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Introduction to metal laminates There are two families of metal laminates. New Amsterdam serves as both a distributor of these laminates and as a technical resource for those companies wishing to develop their own line of laminates.
One group consists of organic material laminated to metal to create innovative and decorative products. They allow for traditional metal forming methods to be used on material with unique, decorative and functional surfaces. Applications such as gaskets, highly reflective lighting fixtures and decorative textured surfaces for the appliance market are just a small sampling of what is available.
The other group consists of two similar or dissimilar metals laminated together providing a constrained layer. These materials are used in a variety of new and innovative applications. Sound damping, weight reduction and material cost savings are only some of the many potential applications. The material is also valuable for applications requiring greater rigidity, stiffness or flatness than what is commonly found in commercial grades of metal.
Such laminates are available in all commercial metals including CRS, HDG, GLUM, ALUM, ETP, STAINLESS and TMBP. The minimum available thickness is 0.010” (0.025 cm) and the current maximum thickness is 0.100” (0.25 cm). Current width limitations are 60” (152 cm) with 72” (183 cm) being considered for the future. Width minimums depend on thickness and substrate.
Metal laminates differ from bimetal products in both versatility and available substrates. The material is capable of being stamped, punched, drawn, slit and bent. Conductive cores are available for applications requiring welding and the material can be either pre or post painted.
Typical Metal Laminate
The product is produced by joining two metal skins under pressure to form a continuous coil of laminated metal. Additional cores and metal skins could be added for highly specialized material such as found in armored plate, heat shields and other barrier material.
Science Metal laminates function as a constrained layer capable of converting vibrational energy (noise) into heat. This heat is dissipated throughout the organic core. This science is referred to as “Sound Damping” which is in contrast to “Sound Dampening.” This significant difference allows metal laminates to eliminate heavy, expensive and labor intensive materials used in the manufacture of quieter automobiles, appliances and motor driven equipment.
Metal laminates are also used in a number of applications that require specific surface qualities such as found in copper, stainless steel and aluminum. Foils of higher priced material are laminated to lower priced steel creating cost effective products for specialized markets.
Ceramic materials are very effective electrical and thermal insulators. Metal laminates with ceramic cores proved excellent material for heat shields and other similar applications.
Markets and applications Metal laminates provide useful properties for the transportation, appliance, electronic and construction markets. Some typical applications are:
Application Function Disc Brake insulators Sound damping Small engine shrouds Sound damping Appliance Panels Sound damping Computer hard drives Sound damping/Mfg cost savings Metal Roofing Sound damping Electrical contacts Material cost savings Agricultural components Material cost savings Metal wall panels Material cost savings Stainless Steel fixtures Material cost savings Appliance shrouds Sound damping Office machines Flatness & rigidity Body panels Sound damping/Mfg cost savings
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