Laminating machines that join materials.

A flatbed laminating machine, also known as a double-belt press, consists of two conveyor belts arranged one above the other. The adjustable gap between the two conveyor belts is the laminating gap through which the material to be laminated is conveyed. Inside the conveyor belts are a heating plate and a cooling plate to heat and then cool the material being laminated. This typically activates a fusing adhesive to bond the materials together. The cooling system stabilizes the compound. Since the laminating gap is flat, both flexible, rollable materials and rigid sheets can be treated. Meyer specializes in flatbed laminating machines and also offers laminating trials at its technical center.

Flexible materials, such as textiles, nonwovens, films, or foams, can be bonded together. Multiple layers can be bonded in a single operation. Sheets can also be bonded. A thermoplastic adhesive is usually used for this purpose.

Production speed depends primarily on the materials. Thick, heavy materials often require a lot of heat energy, which results in a slower production speed. The longer the heating zone of the laminating machine and the greater the installed heating power, the faster the production speed. Typical production speeds range from 2 to 20 m/min.

A flatbed laminating machine with an integrated cooling zone is ideal for coating. The coating is usually a thermoplastic adhesive that is laminated on as adhesive powder, film, or woven material. Since the coating is completely cooled before leaving the machine, it does not bond to the conveyor belts.

A calender consists of several rollers that heat and press the material to be laminated. In a belt laminator, the heating zone is longer, and temperature control is more precise thanks to adjustable zones. The surface pressure can be precisely adjusted, allowing for the lamination of both thin, flexible materials and hard sheets. An integrated cooling zone enables immediate cooling, which offers numerous advantages; in particular, it allows materials to be completely melted. In a calender, the fusing adhesive must always be covered.

First, dual-belt laminating machines differ in width and in the length of their heating and cooling zones. There are machines for simple applications where the production speed is relatively low, and there are high-performance machines for heavy materials where high pressures and high speeds are required. At MEYER, the machines can be categorized as follows:

• KFK-L for material widths up to 600 mm, for small parts and laboratory use
• KFK-C for material widths up to 1800 mm; the material should be relatively light
• KFK-E for material widths up to 2500 mm, medium-weight materials
• KFK-EL for material widths up to 2500 mm, significantly higher production speed
• KFK-X for material widths up to 2500 mm, with high heating and cooling power
• KFK-XL for material widths up to 3000 mm, modular heating and cooling zones, also suitable for heavy materials
• KFK-P for material widths up to 3000 mm, modular heating and cooling zones, suitable even for the heaviest materials, high pressures possible

Depending on the machine type, the material to be laminated can be up to 150 mm thick. Custom solutions are available upon request. If the material is very thick and needs to be heated through completely, the machine must run at a slower speed. However, if a thin material is laminated onto a thick carrier material, heating the thin layer is usually sufficient, allowing for a much higher production speed.

The type description indicates the maximum passage width. However, the material should always be approximately 100 mm narrower. With a KFK-E 1900, material up to 1900 mm can theoretically be fed into the machine; however, trouble-free lamination is only guaranteed for material up to 1800 mm. The maximum material width for the KFK-XL is 3000 mm. Wider solutions are available upon request.