Plastics laminating: Applying decorative or protective films to your products

Whether car interiors, print media, furniture and textiles - products with laminations accompany us in everyday life. In this process, a plastic film is applied to a product (plastic, paper, textile, wood), either for optical or functional reasons.

Infrared radiation as an optimal heat source for laminating plastics

During lamination, a thermoplastic adhesive is often melted and used as a binder between the decorative film and the component. In order to ensure the fastest possible process times, a high heat input is essential for melting the binder. In addition to temperature increases of 100 K/s, infrared emitters have a short reaction time of up to 1 second when switching on and off. In combination with non-contact temperature measurement by means of a pyrometer, infrared systems enable precise temperature control as well as a safe, monitored and fastest possible heating process.

Plastic laminating: Special features of laminating processes

The usually low thermal masses of the plastic films allow a rapid heating speed, but require precise temperature control. Thanks to non-contact temperature measurement by means of a pyrometer, maximum reaction speed of the infrared emitters and intelligent control technology, even the highest demands on product temperatures are guaranteed. In continuous laminating processes, emitters can be switched on and off depending on the film width. This saves energy and costs.

The advantages of plastic processing with infrared at a glance

• Heating speeds of up to 100 K/s
• Automated process sequence with process-safe temperature control
• Non-contact temperature measurement by pyrometer
• Control and storage of process temperatures and other data
• Direct energy input into the adhesive, film and component à energy efficiency
• Switching on and off of infrared emitters for different product sizes à Energy efficiency