A lamination development and production program intended to reduce lamination development costs may eliminate the need for investment in lamination capital equipment.

The OnTrak program from Glenro Inc., Patterson, N.J., allows companies to efficiently develop new laminating processes, create proof-of-concept products and meet final production needs. It is intended for companies that laminate materials such as fabric, nonwovens, metal foils, foams, filters, composite panels and wood products.

The program consists of three phases: process development, proof of concept and production. In the process development phase, Glenro lamination engineers evaluate lamination requirements and conduct tests to develop the optimal lamination process. Glenro uses its flatbed laminators to develop and determine the best process for each laminate material. Each of the important variables — pressure, temperature, time and adhesives — are optimized for the materials being laminated.

In the proof-of-concept Phase, Glenro manufactures products using the laminating processes developed during process development. These manufactured products can be assembled to build a functioning prototype product. The fully functional product can, in turn, go through a series of real-world tests under the exact environmental conditions of the final application.

Finally, during the production phase, Glenro runs the materials to be laminated on in-house lamination lines at its facility in Maysville, Ky. Because the production laminations are produced on the same lines that were used to develop and optimize the laminating process, line recalibration is not required. This also helps ensure that the finished product is identical to the product developed in the proof-of-concept phase.

According to Glenro, the turnkey program can reduce overall laminating costs, speed time-to-market and, in many cases, eliminate the need for investment in lamination capital equipment.