Gravure, Full-Roll Coating & Belt Lamination for a Variety of Applications
Face masks and face shields have become a part of our everyday lives. Unfortunately, they look to be a necessary precaution for the foreseeable future as well. Companies all over have stepped up to provide materials, components, their expertise, and labor to make sure these items are available for essential workers and the general public as well. However, other important PPE products are also experiencing a shortage. Surgical gowns, isolation gowns and other products requiring a barrier film are still in demand but their availability is becoming difficult due to the fact that many of the same raw materials and processes used for face masks and face shields are used to manufacture, laminate and coat these fabrics. Bixby has established relationships with a number of resin suppliers which has allowed us to continue to supply necessary materials via multiple flexible manufacturing processes during this time.
In addition to extrusion lamination capabilities, Bixby has developed multiple processes for laminating a broad range of substrates with various resins to provide a safe barrier for pathogens. Our perforation capability can also offer breathability and stretch for projects where these specific properties are needed. Below is a brief outline of some of Bixby’s current capabilities.
GRAVURE AND FULL-ROLL COATING LAMINATION
Our gravure and full-roll coating laminator offers flexible adhesive chemistries for a variety of rolled goods. This process adhesively bonds two layers of substrates with either a uniform coat of adhesive or a dot coating to allow for stretch and breathable properties within the finished product. For instance, some barrier products may prefer to block any airflow or pathogens, therefore requiring a full coat construction. However, end-use products such as hospital gowns may need the ability to stretch or pull without tearing which makes the dot-coating a more fitting solution.
Notes on Bixby’s Gravure Lamination:
- Ability to coat various rolled textiles (woven & non-woven), elastic films, rigid films, foams, as well as rolled knit and scrim substrates
- Flexible adhesive chemistries for bonding
- Gravure dot-coating for breathable constructions
- Economical non-spray patterned adhesive coating for flexible bonds
- Can coat from narrow widths to 90”
BELT LAMINATION
Our flatbed belt laminator provides precise bonding solutions for input substrates up to 87” in width. The material bond is created through both controlled heat and pressure as it moves through the belt lamination process. Heating and cooling zones also allow for the adhesive-bonding process to be completed before the laminate leaves the machine. Input materials that Bixby can work with include: adhesive films, web adhesives, all rolled textiles, foils, films, foams, and more. The multi-layer end product can be made in rolled form or sheets.
Notes on Bixby’s Belt Lamination:
- Ability to produce multilayer laminations up to 87” wide
- Allows lamination of constructions with thicknesses as high as 1/4”
- Controlled heat and pressure bonding
- Precise heating and cooling zones
- Ability to handle multiple rolls of input materials (see above)
- Flexibility of adhesive films, Bixby’s formulated hot-melt films, and a multitude of web adhesive chemistries
- Versatile equipment
Bixby’s manufacturing flexibility and broad access to material chemistries allow us to provide custom solutions across a number of different project types and industries. While our manufacturing and materials expertise make us an excellent resource for known extrusion and lamination processes, we specialize in developing custom solutions for your unique product challenges.