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Shawmut Corporation is one of the leading providers of laminating solutions for technical fabrics in the U.S., and a global leader in lamination technology and machine design. We have more than a century of acquired industry knowledge and expertise and have incorporated advanced process and proprietary lamination technologies and revolutionary capabilities into our custom solutions for all markets.

We apply our expertise in textiles, fibers, foams, films, coating, and surface treatments to develop custom engineered, high-performance flexible materials to help solve hard problems. Our staff creates over 40 million yards of composite materials each year using various flame, hot melt, film, web, powder, and reactive thermoplastic processes. Our lamination services have been used by industries worldwide including automotive, chemical, apparel, medical, military, footwear, aerospace, industrial, marine, and others.

Shawmut laminates materials that perform in some of the toughest applications in some of the world’s most demanding industries. Our applications experience across industries has taught us how to understand the performance challenges and design a material that will excel in the application. From moldability, durability and controlled porosity, to viral barriers, flame protection, extreme wash durability and recyclability, Shawmut laminates perform.

We conduct ongoing training, document all our processes, and establish strict guidelines for quality control. Our work conforms to standards by ANSI, DOT, ASTM, ASME, FDA, ISO, MIL-SPEC, RoHS, SAE, and TS. To learn more about our lamination capabilities, please contact us or refer to the table below
Unit of Measure

General Information

Flame Lamination

 N/A Shawmut produces laminates by bonding foam/fabric or foam/film by passing the foam over an open flame using our proprietary advanced burner technology. Exposure to the flame creates a thin layer of molten polymer on the foam surface that is brought into contact with the second layer under pressure to develop a bond between the two surfaces. Our proprietary tension and winding systems allow for lower material consumption and faster throughput.

Performance Specifications:
  • Width capability to 82"
  • Pinhole-free barrier materials
  • Flame retardant material handling expertise
  • Multiple-layer laminates produced in a single pass

Hot Melt Rotogravure Lamination

 N/A We implement thermoplastic or reactive adhesives through direct printing of moving webs via anilox gravure roll, which is then combined under controlled conditions. Shawmut maintains a portfolio of applicator rolls with various discontinuous patterns to achieve a diverse range of adhesive laydowns and coverages that influence physical properties and performance. This lamination technology platform can process advanced materials utilizing a roll coating methodology, enabling the application of a continuous coating of adhesive or polymeric compounds.

Performance Specifications:
  • 80" overall width
  • Thermoplastic adhesives (polyester, polyamide, polyolefins, and polyurethane)
  • Reactive adhesives (polyurethane and polyolefins)
  • Pressure sensitive adhesives (rubber and acrylic)
  • In-line Corona treating on one or both plies

Thermoplastic Adhesive Lamination

 N/A Thermoplastic materials available in a wide range of available formats are applied on thermal lamination equipment, including oil heated drums with Teflon coated conveyor belts and Flatbed systems utilized to create adhesion between similar or dissimilar substrates.

Performance Specifications:
  • Width capability up to 76"
  • Pressure sensitive adhesives
  • Powdered adhesives
  • Web adhesives
  • Dry film adhesives
  • Fusible substrates
  • Full range of polymers (nylon, polyester, polyolefins, and polyurethanes)
  • Temperatures up to 400 ºF

Water-Based Adhesive Lamination

 N/A Application of water-based laminate adhesives via direct gravure printing method incorporates a variety of options using patterned anilox rolls. In this process, excess adhesive on the applicator is metered off using a doctor blade. At the same time, one substrate is printed with glue under controlled conditions and then combined with a second layer in the "wet state." The material composite is then dried and cured through heat and pressure through a series of heated rolls

Performance Specifications:
  • Width capability to 72"
  • Direct gravure coating
  • Flood coat

Challenges We Solve

Automotive

 N/A Controlled Elongation and Barrier Performance for Molding Applications Lightfastness, Water Repellency, and Flame-retardant Performance Extreme Temperature Cycling Precision Color Matching Recyclability Extreme Pressure, Heat, Shear and Pull Durable Soil Release Properties

Medical

 N/A Durability for Orthopedic Use Wicking and Low-Shear Properties for Continuous Skin Contact High-Cycle Performance for Inflatables Controlled Breathability and/or Moisture Vapor Transfer Blood and Blood-Borne Pathogen Protection Per Astm Requirements Durable Protective Properties Through The Rigors of Numerous Industrial Launderings, Autoclaving, and Critical End-use Applications Drapability for Comfort and Appearance

Performance

 N/A Moisture and Ultraviolet (UV) Barrier Controlled Breathability and/or Moisture Vapor Transfer Elasticity and Comfort Stretch Durable Protective Properties Through The Rigors of Numerous Launderings and Critical End-Use Applications Drapability for Comfort and Appearance Precision Color Matching Recyclability

Protection

 N/A Extreme Fire Protection, Lamination Must Survive Extreme Heat Durable Waterproof, Breathable Lamination Chemical Resistance Thermal Insulation Radar Dispersion Durable Protective Properties Through The Rigors Of Numerous Launderings and Critical End-use Applications Drapability For Comfort and Appearance Precision Color Matching

Manufacturing Process/Capabilities

 N/A Custom Laminations Flame Lamination Hot Melt Rotogravure Lamination Thermoplastic Adhesive Lamination Water-Based Adhesive Lamination Pressure Sensitive Hot Melt Gravure Single to Multi-Ply Laminated Composites Water-Based Gravure Lamination Proprietary Tension and Winding Systems Die Cutting and Blanking Rewinding and Slitting Dielectric Welding Heat Sealing Hot Roll Vacuum Forming Extrusion Rapid Product Development Radio Frequency (RF) Welding Precision Slitting and Rewinding Thermoforming Compression Molding Contract Manufacturing

Manufactured Product

 N/A Automotive Interiors Medical Devices Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Protection Footwear Performance Wear Outerwear Thermoformed Parts Orthopedic Devices Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Garments Blood Pressure Cuffs Hook and Loop Compatible Straps

Additional Services Provided

 N/A Concept Development Concurrent Engineering Design Logistics Reverse Engineering Technical Support Value-Added Services

Production Volume

 N/A High Volume Large Run Low Volume Prototype

Lead Times

 N/A Quoted by Job

Efficiency

 N/A Department of Energy (DOE) Support Value Analysis (VA)/Value Engineering (VE) Lean Manufacturing

Materials

Fabrics

 N/A Knit Non-Woven Woven

Foams

 N/A High Density Low Density Medium Density

Barrier Films

 N/A Polyethylene (PE) Polypropylene (PP) Polyurethane (PU) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO)

Equipment

Equipment

 N/A Flame Laminators Thermoplastic Web Film and Powder Laminators Hot Melt Rotogravure Laminators Thermoplastic Adhesive Laminators Water-Based Adhesive Laminators Pressure Sensitive Hot Melt Gravure Water-Based Gravure Laminators

Additional Information

Industry Focus

 N/A Automotive Filtration Military and Protective Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Protection Footwear, Outerwear, and Performance Wear Health and Safety Technical Solutions Aerospace Marine Medical Devices

Industry Standards

 N/A ANSI (American National Standards Institute) ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) DOT (Department of Transportation) FDA (Food and Drug Administration) ISO 14001:2015 (International Organization for Standardization) ISO 9001:2015 (International Organization for Standardization) IATF 16949:2016 (International Automotive Task Force) Mil-Spec (Military Specifications) RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances (Compliant)) SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) TS (Technical Specifications, used with ISO (International Organization for Standardization)) A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) ISO 17025 (International Organization for Standardization) bluesign® (Sustainable Manufacturing)

File Formats

 N/A Most known industry file formats are accepted