Most of Dackor's customer use a 2 part PUD adhesive that they spray on MDF using a spray gun. We do have a few customers who use pre-applied adhesives and this article discusses that.

Product: Pre-applied glue on rigid vinyls
Description: This thermoplastic adhesive film is a tough fully reacted elastomer, which is very
flexible over a wide temperature range. It exhibits excellent adhesion to wood, MDF, and vinyl
decorative foils. Its low activation temperature makes it an ideal adhesive for these heat
sensitive materials.

Product Benefits:
 Low activation temperature, excellent adhesion to vinyl and PU coated substrates
 Excellent adhesion to wood and MDF board
 Low gel content
 Good heat resistance

Composition: Ester Polyurethane
Color: Translucent
Weight: 37.99 lbs ( 62 gm/m2)
Substrate: Unsupported
Nominal thickness: .002” (50 Micron)
Hardness: 97 A
Softening Point: (65oC) 150oF TMA onset Temperature
Melt Flow Index: 5.0 dg/minute Condition: 347 F /4.76 lbs (175oC / 2.16 Kg )Load
Recommended Application Conditions:
Bonding =158 F to 176 F (70oC to 80oC) Glue line temperature on a membrane press, as
recorded by thermal measurement tags.
​
Preheat temperature, membrane temperature, and cycle times vary from press to press.

Change is rarely met with enthusiasm. Usually, the first response is lackluster; it takes effort to unlearn what is comfortable. However, using a change management framework encourages the people impacted to adapt to a new process and increases the success of implementation.
For example, switching expense reporting platforms may seem like a simple change. But think back to the last time you traded in one process for another.

There are likely to be a few frustrating moments while learning where functions exist in a new dashboard. It takes time to rewire the brain. And if the new process is not intuitive, there is a greater chance that employees may not like the change.
When you use a change management model, it helps you anticipate resistance and establish a plan for guiding your organization to successful implementation.

Action strategies to overcome the 7 biggest mistakes a CEO can make.

What is Change Management? Change management is a framework to execute a significant internal or external shift in its processes, culture, technologies or other critical operational aspects.
“It is staying ahead of change so that your entire team can deal with change effectively rather than just leading from the top,” says André van Hall, speaker and author of “The Curiosity of Change.” “It takes initiative and challenges the status quo before you are the victim of it.”

More specifically, change management focuses on the people side of change, says Dave Collins, founder and CEO of Oak and Reeds. He divides change management into two categories:

• The leadership competencies it takes to lead individuals through change.
• The leadership skills needed to lead teams or organizations through a transformation.

“Leading people requires emotional intelligence and understanding how change disrupts people’s patterns differently,” Collins says. “At the organizational level, it is about understanding how to be strategic and come up with an execution and communication plan.”
Types of Change ManagementMany theories and methodologies exist for approaching organizational change. Collins relies on two to help leaders with change management — The Kübler-Ross Change Curve and the Beckhard-Harris Change Equation.

he Kübler-Ross Change Curve is based on the six stages of grief and acknowledges that change can trigger emotional reactions.

• Shock and denial
• Anger and frustration
• Confusion and depression
• Acceptance
• Problem-solving
• The new normal

“People must do two things, whether it’s a personal or work change; they have to let go of the old way before they can embrace and learn the new way,” Collins says. “If you short circuit the ‘letting-go’ process, you get a lot of frustrated people maybe secretly hoping they can throw enough sand in the gears that change doesn’t work and they can go back to the old way, the way they are comfortable with.”

Leaders can get frustrated because they are usually further along the curve than the rest of the team. So, while leaders may already be at stages 4-6, their teams may only be in stages 1-3.
“That disconnect can cause a lot of anxiety and hurt feelings. Be patient and allow people the processing time and trust that they’ll get through it,” Collins says. “Most people will, but some folks never get through it.”

Then you need to have hard conversations about individuals who are unable to change and operate in the new environment. It’s important to ask, “Are we okay with a lower level of performance or that they never really got excited about it?”

Why is Change Management Important? Change is unavoidable. The world is continually changing, and businesses must evolve for sustainability and growth. By managing change, you can stay on top of internal or external shifts rather than being surprised by them.

While change can be painful, the results can improve workflows to enhance employee experiences, lower project expenses, improve company culture, mitigate risk and increase the organization’s ability to overcome obstacles.

How to Deal with Resistance to Change in an OrganizationCollins uses the Beckhard-Harris Change Equation to help leaders overcome resistance to change. In the 1970s, researchers Richard Beckhard and Reuben T. Harris found that large, complex organizations aren’t good at changing, and perhaps more importantly, they are not good at predicting the likelihood that a change will be successful.

“Very often, leaders think, ‘Oh, this is going to be easy. We’ll get through this in three months,’” Collins says. “Their predictive power was almost worse than their ability to change.”
The Beckhard-Harris Change equation emerged from the researchers and Collins encourages leaders to use this to overcome resistance to change.

Dissatisfaction x Vision x First Steps > Resistance. Dissatisfaction starts by pointing out the things that are broken, annoying or not operating well. This boils down to clearly identifying the why behind a change. When this goes unsaid, people can get frustrated that it is simply changing for the sake of change.

Vision highlights how things will be better or more efficient if the change is implemented correctly. Explain what is getting better and how the company is going to be more profitable.
“It’s not just talking about the bottom line, like how will this affect our numbers, but how will people feel better,” Collins says. “How will they be less stressed? How will they be more engaged? I teach the Change Curve first, so people understand much of change is emotional processing. If you can speak in that language well, you’re going to help people through those emotions and get to acceptance.”

The last variable is First Steps. The more difficult you make the first thing people have to do, the harder it is for them to execute.

“Change is not a ‘rip the band-aid off.’ You need to get people going little by little,” Collins says.
For example, if you’re implanting a significant IT change, the first step should be to log in and upload a profile picture rather than re-uploading all the data into a new platform.
“When the variables on the left (dissatisfaction, vision and first steps) are greater than the power of your resistance, your change will probably work,” Collins says. “The idea is to increase the power of these three variables working in your favor.”

Communication plays a critical role when executing any type of change management, especially when facing resistance.

“Share information and expect your team (everybody) to take initiative so you can push decision-making as far down the organization chart as possible,” van Hall says. “The benefit is that when ten members accept the responsibility of ensuring their area is not only operating at peak efficiency, but also staying ahead of changes.”

3 Steps in the Change Management Process. A robust communication plan is central to implementing change. Three steps guide the details contained within that plan.
1. Make a list of all stakeholders. “Very often leaders leave out a good chunk of stakeholders that aren’t immediately obvious,” Collins says. “Remote work, hybrid work, bringing people back into the office, or not, is an example that has come up a lot. There are a lot of stakeholder audiences that need to be involved.”

Using the example of a mid-level manager returning to the office, those stakeholders include direct reports, IT staff, clients, cross-functional partners, vendors, the individual’s family, kids, and friends.
“You don’t have to spend all day thinking about people’s family, but for some of these changes, it’s a huge effect and may be harder to manage that side of things than necessarily your teammates, who you’ll just be talking to slightly differently,” he added.

2. Answer two key stakeholder questions.

• What do they have to do as part of this change?
• What’s in it for them if the change is successful?

“It becomes so much easier to create a coordinated communication campaign when you answer those questions, and the logistics become very clear,” Collins says.

3. Acknowledge change is occurring rather than pretending its business as usual.
“Don’t put your head in the sand and pretend nothing is changing; recognize that these changes are happening,” Collins says.
Change Management Best PracticesChange, even with good management, is hard. But when you use these best practices you can help limit resistance and build momentum to increase the chances of a successful implementation.

1. Create a culture of safe collaboration and free thinking. “Realize that in most industries, it is our least paid employee, so that is delivering the product or service,” van Hall says. “Train them, coddle them, develop them, and have high expectations in return.”
2. Share information early and often, don’t hoard information as a leader.“You’re better off treating people like adults, telling them hard news early to give them more time to process,” Collins says. “Share news, share clear information early and often. Be patient with yourself and with your people.
3. Stop taking yourself so seriously!van Hall encourages leaders to accept failure as teachable, rather than punishable moments.
4. Step back and let creativity kick in.“Once people accept the change, step back and let their creative brains run. Allowing people to implement and personalize the change can happen in ways you didn’t expect,” Collins says. “That’s people taking ownership and that is what those emotions look like when people are engaged and feel bought in.”
* from Vistage

There is a Chinese Proverb that goes something like this…
A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all the able-bodied boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, still recovering from his injury. Friends shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!” To which the farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”

The moral of this story, is, of course, that no event, in and of itself, can truly be judged as good or bad, lucky or unlucky, fortunate or unfortunate, but that only time will tell the whole story. Additionally, no one really lives long enough to find out the ‘whole story,’ so it could be considered a great waste of time to judge minor inconveniences as misfortunes or to invest tons of energy into things that look outstanding on the surface, but may not pay off in the end.
​
The wiser thing, then, is to live life in moderation, keeping as even a temperament as possible, taking all things in stride, whether they originally appear to be ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Life is much more comfortable and comforting if we merely accept what we’re given and make the best of our life circumstances. Rather than always having to pass judgement on things and declare them as good or bad, it would be better to just sit back and say, “It will be interesting to see what happens.”

APPLYING TO BUSINESS: The above story is about how perspective and how we perceive things is just as important as the actual events themselves. As manufacturers, we often view waste, loosing a big order or other set backs a major events that should be kept from happening. If, however, we look at an event as an opportunity to improve then in reality, that is a great time to make improvements to increase efficiencies or services to clients. 

Are you an executive in the Interior Design, Manufacturing or Building market? 
Are you interested in hearing market forecasts as it pertains to our industry? 

In this Quarterly article, I will compile financial docs that may pertain to our industry. You may unsubscribe at any time however as fellow executives in the Design/Build space I hope you stay connected.
​
As a member of Vistage, the nation's largest CEO group for small business's I was pleased to have a guest speaker from a financial modeling and economic forecasting company. Due to the confidentiality of their report, I will instead refer to the Congressional Budget Office. 

This report presents the baseline economic forecast that the Congressional Budget Office is using as the basis for updating its budget projections for 2020 to 2030. The agency currently plans to release those budget projections later this summer.

This economic forecast provides CBO’s first complete set of economic projections through 2030 since January and incorporates information available as of June 26.1 The baseline forecast is being published now, rather than later with the budget projections, to provide the Congress with CBO’s current assessment of the economic outlook in a rapidly evolving environment. This economic forecast updates the interim forecast that CBO published in May, which focused on 2020 and 2021.2 It is similar to the May forecast for those two years, except that the projection of growth in the second half of 2020 has been revised downward.

The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has brought about widespread economic disruption. To mitigate the contagion, governments, businesses, and households in the United States and around the world have taken measures to limit in-person interactions. Collectively referred to as social distancing, those measures include reducing social activities and travel, curtailing the activity of schools and business, and working from home. In the first quarter of 2020, the pandemic and associated social distancing ended the longest economic expansion and triggered the deepest downturn in output and employment since World War II.
​
CBO projects that if current laws governing federal taxes and spending generally remain in place, the economy will grow rapidly during the third quarter of this year.

• Real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at a 12.4 percent annual rate in the second half of 2020 and to recover to its prepandemic level by the middle of 2022.
• The unemployment rate is projected to peak at over 14 percent in the third quarter of this year and then to fall quickly as output increases in the second half of 2020 and throughout 2021.

Following that initial rapid recovery, the economy continues to expand in CBO’s projections, but it does so at a more moderate rate that is similar to the pace of expansion over the past decade:

• By 2028, real GDP reaches its long-run level relative to potential GDP (the maximum sustainable output of the economy) and grows at the same rate as potential GDP thereafter.
• The unemployment rate remains above its prepandemic level through the end of the projection period.
• Interest rates on federal borrowing throughout the decade remain well below the average rates in recent decades

We recently had a customer out in Winter Haven who needed their kitchen remodeled. This job was then promptly introduced to a local installer who orders their doors from one of Dackor's local press customers in Florida. 

The cabinetry needed to be laminated to a cream white color to match the walls.  They had an island and lower cabinets that needed to be laminated in a navy blue color to match the aesthetic.  Not to mention, there were many different new kitchen appliance installations that would affect the laminate application process.  When all was said and done however, the results were night and day! 

The Perfect Touch Snow White cabinetry matched the walls of the house nicely to maintain a clean look.  The Perfect Touch Mysterious color on the island and lower cabinets complimented the aesthetic of the kitchen nicely in a way that didn't take away from the granite countertops.  And all of this was done seamlessly to make room for a whole new set of appliances to compliment the fresh new look.

Let us know what you think !

ANCHORED COATING
A coating applied to a base sheet (usually bonded) so it very strongly resists separation.
ANNEALING
Technique of keeping a material for a period of time at a temperature short of melting, to relieve internal stresses; the application of heat to a formed or oriented plastic article to relieve stress resulting from the forming or orientation process.
ANTI-BLOCK
The name for a treatment applied to plastic film surfaces to keep them from sticking together or “blocking” when they are tightly rolled up on a mandrel.
ANTIOXIDANT
A substance that prevents or reduces oxidation of the material by air or oxygen.
ASEPTIC
Free from septic matter or disease-producing bacteria. In food processing and packaging, this is an adjective that describes the system used to package food in a sterile fashion.

BBAG, CRIMP-BOTTOM
A flat bag with a crimp-seal bottom (no fold-over), usually heat-sealed using serrated dies. Not a particularly strong type of bag (see: Flat Bag).
BAG, DUPLEX
A bag constructed of two plies of material, generally spot-sealed to each other, especially at the mouth.
BAG, FLAT
Simplest form. A web of material folded into a flat tube with side or center seam, then cut off and sealed at one end. Has only two dimensions: length and flat width. Flat bags may have a crimped seal or a fold-over seal, in which a short section is turned back and sealed in place by heat, adhesives or a combination of both.
BAG, GUSSETED
Bag having bellows-like folds on each side that expand outward when bag is filled.
BAND
In cellophane, a dark-colored circumferential ring in a slit roll, caused by a slightly heavier moisture content, or very slight variations in base-sheet thickness.
BANDS, BAGGY
A defect in a roll of film; a slack lane or a baggy section which shows up when film is unwound and pulled taut.
BEAD
A thickened section at the edge of a roll of film. In cellophane slit rolls usually caused by moisture absorption into the cellulose base sheet.
BETA-RAY GAUGE
Consists of two facing elements, one emitting and one detecting beta radiation. The device accurately measures density or thickness when mounted above and below the web.
BIAXIAL ORIENTATION
A process for orienting a plastic film in both the transverse and the machine directions.
BLEEDING
Diffusion, especially of inks, into areas adjacent to those that were intended to be printed.
BLISTER PACK
Package formed from semi-rigid thermoplastic material so that the sheet forms a transparent dome over the package item.
BLOCK, BLOCKING
Undesired adhesion of two or more plies of material in roll or sheet form. May be caused in cellophane by exposure to excessive heat, pressure or humidity; in printed film, occasionally caused by improper or insufficient drying of inks, resulting in printed areas sticking together.
BLUSH, BLUSHING
Hazy or foggy appearance occasionally noted in coated films.
BON
Biaxially Oriented Nylon.
BREATHING
Passage of gases into or out of a package. Certain films are designed to permit it.


CCELLOPHANE
Transparent film made from regenerated cellulose, a fibrous material occurring in plants.
CELLULOSE, REGENERATED
Cellulose that has been chemically treated, then regenerated as a transparent film.
CEMENT
In the adhesive sense, a substance bonding two materials by chemical or solvent action.
CHEEK-PLATES
Discs used at each end of paper or rolls of film to prevent “telescoping” of material.
CLARITY
Freedom from haze; transparency.
CLING
Adhesion of packaging films to machine surfaces: “drag.” Often caused by tackiness or static electricity charges in plastic films.
COATING, FILM
A coating applied to provide protective, decorative, pressure-sensitive, waterproof or heat-sealable qualities to the base sheet.
COATING, HEAT-SEAL
A coating, applied to a base sheet, which may be activated by heat to permit the fusion or seal of one section of the film to another.
COEXTRUSION
Simultaneous extrusion of more than one polymer layer into a film.
COF
Coefficient of Friction.
COHESION
The tendency of a mass to hold together by primary or secondary valence forces (intermolecular attraction).
COLOR-OFF
In cellophane, slit roll edge may display variation in color or shade; off-color film is not usually defective, will almost always perform on machines.
CONTOUR PACKAGE
Package formed of semi-rigid material, usually by shaping a heated sheet by pressure or vacuum so that it follows the contours of the packaged item very closely.
CONVERTER, PACKAGING
Equipment which processes raw packaging stock such as cellophane, foil, etc. into a more advanced state, generally by forming, printing, gluing, laminating, etc.
CORE SIZE
Inside diameter of the core.
CORONA TREATMENT
Subjecting a polymer film to an electrical discharge to alter its surface characteristics.
CRATERING
Thin or bare spots in a film that appear as pockmarks.
CRAZING
Network of fine lines in or on a coating or transparent surface: “spider web” or “dried mud” pattern.
CRIMP SEAL
Seal produced in cellophane or other material by means of elements having corrugated surfaces; lends mechanical rigidity to seal areas as well as ensuring maximum area contact of film surfaces.
CROCKING
Smudging or rubbing-off of ink after printing.
CURL
In packaging films, distortion frequently caused by the absorption, or loss, of moisture at an uneven rate from one side of a sheet; curl may also be caused by uneven physical stresses, as in the case of laminations or coated materials.
CUT-OFF LENGTH
Length of sheet fed by automatic wrapping machine during operation.
CYCLE TEST
Test program in which items are exposed alternately to two or more test conditions.

DDEAD-FOLD
Fold in packaging material which will remain in place without sealing, as in the case of folds made in soft lead foil or aluminum foil.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY
The absence of dimensional change of a material when subjected to changes in temperature, humidity, heat or aging.
DOCTOR-BLADE
Scrapers that regulate the thickness of adhesives, or inks, on a feed roller.
DOWNGAUGE
Use a thinner film than had been previously used.
DRAW-DOWN
Thinning in gauge or narrowing in width, especially of extruded materials, as a result of windup rate exceeding speed of extrusion, stretching.
DYNE
A measurement unit of force (centimeter-gram-second) traditionally used to quantify the energy on the surface of a film as an indicator of its ability to accept inks or coatings.

EELECTRONIC SEALING
Sealing of surfaces in contact with one another by high frequency current, e.g., sealing vinyl sheet. Heat is generated within the film by high-frequency agitation of the sheet’s molecular structure.
EMULSION
A non-separating dispersion or suspension of a solid in a liquid.
EXTRUSION LAMINATION
A process for joining two webs by feeding them through a machine that extrudes a thin layer of plastic between them to act as an adhesive.

FFILM, CALENDERED
A film manufactured by forcing base material through rolls of a calendering machine, making it smooth and glossy.
FILM, CAST
(1) Film made by pouring or metering material onto a highly polished moving drum or endless belt, or (2) film produced by extruding into a solution, as in the case of cellophane.
FILM DENSITY
The ratio of the weight of a body to the weight of an equal volume of water at some specified temperature (same as SPECIFIC GRAVITY).
FILM, EXTRUDED
Film produced by the extrusion method.
FILM, NON-FOGGING
Film that does not become cloudy from condensation of moisture caused by temperature drops or humidity changes.
FILM, ORIENTED
Film in which the molecular structure is aligned mechanically in one or more directions, thus giving the film more strength while introducing shrinkage characteristics.
FIN SEAL
Seal that results when edges of two superimposed sheets are bonded, resulting in a pouch having fin-like protuberances.
FISH-EYES
Particles of undissolved extraneous material in a film or coating.
FLAT SEAL
A method of heat sealing thermoplastic films with a flat bar surface.
FLEX CRACK
Cracking in a film produced by repeated flexing.
FLEX STRENGTH
The ability of a sheet or film to withstand breakage by folding. Measured by a test to determine the number of folds required to cause failure.
FRACTIONAL PACKAGING
Interior packaging of individually wrapped units so that unused portions will be protected after outside package has been opened. Usually used for biscuits, crackers and ready-to-eat cereals.
FUSE
Weld of thermoplastic materials by heating to point just above that at which they soften.

GGAS PACKAGING
Packaging in a gas-tight container in which air has been replaced by a gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
GAS TRANSMISSION
The movement of gas, air, oxygen, etc., through a film material. The gas transmission property (permeability) of a film is measured in terms of the volume of gas (at standard temperature and pressure) transmitted through a given area of film of a given thickness, within a given time.
GASSING
(1) Development of gas in a sealed package. (2) Removing air from a filled package and replacing it with another gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
GAUGE
Thickness expressed in decimals of an inch or in millimeters.
GEL
A general term used to describe a defect consisting of insoluble polymer causing a visible discontinuity in a film.
GHOSTING
Reproduction, very faint, of printed design without actual ink transfer.
GLASSINE
Smooth, dense-structured super-calendered paper, translucent or opaque, made from heavily beaten fibrillated chemical wood pulp. Grease-resistant, tough, pliable.
GLASSINE, COATED
The coating types available include hot-melt-applied paraffin waxes and derivatives, as well as solvent-applied types made from cellulose nitrate, vinyl polymers and other synthetic or natural rubber polymers.
GLASSINE, LAMINATED
Glassine laminated to itself, or other paper, films and foils, to obtain added strength and made-to-order protective water-vapor properties.

HHDPE
Abbreviation for high density polyethylene.
HEAT SEALING
A method of bonding two or more surfaces by fusing thermoplastic or thermosetting coatings of films under controlled conditions of temperature, pressure and time (dwell).
HERMETIC SEAL
A seal that will exclude air and be leak-proof.
HOT-STAMPING MACHINE
Marking machine that applies a code mark or date on a package or a wrapper with a heated stamp.
HOT TACK
The property of an adhesive or seal layer to resist forces that would pull the seal apart while it is still hot.
HUMIDITY
Water vapor in air. Absolute humidity is the weight of water vapor contained in a unit of air. Relative humidity = percentage of actual humidity to the maximum humidity which air can retain without precipitation at a given temperature and pressure.
HYGROMETER
An instrument for measuring the moisture of relative humidity in the atmosphere.
HYGROSCOPIC
Having the property of absorbing moisture readily from the atmosphere.

IID
Inside Diameter.
IMPACT STRENGTH
Resistance of a material or product to shock, such as from dropping and hard blows.
IMPREGNATION
Saturation of a material with another substance.
INK, GRAVURE
Pigment dissolved or dispersed in a vehicle made from resins and solvents; very fast drying.
INK, IMPRINTING
Ink specially designed to be used with a marking device.
INK, MOISTURE-SET
Ink formulated to be stable under normal humidity conditions, but to set up or harden when exposed to very high humidity.
INK, THERMOSETTING
Ink formulated to be stable and free from tack at ordinary temperature but to set up quickly at elevated temperatures.
IRREGULAR WINDING (Projecting film)
Peaks or ridges in a slit roll that extend out more than 1/32” from edge of main body of roll.
IRREGULAR WINDING (Lateral weave)
A defect whereby a difficulty shows up as failure of film to feed in straight line during use.

LLABEL, HEAT SEAL
A label coated on one side with a heat-seal coating; usually a thermoplastic resin.
LAMINATE
(noun) A structure made by bonding together two or more layers of material or materials. (verb) Action of combining finished films to produce the laminate.
LAMINATED FILM
Combination of two or more films or sheets made to improve overall characteristics.
LAP SEAL
Any seal made between two overlapping films. Used in contrast to a “fin seal”.
LDPE
Abbreviation for low density polyethylene.
LIP
That part of the tube of a flat or square bag, or pouch, extending beyond the face of the bag.
LITHOGRAPHY, OFFSET: 
Printing process using etched metal plates. Ink adheres to etched area, is transferred to rubber printing blanket, from there to paper to be printed.
LLDPE
Abbreviation for linear low density polyethylene.

MMAKE-READY
In printing, preparation of press for a run; especially, making all printing surfaces uniform in height.
MASTER ROLL
The large roll of film wound during a film formation process, which is normally slit into smaller rolls for later processing or shipment.
MD
Abbreviation for machine direction.
METALLIZING
The process of applying an extremely thin metal coating to a non-metallic substrate.
MIL
One thousandth of an inch.
MODULUS
In packaging, used to denote the degree to which a film or sheet resists stretching before it reaches its elastic limit when an external force or stress is applied.
MSI
Abbreviation for a thousand square inches, a common unit for pricing laminated films.
MVTR
Abbreviation for moisture vapor transmission rate.

NNITROCELLULOSE
Any ester of nitric acid and cellulose.
NICKED EDGES
Edges of film split or torn.
NON-FLAMMABLE or NON-INFLAMMABLE
Will not support combustion.

OOD
Outside diameter.
OFFSET
Accidental transfer of printing inks or coating from surface of a sheet to back of another sheet.
OPACITY
Resistance of material to transmission of light.
OPP
Oriented Polypropylene.
OPTICAL DENSITY
A measure of opacity of a metallized film layer. It is the log of the ratio of the intensity of transmitted light to incident light.
OPTICAL DISTORTION
Change in appearance of object when viewed through a transparent material having certain defects, such as waviness of surface, etc.
OVERPRINT
The result of printing one layer over another, such as one layer of ink printed over another one to form color combinations.
OXIDATION
Reaction of any substance with oxygen.

PPACKAGING, FLEXIBLE
Packaging involving the use of such flexible material as foils, films, paper, etc. to form the container.
PACKAGING, FRACTIONAL
The breaking down of a unit package into two or more sub-units, with the objective of protection of the sub-units.
PAPER, SULFATE
Kraft paper, a chemical wood pulp paper (the strongest pulp paper made from wood).
PAPER, SULFITE
Any type of paper made from pulp produced by the sulfite chemical process. Used in packaging applications where appearance and printability are of primary importance.
PAPER, WAX or WAXED
All papers that have been impregnated, coated or otherwise treated with waxes or waxlike materials.
PAPERBOARD
A heavyweight thick sheet of paper, usually a thickness of 0.06” or over.
PARCHMENT, ARTIFICIAL
Certain greaseproof papers made by wholly physical means, but having no natural wet strength; resembles vegetable parchment.
PARCHMENT, VEGETABLE
A vegetable-base paper having no taste or odor, consisting only of pure cellulose. Highly greaseproof, and outstanding in wet strength.
PE
Abbreviation for polyethylene. Used when someone wants to avoid being specific, but is usually synonymous with low density polyethylene.
PEEL-SEAL
A package seal made using an adhesive that can readily be peeled open.
PEELING BOND
A type of bond that occurs when two adhered surfaces may be pulled apart without tearing the fibers.
PERMEABILITY
Ability to be permeated by gases or liquids; a measure of the freedom with which gases or liquids can diffuse through a material.
PET
Polyester film.
pH
Numerical representation of acidity or alkalinity. Neutral is pH 7, pH 1 is extremely acidic and pH 14 extremely alkaline.
P1 TEST PROCEDURES
A large body of standard test methods developed or recommended by Technical Committees of Packaging Institute to provide uniform and reliable tests.
PICK-UP ROLL
A spreading device where the revolving roll for picking up the adhesive runs in a reservoir of liquid adhesive.
PLASTICIZER
An agent or compound that is added to plastic materials to impart softness or flexibility.
PLASTICIZER MIGRATION
Movement of plasticizer to the surface of a plastic, or from one plastic to another, or from a plasticized substance into the atmosphere; causes embrittlement.
PLATE
(noun) Curved or cylindrical shape carrying printing impression, for use on a printing press.
POLYMER
A compound formed by the linking of simple and identical molecules having functional groups that permit their combination to proceed to higher molecular weights under suitable conditions.
POLYPROPYLENE
A synthetic thermoplastic material of high molecular weight resulting from polymerization of propylene gas under pressure and heat, plus catalysts.
POLYSTYRENE
A thermoplastic material derived from the polymerization of styrene monomers.
POROSITY
Of sufficiently loose texture to permit passage of liquid or gases through pores.
POUCH, PLICATED
A folded pouch having gussets.
PPR
Polypropylene.
PRESS POLISH
A finish for plastic sheet stock, produced by contact under heat and pressure with a very smooth metal, which gives the plastic very high sheen.
PRIMER, PRIMED
The act of putting a thin coating on a substrate so that it will be more receptive to printing inks or adhesives.
PRINTING COMPENSATOR
A mark printed at regular intervals on the film which actuates a photoelectric cell on the bag machine or wrapping machine to insure the perfect register of copy on a bag or package.
PRINTING, FLEXOGRAPHIC
Formerly called aniline printing. A method of rotary letterpress printing that employs flexible rubber plates and rapid-drying inks.
PRINTING, GRAVURE
A rotary printing process employing minute engraved “wells” in an etched metal cylinder. Deeply etched wells carry more ink than shallower ones, hence print darker values. A doctor blade wipes excess ink from the printing cylinder. Stock is web-fed from roll.
PSYCHROMETER
A hygrometer for measuring water vapor in the atmosphere.
PULLOUT, GOOD
No puckers or banded lanes showing when film is stretched.

RREGENERATED CELLULOSE
A cellulose hydrate. The term is used to designate films made from a cellulose base.
REVERSE PRINTED
The process in which a transparent film is printed backwards so that when it is flipped over, the printing appears right side up. When used in a package, reverse printed film will always have the printing ink on the inside where it is protected from scuffing and abrasion.
REWIND
To wind again; especially the winding of a roll of film after printing, slitting, etc.
RH
Relative humidity.
ROLL FORMATION
A general term denoting qualitatively how evenly, smoothly, and regularly film is wound on a roll.

SSERRATED
Saw-toothed. Describes the configuration used on heat-sealing equipment for obtaining a crimp seal.
SLIP
A measure of coefficient of friction (COF). High slip means low COF.
SLIT
To cut a roll of stock to narrower widths.
SLITTER
A machine to cut a roll of stock in the long direction.
SOLVENT SEALING
A method of adhering packaging materials which uses small amounts of volatile liquids to soften the coating of the material so it will bond. Examples: cellosolve ethyl lactate, etc.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY
The ratio of the weight of a body to the weight of an equal volume of water at some specified temperature (same as FILM DENSITY).
SPLICE: 
To unite or join the ends of roll materials by mechanical or electrical means, or by an adhesive.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
Charges of electricity sometimes generated during handling or in machine operations; may cause undesired attraction of film to roller, flat surfaces, etc.
STERILE SEAL
A closure for bacteria-free medical supplies that must maintain sterility.
STERILIZABLE
The ability to withstand contact with steam (moist heat) at 30 lb. pressure for 30 minutes, or contact with dry heat (circulating hot air) at 200°C for 15 minutes.
STRIP-PACKAGING
Small articles packaged individually or in multiples in continuous strips, divided in segments or pockets that permit easy tearing off or cutting off.
SUBSTRATE
A film to which subsequent layers or coatings are added.
SURFACE PRINTING
Printing on the outside surface of a package as opposed to one of the inside surfaces (see “reverse printing”).
SURFACE WINDING
A method of winding film on rolls in which the winding force is provided by the driven roll in contact with the surface of the winding roll.
SURLYN
Dupont’s trademark for its line of ionomer resins. Films produced with this resin have excellent seal characteristics such as lower sealing temperatures and excellent hot tack.

TTAPE, CELLULOSE ACETATE
A translucent, pressure-sensitive adhesive tape of cellulose acetate laminated to strong tissue.
TD
Abbreviation for transverse direction — the direction perpendicular to the machine direction.
TEAR STRENGTH
The force required to propagate a tear already initiated by a cut on the edge.
TEAR STRIP
A narrow ribbon of film, usually incorporated in the wrapper or overwrap during the wrapping operation, to facilitate opening of the package.
TELESCOPING
Side-slipping of layers of a coiled material so that the edges no longer form a plane surface.
TENSILE STRENGTH
Resistance of a material to longitudinal tension.
TEST, CELLOPHANE TAPE
A simple test for determining the permanency of printing on plastic film. A length of pressure sensitive cellophane tape is pressed on a section of printing and then pulled off in one motion to see whether or not the ink lifts with it. The angle and speed of the pulls are important.
TEST, DROP
A package durability test. Filled containers are dropped from controlled heights. A special device insures uniformity of drops.
TEST, DRUM
Rough-handling test for filled container, inside a revolving hexagonal drum.
TEST, ELMENDORF TEAR
A method of testing film for resistance to tearing. The weight required to tear one of several layers of notched film is measured.
TEST, FOLDING ENDURANCE
A test to evaluate the endurance of films to folding, frequently done on a Schopper machine.
TEST, MULLEN
The Mullen is widely used on film packaging materials to determine the relative bursting strength.
THERMOCOUPLE
A bimetallic device to measure temperature electrically.
THERMOPLASTIC
Capable of being repeatedly softened by heat and hardened by cooling.
THERMOSTAT
An automatic device for regulating temperature; uses bimetallic strip to make and break contacts of electrical circuit.
THERMOSET
Plastic that is heat set.
THERMOWELD
To weld together two or more surfaces of a thermoplastic film material by means of heat.
TIE LAYER
The common term for a coextrudable adhesive.
TRACKING
A film that follows a desired path on a packaging machine without constant adjustment is said to “track” well.
TRANSLUCENT
Permitting passage of light, but diffusing it to such a degree that objects cannot be seen clearly; something short of transparent.
TRANSPARENT
Transmitting rays of light so that objects can be clearly seen through the material.

UUNDERFOLD
To fold wrapping material in such a manner that the end folds are turned under the bottom of the package, then sealed to the underside.

VVAPOR TRANSMISSION
The passage of vapor (usually water vapor) through a material.
VFFS
Abbreviation for vertical form-fill-seal.
VISCOSE
A viscous orange-colored liquid obtained by treating cellulose with caustic alkali solution, then with carbon disulfide.
VISCOSITY
That property of a liquid material that tends to resist flow.
VOLATILE
Passing from a liquid into a gaseous state.
VOLATILITY
The rate of evaporation of a solvent.

WWATER VAPOR PERMEABILITY
The ability of a material to permit transmission of water vapor.
WATER VAPOR TRANSMISSION RATE
Measure of permeability of a material, often stated in terms of grams of water passing through 100 square inches of material in 24 hours at 100°F and 90 percent relative humidity.
WAX, MICROCRYSTALLINE
A petroleum wax of high molecular weight, characterized by minute crystals and distinguished by its solid wax-like appearance at room temperature.
WEB
A term to denote a long film somewhere in the processing stage, frequently being drawn off a large roll. For example, a “printed web” would be a large roll of printed film.
WORMING
Channel-like delamination pattern in adhesive-laminated materials.
WRAP, BUNCH
Wrapping with packaging material gathered on the underside of package in somewhat irregular manner.
WVTR
Abbreviation for water vapor transmission rate.

YYIELD
Area per unit of weight, usually expressed as square inches per pound.

There are two popular ways to tell if a thermofoil component is manufactured well. The first is the appearance and the second is the adhesion on the edges. 

Appearance examples:
- Telegraphing of the mdf through the film
- visible wrinkles, shadowing, defects
- overstretched corners or whitened corners

Adhesion:
- clear bite of the film to the edge of the component. You can tell by a pull test
- adhesion down in raised panel profiles, no bridging

For the sake of this post, I'd like to discuss why and when to do a pull test. Firstly when the heat is activated well the film will stick well to the sides of the components.  Examples are below:

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Good times to do a fiber pull test are:
- When lowering temps significantly
- When changing film thicknesses more than .1mm
- When adding working with a new vendor
- When adding a protective film

In conclusion, pull tests are great way for manufacturers to spot check their components to better ensure good adhesion on the sides of the components and can be an integral part of QC.

Most designers who went to school were taught that PVC was somehow bad and harmed the environment. Most of this is stemmed by either inferior plastics or by old information that is not up to par with how plastics are made today.

According to the Tarnell Company Recycler survey, One Billion pounds of vinyl is recycled annually within North America, with over 150 million pounds of post-consumer materials, a 40% increase since 2014. In the U.S. most of the 10 billion pounds of vinyl resin produced annually goes into durable goods—approximately 5 billion pounds goes into water infrastructure (large pvc pipes) that is buried underground and has a service life in excess of 100 years—so it doesn’t go into the recycling stream. In addition, less than 3% of all plastics sent to US landfills is PVC

Elimination of Lead and Cadmium:
In the early 1980’s the U.S. and Canadian vinyl industry began a stewardship program aimed at implementing alternative stabilization technology to eliminated the need for stabilizers that contain metals, such as lead or cadmium. This effort was complete for cadmium around the year 2000 and for lead around the year 2006.

Better Emissions:
28% decrease in dioxin emissions since 2009, which amounts to 3.3% of all government regulated sources . Chlor-vinyl industry dioxin ambient emissions amount to 3.3% of all 2015 regulated sources such as metals, cement, paper, power, wood, oil and chemicals. It should also be noted that most materials including carpet, drapes and even natural wood can release dioxin emissions when on fire. 

Chrlorine Production:
US and Canadian raw material manufacturers for vinyl resin produce their own chlorine at or near their facilities resulting in minimizing risks associated with chemical transportation, leaks from loading and unloading operations and reducing the industry’s carbon foot print. The US vinyl chloride producers no longer rely on chlorine derived from mercury-cell technology to manufacture PVC resin.

For more information on education of PVCs and vinyls we recommend you to visit 
​https://www.vinylinfo.org/vinyl-sustainability-council/

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Recently we were deciding whether or not to add a new perfect touch solid color that matches Arauco to our line. A team mate asked "Well why don't we add 3 colors instead of just one to enhance our chances". Below was my response.

There are 5 criteria I'd add to deciding on a new color.
1. Board matching. When we match boards it is tapping into an existing market created by having the edgebanding, board and thermofoil all in coordination. We look at the distribution strength of that board company as well as the quality of the match.
2. Cross pollination.  For a solid color there may be already matches in the market , however, if there are other matches it won't necessarily hurt our sales. In reality the more people out pushing a color the more likely demand for that color will rise. In addition, some door makers may prefer to deal with Dackor and some may prefer to deal with a competitor. 
3. Cash flow. If we invested into 3 colors it may be better to do one right. The reason is that we can fully commit to that color and unlike many competitors, we are less likely to discontinue an item. In addition we are not spreading out the investment across more colors to see what sticks but instead on good matches when we can that are in demand, especially for board matching stock colors.
4. Operations. When we add a new color it involves warehouse management, samples, marketing , sales management and other operational people. Lots of people get tapped whenever we add a new color . 
5. Sales. The more colors we have the more our efforts are spread over those items so it can become a distraction to push an item that does not have the overall marketing legs.