AF163-2K .06 - Film Adhesive 250° F Category: Film Adhesives Manufacturer: 3M

Composite material are most commonly manufactured and supplied in the form of a roll. Most material rolls measure anywhere from 20 to 60” in width and 25 to 125 yards in length.

More times than not the materials must first be thawed to room temperature to verify that there is no evidence of moisture in the material bag prior to exposing the material to the ambient temperature and the environment in which the fabrication will take place. The thaw time of a full roll of material can take up to eight hours, but it is essential to minimize any moisture ingestion in the material prior to its application.

Next the material must be cut into specific shapes before it can be placed on the tool for the layup process. Cutting the material into the required shape is usually done one of two ways:

1. Physically – Physically cutting the material into shapes with scissors or a utility knife can be extremely labor intensive and can have a negative impact to the mechanics health with long term exposure to the repetition on a daily basis. Not to mention the amount of wasted material due to not getting best yield with the number of plies and the orientation in which they are being cut.
2. Mechanically  – Mechanically cutting the material is typically done using a computer controlled cutting table that is controlled by a computer program that has been designed to use every bit of material possible getting best yield of material. The cutting machine can cut several layers of material at the same time, with precision. Many modern ply cutting machines on the market today will also label the individual plies with part numbers or serial numbers if required for tractability and future identification.

The value of purchasing your composites pre-kitted is becoming more evident with the rising cost of labor rates and the increase of production demands. Purchasing the material kitted to your specifications means that you can receive the product into your facility and put it to use in your application or processes immediately upon receiving.

Kitting your material for your specific application saves you valuable thaw time and countless hours rolling out the material to cut the patterns for the job at hand. Not to mention the waste associated with the scrap material that is created when the user is unable to get the best yield from the amount of product purchased. Depending on how you use the products and the quality in which you use them we can support you with recommendations that will increase your production and reduce your cost of business.

When kitting composites into specific shapes or widths it is recommended that the customer looks at bundling materials within the kits or the shipping package. This too will reduce operating expenses and shipping cost. Not to mention the duplication of dry ice and temperature recorders.

Please contact a Sales Rep for more information on the kitting process that makes sense for your application.

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In addition to supporting our customers with kitting and special packaging requirements, we offer a wide range of customized material slitting services.

Why should you order and receive material that is not in line with your application?  Let Pacific Coast Composites slit the materials to the width that is right for you.

We can quickly and accurately convert a 36” wide by 50 yards long roll of material into 6″ rolls. This reduces your labor cost, thaw time, and the amount of out-time for the entire roll of material. This will allow the user to consume the material that is needed as it is needed and not before.

All slit material is labeled and packaged to meet the manufactures specification, and stringent regulatory compliance.

The cost is low and the saving are great. Please contact one of our sales representatives for more details. It is our goal is to match the best slitting option for your application needs.

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