival. Contracting expensive processes to professionals who can handle it efficiently and eliminate the need for investment in expensive assets is the perfect solution for companies large and small. Contact us today by completing our online form or call the experts at 419-924-5566.
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