LAMINATING
Description
| Laminating is a process for bonding sheets or plies of materials together to produce large multi-layer panels such as plywood, sandwich structures and decorative panels. Adhesive is usually applied to the bonding surfaces and the sheets are stacked in some form of press which compresses the the panel while the adhesive cures. |
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| Laminating press |
Contacts
| www.lydney-products.co.uk | Materials laminators |
| www.lma.org | Laminating Materials Association (USA) |
| www.cfa-hq.org | Composite Fabricators Association |
Characteristics
| Costs (tooling / unit) | Flat panels use press plattens-- noadditional tooling costs
Tooling for 3D shapes eg curved panels depends on shape and size. Typically 3000euro for 3m x 1m curved panel |
| Volume (units / day) | Depends on product , materials and press type. Batch process cycle times typically 20minutes. Flat panels can be multi-stacked in single press cycle. Continuous roll laminating can produce sandwich sheet at 5m/minute |
| Possible Materials | Most traditional metal and polymeric materials , foams, honeycomb cores, natural materials such as wood and cork, modern advanced composites |
| Size / Shape | Limited by press dimensions. Flat platten presses typically up to 3m x 1.5m but can be larger. 3D shapes and curved panels can be produced in diaphragm presses |
| Mechanical Properties | Design dependant. Materials and thicknesses specified for particular requirements and applications |
| Special Remarks | Many variants of the basic laminating process have been developed to accommodate different materials and geometries. These process variants are reflected in the range of laminating equipment . Simple flat platten presses, often with heated plattens, are widely used for large flat laminates. Pressurised rubber diaphragm, vacuum bag and autoclave presses typically with infrared heating are used for more complex 3D formed components. For high volume specialised laminate products, such as hy-lite, continuous roll laminating techniques can be used. |
Application / Case Study
Plywood perhaps represents one of the most common and simplest structural laminated materials. Sandwich panels are also produced by laminating thin sheet skins to light-weght core materials . Material combinations are selected to meet particular performance requirements such as structural stiffness, strength and thermal insulation. Sandwich panels are widely used in transport vehicles for example in passnger train compartment partitions, and in refrigerated trucks. sandwich construction is also used in aircraft for high strength light-weight details