Flexible packaging lamination is the process of creating a material in multiple layers for flexible packaging, because the composite material can achieve superior strength, stability and firmness.
For example, the composite material for self-stand pouches for drinks, featuring a printed PET film representing the outer side, an aluminum foil as barrier layer and a sealable PE film representing the inner side.
The PET film is permanently bonded to the aluminum foil by the way of a first adhesive layer consisting of bi-component polyurethane adhesive, and the aluminum foil is permanently bonded to the PE sealing film by way of a second adhesive layer of bi-component polyurethane adhesive.
In a typical packaging laminate the thickness of the PET film is e.g. 12um, the thickness of the aluminum foil 8-10um and the thickness of the sealing layer 80-100um. The manufacture of the laminate by way of a three-fold lamination which takes place by bring together the PET film, the aluminum foil and the PE sealing film and adhesive bonding together the laminate layers via the two adhesive layers. The printed PET film is uncoiled from a first spool and coated continuously with PU laminating adhesive.
The aluminum foil is fed from a second spool to the PET film coated with adhesive, and laminated to the partial composite material in a continuous way to building the packaging laminate. The packaging laminate passes through a microwave station with adequate capacity enabling both adhesive layers to be cured in a fraction of a second in one single pass. On leaving the microwave station the packaging laminate is coiled onto a fourth spool and is ready for further processing to packaging.
