LAMINATES

HIGH PRESSURE LAMINATE (HPL) THERMALLY FUSED LAMINATE (TFL) SPECIALTY LAMINATES

(2D & 3D LAMINATES & FILMS)

What began as a product to insulate radio equipment has evolved into one of today’s most popular decorative surfaces. Laminates are a popular material for home interiors and commercial spaces, due in large part to their versatility and affordability. Lamination refers to the process of manufacturing a multiple-layer material, often combining various base components to create an end product with enhanced qualities, including those offering sound or fire insulation, UV-resistance and antibacterial or electrostatic dissipative properties. Laminates utilize heat, pressure, welding or adhesives to create the product fusing thin sheets onto a substrate. Laminates are classified into different categories based on their how they are manufactured and their finish usage and properties. These categories include highpressure and low-pressure laminates and specialty laminates. Laminates are often associated with the clean designs from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, but have actually been around since 1909, when plastic laminates were invented for use as insulation for electronics and wiring. The first laminates were made of canvas and paper covered with phenolic resin and were first made into laminate sheets in 1913. Phenolic resin was useful but could produce only a brown finish for the laminate material, so decorative uses were still a few years away. In 1927, the Formica Insulation Company filed a patent for the first decorative plastic laminate, using colored paper for their top layer and offering 13 different colors. The company continued to add colors, textures and patterns to their laminate materials and in 1938, with the invention of melamine—made by adding a hard, clear topcoat finish by baking the product—a wide variety of durable, stain-resistant laminate surfaces were available to general consumers by the end of the 1940s. First seen mainly in commercial buildings including iconic American diners, laminate surfaces made their way into the booming housing market in post-war America with their shiny, modern look. Consumers loved the clean look for their cabinets, countertops and even furniture including kitchen tables. Technological advances and chemical innovation led to more realistic laminates, and the new exotic patterns and colors helped grow the market, along with the burgeoning home renovation market through the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

A focus on the environment saw a renewed look at laminates, which do not produce harmful fumes, and the decorative surface became more practical for many commercial spaces, including hospitals, restaurants and offices. The paper-to-polymer ratio in today’s laminates help make a stronger, more durable material than ever—it has been said that laminate can be as strong as steel, when compared by weight. Laminates continue to be popular due to their easy installation on any wood surface like plywood and MDF panel, their relatively low cost, durability, low maintenance and vast choice or finishes, including matte, glossy, metallic, solid, textured and even leather.