What is Materials Converting and Who Should I Choose?

Materials converting, broadly speaking, means manufacturing processes that turn raw materials into finished goods. In practice, you’ll most often hear this term in reference to rolled goods manufacturing. Typically, it means combining multiple layers of web material into a single product.

Adhesive coating, laminating, and die cutting are all common elements of the materials converting process. The conversion process will often begin with an adhesive coating applied to one web. Then, a laminator will use heat and pressure to bind multiple coated layers together. Finally, the manufacturer will use die cutting and/or slitting to cut the converted material into its final form.

Manufacturers produce all kinds of goods using these conversion processes. From automotive headliner foam to everyday household products, materials converting is a keystone element of many production processes. For many businesses, however, the question is how to manage and budget for this capital-intensive process.

In-House Materials Converting

Some businesses choose to do their own materials converting. This option can make a lot of sense for large businesses and those with highly predictable needs. For a company with well-established production schedules for its goods, in-house converting can be cost-effective in the long run.

Developing in-house converting capacity will typically mean purchasing equipment like laminating machines and roll slitters. Businesses will need to accurately account for the downtime and financial resources that setting up in-house conversion requires. The high upfront costs of in-house converting mean they may take some time to begin delivering ROI.

Similarly, you need enough space in your facility to house the machinery, store supplies and to contain the final product. Likewise, you need to consider the cost of lighting and heating or cooling this space.

Furthermore, in-house converting requires investing in employee training to ensure that the new converting line is adequately staffed. Materials sourcing can also be challenging, especially with the supply chain squeezes of the 2020s. 

Contract Materials Converting

Because converting can be capital-intensive, many businesses choose to outsource the process to contract manufacturers. A contract manufacturer provides converting services to businesses on demand. 

The contract converter bears the upfront costs of investing in equipment and hiring experts to run it. This allows businesses to purchase capacity as they need it. Businesses don’t have to purchase expensive equipment, or run the risk of cutting corners in their production process. Instead, they can entrust the process to experts working with state-of-the-art tools.

Businesses of all sizes use contract conversion manufacturing for flexible and affordable conversion solutions. Contract converting is ideal for testing and developing new products. It’s also a useful tool for filling gaps in production capacity to accommodate demand shifts. Finally, many contract manufacturers also offer supply chain services for sourcing and procuring materials.

CTI’s Contract Converting Expertise

When you need contract materials converting expertise, Conversion Technologies International should be your first contact. We’ve built our reputation on decades of conversion manufacturing experience in a huge range of industries.

Don’t hesitate to bring us your challenging projects. Our full range of custom laminating, adhesive, and die cutting solutions allows us to answer almost any conversion problem. We’ve created everything from roofing tarps to personal care products, always focusing on the needs of each client. 

The five-step process we use ensures that we understand each converting project thoroughly from the beginning. Our process can include use of our extensive R&D facilities for test runs and market testing. However, we also offer scalable capacity that can slot smoothly into your existing production process.

Industries CTI Serves

Utilizing our modular approach to production, we handle a wide variety of production tasks for unique materials. We have vast experience serving diverse industries including:

• Automotive
• Medical
• Construction
• Consumer Products and Packaging
• Marine
• Aircraft
• Textiles
• Furniture
• Roofing

Likewise, we handle multiple productions tasks with our specialized equipment including:

• Hot Melt Spray Coating
• Slot die coating
• Hot gravure
• Powder coating
• Belt Laminator
• Roll coating
• Hot roll lamination
• Water-based gravure coating and printing
• Meyer rod coating
• Knife-Over-Roll coating

CTI can get you started with a quote on your custom materials converting solution now! Contact our experts by phone at 419-924-5566, or request a free quote online.