Card lamination is the way of bonding two or more layers of films together under increased temperature and pressure without using adhesives. The process is used mostly for combining PVC layers, but different substrate layers can be used if required.
The lamination properties of vinyl films are highly dependent on the formulation of the film. Additives like acetate-copolymer reduce the softening behavior significantly. ABS additives are used to increase the softening behavior. Here are quick and detailed guides to aid you in the lamination process.
For further information on card production, visit the card product section of the site.
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| 285 to 300°F |
22 minutes at 125 psi |
18 minutes (125 psi for first 2 minutes; 250 psi at remaining 16 minutes) |
| Δ Back to Top |
| 285 to 300°F |
22 minutes at 125 psi |
18 minutes (125 psi for first 2 minutes; 250 psi at remaining 16 minutes) |
| Temperature set point will vary from lamination press to lamination press |
The goal of the heating cycle is to get the middle sheet in any opening to reach a probe temperature of 250°F. |
The goal in any cooling cycle is to bring the material down to ambient room temperature. |
| At that point, you want your outside sheets (top sheet in opening & bottom sheet in opening) to be as close to 250°F as possible. |
The maximum exit temperature for the material out of the lamination press would be recommended at 100°F. |
| We would expect the delta between these two locations ideally to be 5 to 7°F & not greater than 10°F. |
Higher exit temperatures will lead to card warpage. |
| Meeting the center temperature will guarantee maximum peel strength & great center core-to-core bonding for split card construction cards. |
Some presses have chillers & some don't. If a chiller is available set its exit temperature between 55 to 60°F. |
| Variation in temperature from the middle to top or bottom sheet in any one opening of greater than 10° would be a concern for yellowing & possible distortion to the outer most sheets. |
Elapse time is the time required by the lamination press to bring the exit temperature at or below 100°F. Thus time will vary. With a chiller 18 to 20 minutes would be typical. |
| Please note that once center temperature in any opening reaches 250°F you can immediately go into the cooling cycle. |
Pressure is kept the same as in the heating cycle for the first two minutes of cooling because the center sheet temperature in the middle of each opening are still raising. |
| The material just needs to see 250°F for an instant to reach maximum benefit. |
After two minutes, the pressure is doubled to further ensure that that the layers of PVC materials remain intact during cooling. |
| It does not have to cook for a period of time at that 250°F. |
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