Hot Melt Adhesives for Flat Lamination

Profile Lamination

Manufacturers often encounter the difficulty of creating numerous profile shapes with consistent quality in a short amount of time when laminating or wrapping wood, wood-based materials, plastics, and metals. In profile wrapping, wood, plastic, or metal profiles like aluminium are coated with decorative foils of plastic (PVC, polypropylene) or paper patterns and laminates for finishing. Special adhesives are used to bond decorative foils to the profile surface before being turned into the final product. This includes a wide variety of items like: baseboards, skirting boards, furniture components, door frames, ornamental moldings, picture frames, drawer handles, and many other products. Every product comes with unique requirements that need to be fulfilled by the manufacturer.

Challenges In The Laminating Process

While the lamination process may appear straightforward initially, success hinges on attention to the specifics. The numerous materials available lead to endless potential combinations, continually posing new challenges for manufacturers.

Paper, decorative films, and laminates may have a thickness that makes it challenging to adhere to a complicated profile shape. Especially pointed corners increase the chances of material cracking or the decorative material separating from the edge. Furniture designers are always creating new, innovative colors and shapes that manufacturers must implement technically. The final consumer anticipates impeccable product quality. The example here can be seen with high-gloss foils and super-matt surfaces, which are currently very popular. Expertise in profile wrapping is essential to prevent imperfections like stripes, particle inclusions, or "orange peel" that can significantly affect the quality of the wrapped profile.

Choosing The Right Adhesive

Profile wrapping typically involves the use of hot melt adhesives. The adhesive is melted in specialized melters before being applied to the decorative material with a slot nozzle or to the substrate with a roller application. Nevertheless, the different adhesives vary greatly in their characteristics and must be chosen with caution based on their specific use.

Although EVA or polyolefin hot-melt adhesives exhibit strong initial adhesion, they only undergo physical curing and can be easily melted again by applying heat. This indicates that there is a possibility of the ornamental material coming loose once the item is subjected to higher temperatures and elevated humidity levels. This is particularly common when laminated profiles are being moved in containers or trucks in the summer, or when they are being installed in kitchens or bathrooms.

Nevertheless, there is an adhesive that provides peak safety in this regard. These reactive polyurethane hot-melt adhesives have exceptional resistance to high temperatures, water vapor, and chemicals like cleaning agents due to their chemical cross-linking. Hence, PUR adhesives are best suited for products going to harsh climates like Asia or Africa, facing long transportation distances, or being used in kitchens or bathrooms. Profiles coated with PUR adhesive have an extended lifespan and ensure lasting adhesion of the decorative foil, even in challenging environments. Moreover, PUR adhesives can be used with many different materials, allowing for the creation of a diverse selection.

JiWei provides a range of PUR adhesives for profile lamination to suit a variety of needs. A versatile adhesive that works well for attaching paper decorations and plastic films (PVC, PET, PP, or PS) with a thickness of up to 0.25mm. An ideal product, along with a PUR adhesive, is recommended for bonding CPL, veneers, and thicker decorative foils to achieve high working speeds for profile wrapping and postforming.

Postforming

PUR adhesives play a unique role in the postforming process. This includes the following step of applying a surface coating on the panels after they have been shaped at the edge. When the material sheet is laminated and glued on by a postforming machine in a downstream process, the surface material protrudes over the profiled edge. This results in seamless edges that prevent the accumulation of dirt or water. Postforming is primarily utilized for items that endure high levels of moisture, chemicals, and mechanical strain. This is relevant to items such as bathroom and kitchen furniture, laboratory equipment worktops, reception and sales counters, and ship furniture.

JiWei provides expert guidance and specialized training through their in-house ACADEMY to assist in selecting the appropriate PUR adhesive for your specific production needs. JiWei promises excellent PUR adhesives for profile lamination and ensures reliable production in your process with top quality and competitiveness.