Reliant Machinery Ltd. is the world's leading manufacturer of innovative flatbed laminating, fusing, heat transfer, powder coater, and converting equipment. Indeed, Reliant is the original patent holder of this technology and has produced dual belt flatbed laminators for over 50 years.

The continuous development of new materials for countless applications sets endless challenges to processing technology. Therefore, adhesive bonding and flatbed laminators are the foundation of modern industry because this combination allows the assembly of multi-strata of the same or different substrates, creating ground-breaking lightweight multi-material structures.

 Today, dry-heat adhesive lamination is the backbone of ultra-competitive industries like automotive, composites, aerospace, insulation, defence, medical, filtration, and many others.

Only to mention a few advantages of Reliant laminating technologies, we can point out:

Uniform and constant pressure and the highest thermal efficiency

• No thermal distortion, stress or changes in the structure of the substrates
• Flexibility and versatility – It is possible to laminate all sorts of substrates
• VOCs, solvents, toxins and fumes free
• Evenly distributed stresses over the entire bonding area
• Excellent fatigue strength/resistance of adhesively bonded joints
• Substantial reduction of weight without compromising the bonding strength
• Possibility to create materials that are light and strong
• No losses – one metre of adhesive equals one metre of laminated material
• No damages caused by mechanical fasteners – needles, rivets or screws
• Lean Manufacturing – fewer process steps and less workforce

 Reliant production range comprises the following equipment: 

• Flatbed, dual belt laminators from 0.45 to 3.0 metres wide
• Laminators with or without internal cooling
• Laminators with or without tunnel height adjustment
• Powder coaters
• Infrared hood
• Cross-cutters, guillotine cutters, and sheeters
• Slitting systems and edge trimmers
• High-sensitive tension control winders
• Stacker units
• Pick and place stations
• Accumulators

And

• Complete range of fusing machines for the best and top-quality garments

Reliant's straight-thru design has been a staple in the laminating and consolidation markets. The modular designed system of heating, cooling, and pressure allows the capacity of each machine to fit the process parameters required by our customers.

The whole line of Reliant laminators can process woven fabrics (rigid or elastic), knitted fabric, warp knits, nonwoven, unidirectional, multiaxial, spacer fabric, leather, artificial leather, foams (PU, silicone, etc.), metals, wood, plywood, and many others. From a fraction of a millimetre up to 150mm thick material, we always have the best possible solution.

Today, Reliant Powerbond's range of laminators is the leading machine worldwide in a wide variety of sectors. It all started about 25 years ago with the launch of the SPL model; then, based on the inputs of our customers and the needs of the new materials and polymers, we developed the HPL and HPC models.

Powerbond SPL – Standard Pressure Lamination

Powerbond HPL – High-Pressure Lamination

Powerbond HPC – High-Pressure Compression

The Powerbond range is suitable for processing light and delicate formats, sensitive fibres or the heaviest substrate, and flexible, semi-rigid and rigid materials.

All three models have in common the following features: 

• Modular construction – with extendable heating and cooling sections
• Single or multiple sets of pressure rollers
• Driven tunnel gap adjustment from 0 to 150mm in 0.1mm steps
• Independent nip roller gap adjustment
• Pre-joined or endless, mark-free processing belts
• Easy and fast belt-changing system
• Perfect and accurate processing belts tracking and tensioning
• Wide range of power options
• Multiple and individual heating zones control
• PLC/HMI with self-diagnosis and complete control of the process

Reliant's laminators stand out in their performance while using dry-heat adhesives in web, film, and powder formats made of any polymer and PSA. Once again, guided by the market, we paid particular attention to our powder scattering units.

Reliant has been manufacturing powder coaters for over 30 years and, during this time, developed, perfected and patented some scattering technologies. From a few grams, as low as 5 g/m² of powder adhesive or epoxy resin, to a much heavier load of PLA for bio-composites, our Powerline powder coaters scatter the polymers across the substrates with high accuracy and perfect uniformity.

The main features of our Powerline powder coaters are: 

• Widths from 0.6 to 3.0 metres
• High-volume powder reservoir
• Adjustable sliding dam plates for powder width control
• Levelling system to ensure even distribution of powder inside the hopper (depending on the width)
• Low powder level warning sensor
• High-accuracy adjustable doctor blade
• Variable-speed powder pickup roller
• Variety of pickup rollers for a wide range of particle sizes
• PTFE mesh conveyor belt
• Conveyor cleaning system
• Powder collection hopper for recycling
• Manual or automatic hopper height adjustment
• An anti-static bar for even powder dispensing
• PLC control of powder volume and speed
• As an option, automatic feeding systems

Reliant's Powerline powder coaters can be part of a new line or retrofitted into any existing coating line. Furthermore, we can install multiple scattering units on the same line and on wheels and rails to modify the production configuration.

All laminators manufactured by Reliant can work stand-alone or as a complete line;  to do so, we offer a wide range of bespoke handling equipment, including unwinders, rewinders, accumulators, nip systems, and others. Reliant's range of winders covers the most delicate tension-sensitive substrate to the heaviest material.

The Rolamatic range is suitable for lightweight rolls of materials, while the Powerline is our heavy-duty range suited for heavy rolls. The main features of both are: 

• From a few kilos to 4.000 kg capacity per position
• Driven and non-driven units
• Centre, surface and cantilevered models
• Single or multi-positions
• Wide selection of shafts, core chucks, and safety chucks
• Low, middle and high-level positioning
• Manual or automatic edge guide
• Fixed on the floor or mounted on rails with quick-release connections

The laminating process in Reliant's machines is tension-free; therefore, you can laminate, among other materials, bi-elastic warp knits or multiaxial hybrid fabrics without any distortion. However, the handling equipment is also crucial for tension-free processes; poor tension control leads to many material faults and poor roll formation, wrinkles, web stretching, roll blocking, crushed cores, telescopic rolls, and many other problems.

For that reason, we developed several tension control systems for unwinders and rewinders as follows: 

• Pneumatic brake and manual settings
• Pneumatic brake and diameter sensor with HMI settings
• Magnetic particle brake and manual settings
• Magnetic particle brake and diameter sensor with HMI settings
• Load cells with HMI settings – Pneumatic brake tension
• Load cells with HMI settings – Magnetic particle brake tension
• Load cells with HMI settings – Motor driven
• Dancer roller – Motor driven
• Dancer roller + loop sensor - Motor driven for low tension
• Hybrid systems

Also, to complement our laminating lines, we manufacture cross-cutters, slitters and edge trimmers for smooth operations and easy roll replacement in our rewinding units. Besides, for continuous and non-stop processing, we have a line of accumulators for pre or post-lamination.

To make our customers' lives easier, we have testing facilities in Luton (about 50 km North of London), Philadelphia and North Carolina in the USA.

If you have any project which requires a laminator, a powder coater, or handling or converting equipment, get in touch, and we will gladly assist you.