Laminated fabric is a combination of two or more layers of fabric combined with some other material to achieve specific performance characteristics. The resulting composites create significant benefits and allow for varied applications beyond the capabilities of a single fabric solution. Laminated fabrics are often more durable, versatile, stronger, water-resistant and are customizable for specific needs and environments
Dal-Bac Manufacturing Company produces a full range of laminated fabrics including custom solutions across a range of industries. Our experience has identified key primary benefits of laminated fabric, along with two things to be aware of when developing a custom laminated fabric solution.
The primary benefits are:
- Get the best of two fabrics. Laminating two different fabrics together will create a composite fabric with the benefits of both. A common solution is to laminate a strong fabric with a more decorative or print fabric to create a finished product with significantly greater tensile strength. The new laminated fabric delivers the cosmetic features from the decorative fabric while adding more structure and strength to finished products. This type of application is frequently used for products like handbags and luggage.
- Improved downstream processing. Stretch fabrics can be difficult to process due to the fabric’s tendency to distort during processing. Laminating a layer of paper, or other stabilizer, to the fabric will eliminate distortion. This allows the fabric to be die cut, laser cut or Gerber cut into complex and exacting shapes and sizes. Lamination also keeps fabric from distorting when it is incorporated into assemblies such as sewn-on appliques for promotional products.
Another improvement for downstream processing comes from combining plastic films with fabrics. This allows the fabric to be cut into component pieces that can be assembled via RF welding and ultrasonic welding. This is often an important capability for medical devices.
Two potential issues with laminated fabric:
- Avoid large differences in fabric tension. A large tension difference between two laminated fabrics will potentially cause the finished composite to curl. The resulting product will be very difficult to work with downstream.
- Be cautious when laminating a light colored fabric to a dark fabric. Light color fabrics will require higher weights when laminated to a darker fabric. Opacity for the lighter fabric must be increased or the darker color fabric will cause a “graying” of the lighter colored fabric. This “graying” effect will result in a change in the intended color of the finished product.
Dal-Bac Manufacturing Company can help create a custom laminated fabric solution to meet specific needs for a wide variety of fabric applications.