Lamination Guidance

TESLIN® substrate bonds with laminate films when either the adhesive or the laminate itself flows into its microporous matrix, enhancing the durability of the material. The ability of Teslin substrate to fuse with lamination films also provides mechanical delamination strength that is up to 10 times stronger than other synthetic substrates.  The strength of this bond, combined with Teslin substrate’s unique polyolefin-silica matrix, enables it to become tamper-evident with no additional processing or expense.

Thermal Lamination

Teslin substrate does not require an edge seal to produce a durable, laminated piece. Press sheets can be laminated and then guillotine cut or die-cut without fear of delamination in service. Moreover, because no edge seal is required, a thinner laminating film generally can be used. This use of thinner laminating films can significantly offset the cost of the synthetic sheet.

For optimum peel strength of laminations, the moisture content of Teslin substrate synthetic paper should be between two to six weight percent. Very low moisture contents give poor adhesion, while excessively high moisture contents can create bubbles between sheets of Teslin substrateand the laminating film. Controlling lamination temperature is important for maximum adhesion of the film to Teslin substrate. Your laminating film supplier can provide guidance about the minimum substrate temperature required for optimum adhesion. Paper thermometers are useful in checking that these minimum temperature requirements have been met in your equipment.

Platen Lamination

Teslin substrate synthetic paper can be laminated using a hydraulic thermal lamination press (also known as platen or sheet lamination). The general recommended conditions are as follows:

Sheet size – Any size of Teslin substrate can be platen laminated.

Lay-ups – The book lay-up and/or quantities should be similar to what the laminator is presently doing with PVC (e.g., 10 books to an opening). Clean polished plates are required.

Temperature – Temperatures of 300-375°F / 148-190°C have been successfully used as the “set point” for the platens. The Teslin sheet should reach a minimum of 260°F / 127°C or greater for successful bonding (determined by thermocouple).

Pressure – Pressures of 200-250 PSI / 138-172 N/cm2 have been successfully used.

Time – The Teslin substrate should be at 260°F / 127°C, or above, for a minimum of 10 minutes – longer times may be necessary. Cooling after the heating is usually required to produce a flat sheet. Cooling cycles are typically 10-20 minutes.

When laminating Teslin IJWP grade substrate where areas of the Teslin substrate film will be exposed, it is recommended to use a release liner (2 mil PET) placed between the surface of Teslin substrate and the stainless steel plate. The coating used on Teslin IJWP grade substrate can cause its surface to adhere to stainless steel following lamination conditions. Not using a release liner could result in print off that fouled the stainless steel plate and disrupted the smooth Teslin substrate finish.

Standard Lamination Parameters

Polycarbonate (PC) Lamination

Teslin substrate can be combined with polycarbonate (PC) to produce multi-component credentials that incorporate the best security features of both substrates, including lamination strength, color photography, laser-engraving, embedded covert and forensic security markers, and long-term protection of embedded electronics.

Hereafter, please find the settings with our tests for Teslin substrate and PC-contactless inlay. Our tests have been performed on thermal oil heated twin stack press and electrical heated single stack press. Press pad type used has been Yamauchi SE10KFA2.

Maximum temperature used with twin stack process and press pads has been 338°F/170°C for 18 minutes. Without any press pads, a maximum temperature of 311-320°F/155-160°C should be considered.

The parameters for single stack process (pressure mode / hot start) have been: