Beyond Lamination
Is lamination the only thing a laminating machine can take care of? The answer is: no. Once the laminating process requires a drying system, then the laminator can perform other functions as well.
The coating technology used to apply dry-bond adhesives (water or solvent based) is the same used in most pure coating applications, such as: release lacquers, primers, matte/gloss effects, cold seals, anti-fogs—the list goes on and on. A family of flexible machines that includes a drying system, interchangeable coating head design and in-register coating technologies is available; it allows the laminator to become quite an interesting, very flexible piece of equipment. This will grant the converter the ability to widen the range of adhesive technology on the machine, and allow a business to expand on value-added processes. Those “flexible” machines are currently among the most sold in the market of coating and lamination.
Budgeting
Investment in the business of lamination is a relatively critical item. A high-quality solventless laminator offers, through performance and low scrap rate, a return on investment in less than 12 months under current market variables. This is why, for decades, solventless lamination has grown exponentially on a global scale. A lamination process with a very low investment, incredibly low energy consumption, no emissions and high profit margins has allowed printers in every market to access lamination quite easily.
This is also why the panel of machine suppliers has undergone such a heavy natural selection. Solventless lamination technological requirements involve specific knowhow and experience in order to design a machine that is easy to run, operator friendly and capable of high-quality output and high productivity. Properly designed equipment makes the difference between a successful high-profit center and a nightmare.
Nevertheless, as seen in steps one and two, one single adhesive technology will not be able to cover every application. Therefore, evaluating budget is important when it comes to selecting the level of flexibility in using alternative adhesive technologies, as well as evaluating a machine design that allows for other uses than just lamination. At this level, it will be a lot about the trust in the expertise of the selected OEM. Return on investment is quite fast on laminators and coaters, but that should not distract from the main goal: the best possible performance and the best possible level of flexibility at the best value for the money.
About the Author: Giancarlo Caimmi is the commercial director for Nordmeccanica Group, a manufacturer of coating and laminating machinery, featuring a product line of innovative metallizers for paper and films. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University Federico Secondo in Italy, and has more than 30 years of experience in the converting machinery manufacturing industry. Giancarlo has worked in machine design as well as in research and development departments for machinery manufacturers developing new technologies in printing machinery and in coating-laminating equipment, and holds international patents for invention and innovation. He has authored articles for technical magazines and lectured worldwide in conferences on packaging, flexible packaging and converting equipment.