Industrial Laminating Services
Protection built into the stack
Overlaminates, adhesive backings, and multi-layer constructions laminated in-house as part of the finished part. Face film, graphics, base material, adhesive, and liner are specified together against the application instead of added afterward.
U.S. Nameplate Co. uses the laminating process to add value and performance characteristics to your nameplates, overlays, decals, and control panels. We print and laminate under one roof, so the face film, the graphics, the base material, and the adhesive are matched to each other and to the surface the part mounts on. Send your artwork and tell us what the part has to survive — quotes are free, and the proof comes back before anything is cut.
About laminating
U.S. Nameplate Co. uses the laminating process to add value and performance characteristics to your nameplates, overlays, decals, and control panels. Lamination uses adhesive and pressure to combine two dissimilar materials — adding a layer of protection, a specific performance characteristic, or the adhesive that holds the finished part to your equipment.
We print and laminate on the same floor, which matters more than it sounds. The face film, the graphics, the base material, the adhesive, and the liner all have to work as one construction. When printing and converting sit with two suppliers, a protective film that dulls a legend or an adhesive that will not hold on a powder-coated panel does not surface until parts arrive. Here it gets caught against the drawing, in one building.
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Clear overlaminates that protect printed graphics on decals and safety labels
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Pressure-sensitive adhesives applied to the back for a specific mounting surface
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Sub-surface printing on clear substrates, with adhesive applied over the printing
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Multi-layer constructions that join dissimilar materials into one part
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Foam barriers and gasketing layers built into the stack
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Glow-in-the-dark phosphorescent layers added by lamination
Sub-surface printing
Printing on the underside of a clear substrate and then laminating an adhesive layer over that printing puts the graphics between the film and the adhesive. Nothing abrasive ever touches the ink. The result is a low-cost but extremely durable plastic safety label or decal — one that keeps its legend through wash-down, hand contact, and weather that would scuff a surface-printed part in a season.
If a label has been wearing out in the field and getting replaced under warranty, this construction is usually the fix, and it rarely costs more than the part it replaces.
Overlaminates
An overlaminate is a thin layer of clear plastic film applied over the printed surface. It takes the abrasion, the UV, and the chemical contact so the ink does not have to.
Polyester, clear gloss
The general-purpose protective film. Keeps color saturation high and resists scuffing on parts that get handled.
Polyester, matte
Cuts glare on control panels and operator-facing overlays where a gloss finish washes out the legend under work lighting.
UV-resistant clear gloss
For parts that live outdoors. Slows the fade that takes an unprotected printed decal out of service first.
Removable film facing
A temporary mask that protects the face through assembly and shipping, then peels off at the end of your line.
Laminating adhesives
The adhesive is specified against the surface the part has to hold on to, not selected by default. A plate mounting to bare aluminum, a decal going onto textured powder coat, and a label applied to a low-surface-energy plastic are three different problems.
3M 467MP — 2 mil
High-performance acrylic transfer adhesive for smooth, high-energy surfaces such as bare or anodized metal.
3M 468MP — 5 mil
Thicker build for surfaces that are not perfectly flat, giving the adhesive more to wet out against.
3M 9471PC — 2 mil, low surface energy
For plastics that resist standard adhesives, such as powder-coated and some polyolefin surfaces.
3M 9472LE — 5 mil, low surface energy
The heavy-build low-surface-energy option for textured or lightly contoured mounting areas.
Foam-based barriers
Used when the part has to bridge a gap, seal, or absorb vibration as well as identify.
Tell us what the part mounts to and what it lives through, and our team will recommend the construction. If you are not certain of the substrate, send a sample — that is faster than a specification debate.
Laminating materials
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Vinyl
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Polyester
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Polycarbonate
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Aluminum
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Anodized aluminum
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Brass
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Stainless steel
Flexible substrates and metal both run here, so a laminated construction can finish as a decal, a label, an overlay, or a metal plate with a protective film and an adhesive back.
How a laminating order runs
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Send your artwork and tell us where it mounts. Our seasoned art department turns a blueprint or artwork into a press-ready proof at no charge, and quotes are free on every order.
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We recommend the stack. Face film, base material, adhesive, and liner, chosen against the surface and the service conditions you describe.
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You approve the proof. Graphics, construction, and finished shape are signed off before anything is printed or laminated.
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Production. Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved, in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. Rush work runs 3–5 business days for an additional fee.
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Delivery. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard. Repeat releases can run against a stocking program so parts arrive when your line needs them.
Laminating RFQ checklist
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Artwork or a drawing, with the finished size and shape
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What the part mounts to — material, finish, and whether the surface is flat, curved, or textured
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What it has to survive: outdoors, wash-down, solvents, abrasion, temperature
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Whether the graphics need surface printing or sub-surface printing
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Whether you need a matte face to kill glare, or gloss for color
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Quantity, and whether this is a one-time run or a repeat program
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Your timing, including the date the line actually needs parts
If you do not have all of that yet, send what you have and call 319-895-8804. Customer service is open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday, and you will always reach someone in person.
Since 1946
Family-owned and operated in Mount Vernon, Iowa
3,000+
OEMs supplied across the U.S. and abroad
25 years
Outdoor exposure, some products guaranteed longer
7–10 days
Typical production after proof approval
$0
Tooling fee on in-house equipment
Why U.S. Nameplate Co.
Why manufacturers bring laminating work to U.S. Nameplate Co.
One partner, one roof
Metal identification and flexible labels are produced under one roof in Mount Vernon, Iowa, so a single supplier covers plates, tags, overlays, decals, and safety labels instead of three.
No tooling fee on in-house equipment
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any in-house equipment. A one-time charge applies only when a tool has to be created for your order.
You reach a person
Customer service representatives are available 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday. You will always reach someone in person.
Built to outlast the equipment
Metal nameplates are built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, with some products guaranteed for 25 years or more. Safety labels are UL authorized and OSHA compliant, produced in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.
Family-owned since 1946
Supplier of choice to more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, with team members averaging 10+ years of service.
One piece or one million
The 55,000 sq ft climate-controlled facility is equipped to handle orders from a single plate to production volumes, on repeat release schedules.
Request a quote for laminating
We offer free quotes on all laminating orders. Send the drawing, artwork, quantities, application, and timing you have today — our art department turns a blueprint into a press-ready proof, and we will tell you what is still open.
Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved. Rush orders can be produced in 3–5 business days for an additional fee. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Request a Quote or call 319-895-8804 and you will reach someone in person.
