How The Fiberglass Lamination Process Serves Your Business

There’s the broad lamination process, and there’s the fiberglass lamination process. Laminating fiberglass presents unique challenges, which is why many businesses choose to outsource production. Whether or not that’s right for your company in the end, it’s certainly worth looking into. Expert third party manufacturers like Conversion Technologies International go beyond providing a service—we also have deep insight into this and related processes. Let’s dive in.

What equipment do we use for lamination?

The types of equipment used during any lamination depends on your chosen lamination process. Small-scale, even at-home lamination projects typically rely on pouch laminators. These small machines encase materials, usually documents, in pre-filled pouches. As the machine heats the pouches, the adhesives melt, sealing the documents within the pouch. This process won’t work for industrial lamination, wherein you’ll typically want to work with roll laminators. We split this type of lamination machine into two categories, including:

—Cold roll lamination. In this case, the process depends on self-adhesive product and heavy pressure. The adhesive is already ready, and it’s essentially activated by pressure rather than temperature. It’s convenient, and suits heat-sensitive materials. However, it’s typically not as durable as hot lamination, and can leave bubbles and other flaws. Typically, we apply this process to small products like IDs and photographs.

—Hot roll lamination. Here, we use heat to active the adhesive. This means the process takes longer and can be more labor intensive. However, it’s almost always better for large-scale projects. The final result is more durable, and it’s easier to apply this type of lamination to heavier, thicker materials. Naturally, this process isn’t compatible with heat-sensitive materials. But it does create a cleaner, more polished appearance.

How does the fiberglass lamination process work?

The fiberglass lamination process breaks down into a few key steps.

1. Choose your resin and fiberglass. There are three different types of resins for a fiberglass lamination project. Polyester resin is the most common and least expensive. It’s also easiest to use, making it a favorite among many manufacturing companies. Vinyl ester resin, however, is more impact- and corrosion-resistant. Epoxy resin typically costs the most, but it’s also the strongest.

After selecting your resin, you’ll choose your fiberglass material. Fiberglass comes in many forms, among them: carbon fiber, chopped strand mat, knitted fabric, fiberglass tape, and fiberglass cloth.

2. Prepare the surface. Before laminating fiberglass, it’s extremely important that you ensure it’s clear of debris. This is frequently done with sandpaper, brushes, or acetone. It’s about more than removing obvious debris like dust and dirt—oil and grease can also ruin the fiberglass lamination process.

3. Ready your resin. As you prepare your resin, double check the portions and make sure that the mixture is free of inconsistencies.

4. Apply the resin and layers. At this point, the actual lamination machine begins its work. The resin essentially seals the layers, laminating the fiberglass and producing not only a new appearance, but new functionality. As this process finishes, you’ll transition to curing. Curing time itself can vary depending on factors like temperature and humidity, as well as the hardener use you.

While these steps make the process seem straightforward, keep in mind that using a larger machine like a large format laminator can make them more complex. Additionally, the more product you need, the greater the room for error. This is why many business owners, regardless of the size of their companies, decide to work with third party contract manufacturing specialists.

What company provides the best fiberglass lamination services?

While a good number of companies offer contract manufacturing services, not all of them offer fiberglass lamination services. Once you make a preliminary list of those that do, your next move should be exploring and vetting. It’s one thing for a manufacturer to offer fiberglass lamination services—it’s another thing entirely for them to be experts in the process. When you first begin zeroing in on which third parties might best fit your business, start with reviews. Don’t just pay attention to the star ratings—pay attention to what people are saying. Experience is important, and an experienced third party manufacturer will come with not only reviews, but testimonials.

Read about real success stories from each company—find out what their clients have to say. As you start to narrow down your list, reach out to third parties directly. The right company will be willing to consult with you first. You don’t want to work with a company that will take on any client, regardless of whether they can fulfill their needs. This initial consultation process is about making sure you suit each other.

When you consult with CTI, we’ll ensure that our visions align, and that we have the equipment and experts necessary to address your specific goals. While some businesses focus solely on the final results, at CTI, we value your entire experience.

What do I do next?

Beginning the consultation process is actually quite simple. Call CTI at 419-924-5566 or contact us directly here. We’ll walk you through our approach and services, how we can help you, and what that looks like. Let’s see if we’re a match for each other—start the conversation today.