{"id":6354,"date":"2026-10-07T10:09:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T08:09:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsace-techniques-etiquetage.fr\/?p=6354"},"modified":"2026-10-07T10:17:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T08:17:33","slug":"laminating-films-technical-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsace-techniques-etiquetage.fr\/en\/converting\/laminating-films-technical-parts\/","title":{"rendered":"Laminating Films for Technical Parts: Which Film to Choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A laminating film is a material bonded to other layers with an adhesive to build a laminate with properties no single layer has. For a technical part, the film is chosen according to the shape of the substrate, the environment, how long the part must stay in place and the look required. A stiff PET suits flat surfaces, while a conformable PE follows curves.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Have your laminate reviewed<\/a><\/p>\n

Packaging lamination or technical lamination<\/h2>\n

The term covers two trades. In flexible packaging, lamination combines plastic films, aluminium or paper to make pouches and multilayer films, for sealing, barrier properties, UV protection or heat sealability. Film maker Granger Group lists food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and pet food among the markets for these films.<\/p>\n

Our trade is the other one: technical lamination. We bond films, foams, papers or fabrics with an adhesive to make die-cut parts, technical labels and assembly components. If you need a barrier film for food packaging, a packaging film maker will serve you better.<\/p>\n

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Which laminating film to choose: what each material brings<\/h2>\n

For plastic films, Avery Dennison’s technical guide to film materials gives a simple scale: going from PET to PE, you gain conformability and compressibility and lose clarity and dimensional stability. The rest of the table relies on the manufacturer documents listed at the end of this article.<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Materials laminated at ATE<\/caption>\n
Material<\/th>\nWhat it brings<\/th>\nWhat to watch<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
PET (polyester)<\/td>\nVery stiff, very clear, dimensionally stable<\/td>\nLow conformability: it will not follow a curved surface<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PP (polypropylene)<\/td>\nStiff, available very clear or white<\/td>\nDesigned for flat surfaces or simple curves<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PE (polyethylene)<\/td>\nThe most conformable and compressible of the common films<\/td>\nLess clear and less stable than PET<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PU (polyurethane)<\/td>\nHighly elastic, resistant to abrasion and puncture<\/td>\nBest kept for parts that must deform with their substrate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PVC<\/td>\nFlexible thanks to plasticisers, able to follow relief<\/td>\nPlasticisers can migrate into the adhesive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Paper and board<\/td>\nA printable base, or a stiffener in the case of board<\/td>\nPaper moves with humidity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Foam<\/td>\nThickness, cushioning, sealing<\/td>\nCompression during application and over time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fabric<\/td>\nThe flexibility and strength of a textile<\/td>\nA rough surface the adhesive has to grip well<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yupo Tako\u00ae<\/td>\nA micro-suction film that holds on flat, smooth surfaces without adhesive, can be repositioned and washed<\/td>\nOnly works on smooth surfaces<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\"Laminating<\/a>
From PET to PE, films gain conformability and lose clarity. Click the diagram to enlarge it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our technical films<\/a><\/span> and technical foams<\/a><\/span> each have their own page.<\/p>\n

When PVC needs a closer look<\/h3>\n

PVC gets its flexibility from plasticisers, liquids built into its formulation. Trade magazine Signs of the Times points out that monomeric plasticisers are more mobile and migrate more readily into neighbouring materials, including the adhesive. Polymeric plasticisers, with longer chains, resist migration better. For a part that has to last, the PVC and the adhesive are therefore chosen together.<\/p>\n

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The laminating adhesive is chosen with the film<\/h2>\n

A laminate holds through its adhesive as much as through its films. The first decision is how long the part must stay in place. Avery Dennison separates permanent adhesives, which cannot be removed without damaging the label or the substrate, from removable adhesives, which hold without edge lifting but come off without damage.<\/p>\n

Next comes adhesive chemistry. The same Avery Dennison guide gives a few pointers:<\/p>\n