Thanks to its combined expertise in textile backings and chemical formulations, Chomarat is fully proficient in all of the factors necessary to anticipate and respond to its customers’ requirements under optimal conditions.
Depending on the materials and properties sought, Chomarat uses either blade coating or extrusion/calendering techniques.
Chomarat coated textiles are available with a wide range of backings, colors, grains, textures and appearances, thus offering a solution to the most complex requirements.
Blade coating
Blade coating entails depositing a resin formulation, in cooled conditions, onto various types of backings, followed by drying and curing.
The backings (woven, mesh, non-woven, grid, foam, etc.) are made of various fibers, including polyester, cotton, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, glass, and Kevlar.
Depending on the type of backing, the coating may be applied directly to the fabric (i.e. direct coating) or by means of transfer paper (i.e. transfer coating). In this case, the paper may be smooth or grained, offering various options in terms of appearance (matte/gloss) and texture.
Addition finishes can be applied to all such coated textiles.
For blade coating, Chomarat primarily uses PVC resins, polyurethane and acrylic.
Chomarat designs and produces its own formulations, and guides its customers in their search for innovative solutions that combine technicality with design.
Extrusion / Calendering
Extrusion/calendering is a continuous process whereby thermoplastic material is injected in the form of granules. Once heated, the melted plastic exits the extruder through a die, in sheet form. It passes into a calender in order to regulate the thickness of the film, or for blending onto a backing (textile, foam, etc.).
Extrusion and calendering techniques can be used with various thermoplastic materials, including PVC, TPO (thermoplastic polyolefins), TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).
These thermoplastic polymers offer a number of advantages :
- Recyclable
- Lightweight, owing to low density
- Stability over time (no plasticizer)
- Chemical resistance
- Transformation potential :
- thermoforming
- thermocompression
- etc.
Lamination
Lamination entails layering films on various types of backings, such as textiles, foams and non-woven fabrics. This process can be achieved either by gluing or by melting thermoplastics.