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:

​

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/

​

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.

​This email is about the Dackor culture, how we came into existence and what I believe is the right attitude. 

Before I created Dackor, I worked in various jobs and went above and beyond with websites, brochures, came in early, left late, worked on the weekends, helped co-workers, studied at night, read books to sharpen my knowledge and generally just went all out. My employers benefitted from having a hard working employee that went above and beyond and I benefited because I learned valuable skills that built both myself AND contributed to success. As my success grew, so too did my confidence.  What I learned was to add value for the sake of adding value and striving to improve rather than simply demanding instant payment in a transactional mentality. I did not become resentful that other employees did not contribute the same level of effort because I know that in order to stand out you have to be willing to go above and beyond. When you go above and beyond it stands to reason that not everyone else will. But "Your attitude will determine YOUR latitude."
​
When we opened Dackor in the US in 2003, I wanted to create an environment where people could grow, a place that attracts people with good attitudes but also a place where we reward exceptional results. Not everyone on our team will go above and beyond however, I believe that Dackor rewards people who create exception results. Whether it is rewarded by overtime, salary increase or commission, we are looking to create an environment where the cream rises to the top, but not an environment of tit for tat where every action is rewarded as if the company does not pay a base salary. 

Sometimes it takes time to see results. When you are on a mission for growth there are times you will head down the wrong path. Working extra hard may not always generate exceptional results that will immediately lead to rewards. What I have learned is that hard work instead gives me the opportunity to figure out where to invest my time. Through trial and error you will learn what the best use of your time is and how to create phenomenal results with the best leverage of your time. It takes time to figure this out and in some case years. Most seemingly overnight successes are never done overnight.

I hope as I share the above you know it comes from a place of personal experience but also it can be a new attitude for some. Since you are an adult, can you say you've always done your best? Have you always given 110% to your work? I will tell you that it's never too late to start.

Below are examples of having the right attitude versus the wrong attitude.

LOSING COMMENTS

1. That's not my job
2. Am I going to be paid extra for that
3. That's not fair that I am doing all the work
4. Why aren't others contributing the same as I am

WINNING COMMENTS
1. That is my job, if it helps grow the business or helps my co-workers
2. I am going to contribute with the best use of my time because I know it will pay off eventually in increased sales and/or recognition.
3. I am the best person to do it because I go the extra mile. I'm not going to gear down to match someone else's attitude.
4. I realize that not everyone will go above and beyond but I do because that's a winning attitude !

SUMMARY:
The above is not being written for any one specific person, it's written FOR YOU. Part of a winning attitude is to take personal responsibility for yourself. And as I always say "We don't have control of others....we only have control of ourself and our actions."

Sincerely,
​Mark Viers

This article will discuss the process which Peelstix is sold to multi family apartments .

MULTIFAMILY:
As we know, when apartments and cabinets are installed they use new cabinetry. The cabinets can be made local or off shore and then imported. Within new construction of cabinetry our product may be used for the doors however for the cabinets its more common that paper or melamine board be used for the cabinet sides. The reason is due to cost and secondly Peelstix main benefit is that it is used to refurbish cabinet boxes, hotel doors, etc.  Peelstix saves money when remodeling however in new cabinet construction typically is not cost beneficial in multi-family. 

In multi-family, the owners typically hire a design firm although some developers do design in house. Dackor raw 3D and 2D films may be specified in new construction however it then goes out to bid by a cabinet company to win the job. In this case the Kitchen cabinet company may contact Dackor to find a door maker if this Kitchen manufacturer does not have a membrane or vacuum press in house.
​

MULTI FAMILY REMODELING:
When apartments wish to remodel, the property manager may seek out approval from corporate to do new cabinetry. In this case the firm could use a designer however often the property manager will decide to get bids from cabinet companies to rip out and install new cabinets, countertops, etc. 

With Peelstix, the idea is to educate the property manager on the benefits of refacing instead of having a traditional kitchen company bid out the remodel. 



The benefits are:
- Less down time as a kitchen can be done in one day for an apartment
- Less dust and debris since not tearing out the existing boxes
- No smell or harmful VOCs that can be incurred by painting. 
- Less cost since the existing boxes can be reused, possibly the countertop can be kept in place
- Less cost due to less dumpster fees, no electrician needed, no plumber needed and no drywall repair or tile repair needed that would normally be associated with a complete tear out

PAINTING CABINETS:
We mentioned above that cabinets may be replaced but that it takes more time, has more dust but also costs more. One other option is to paint the cabinets. Painting has different levels of quality however the biggest complaint in painting is that its often a temporary solution. Painting the doors that are handled by the tenants can sometimes not hold up. In a residential a more quality paint job could be done however usually this level of painting is not cost effective for multi family.

It should be noted that some companies when wanting to do white may opt to spray the boxes white and then simply buy new doors that will more hold up to the rigors of having tenants. Some challenges may be:
- Having to deal with both a painter AND a company to hang the new doors
- The smell created by painting as well as the time to set up to tape off the area

CONCLUSION
The main purpose of Peelstix films, accent planks and Natura Stone are to resurface existing surfaces. The nature of Peelstix is that it adds value by going over existing surfaces. Refacing is a cost effective solution that has the quickest turn around and causes less disruption for the tenants. 

by Matt Arriola

Does it drive you crazy when you go to order a thermofoil color from a vendor only to find out it has been discontinued and now requires a large custom order? Often these custom orders can be 3,000 or even 5,000 meters. Although we cannot guarantee to not discontinue an item, Dackor is the leading company on maintaining stock.

But aside from our 250 plus stock items that we maintain for our clients, Dackor has a great custom program to enable you to switch more and more colors over to our company.

You can go to www.Dackor.com/colors and look for a very close or close match first or contact your Account Managers at 407-654-5013 to do the searching for you. In addition you can visit https://www.dackor.com/custom and input your image right on our site.

What if you need to color match?
STEP 1: INQUIRE >  Fill out this form and we will let you know within 2 business days or less if we are capable of your required match quality.  Please note that if we have the tooling our MOQ is 600 linear yards for melamine matches (in distribution) or leathers or 1200 yards for all others. 

• FORM FOR COLOR MATCH

Please allow 2 business days for us to evaluate target.

STEP 2: MATCH?   Within 2 business days we will confirm match capabilities. You can then issue a PO for $500 color match deposit which is fully credited upon order. Matches take 4 to 6 weeks and you will receive a lab sample.


STEP 3: EVALUATE !    After you receive the match and approve simply issue a PO for the agreed quantity and await 10 to 12 weeks for the material to be available , FOB, Orlando. This can be expedited 4 to 6 weeks by air for an additional fee.  We will typically produce 2,000 to 3,000 yards at our discretion for back up inventory. After the initial PO and MOQ you may order from remaining stock as needed.
Color match request form
Inquire> | Match? | Evaluate!

Examples of Recently discontinued 3D Laminate colors in the marketplace.
Ebony Ash, Light Maple, Black Haircell, Antique Whitewash, Russian Maple, Soprano, Sugarloaf Maple, Matte Black, Matte Malachite, Matte White, Oxidized Pewter, Platino Granite Sand, Platino Granite Tanin, Pompeii Marble Espresso, Pompeii Marble Gray, Rift Oak Brown, Rift Oak Gray, Carbon Fibers Silver, Fibers Concrete, Cashmere, Fusion Maple, Imperial Smoke, Rift Oak Natural, Slate Gray, Smokehouse Oak, Stratus White, Tin Ceiling and Venus Silver.

When refacing your residential kitchen there are various options when utilizing Dackor materials. The first question is if you are looking to change the layout drastically. In most cases where you want to significantly replace the layout of the Kitchen you will go with new cabinetry. If, however, you are OK with the layout refacing can save you thousands. Once you have decided to reface there are various other decisions to make. Some decisions are:

-Should I replace the countertop?
-What style doors do I want? Slab, Shaker or Raised Panel
-Do I want soft close hinges on the doors? We recommend as its a small expense

If you are replacing your countertop, generally you want the countertops to be replaced before refacing so damage will be done do the doors or boxes. The most popular options for countertops are quartz and natural granite however some may also choose laminate countertops.

Once you have your countertops installed and the color chosen it is more easy to choose colors for the doors. 

How does cabinet refacing work using Dackor materials? Dackor recommends a professional refacer who has experience working with Dackor Peelstix for the cabinet boxes and someone who has lots of experience hanging the doors. 

How does the refacer do the job? 
The refacer will measure your doors to the nearest 1/8" and take notice of the type hardware they need to get, any unique aspects of the job such as the box condition and any unique installation challenges. After they take the measurements they usually get a deposit so that they can custom order the doors to match your specific Kitchen. Typically it can take 2 to 3 weeks to receive the doors in however sometimes it may be faster. 

When the installer comes to install the job, it typically takes them 2 to 3 day. They take off the old doors, clean and prepare the box to be refaced using Dackor Peelstix. They then install the new doors and you get a completely transformed Kitchen saving thousands and with the color of your choice.

The benefits of refacing in most cases are:
-Saves money on a dumpster
-No need for an electrician or plumber
-No need for tear out and therefore no drywall damage or tile damage
-Brand new doors and completely refaced box on the external of the cabinets
-Quick install with no dust or debris
-Ability to use your kitchen in the evenings even during the install process

Imagine having a brand new looking Kitchen, not throwing away perfectly good boxes and not having to deal with numerous trades all of which cost more and create more complications.

Although many jobs can have complications, you can rest easy knowing that you are using a quality product that will create more value in your home and put a smile on your face when you see the final results!

This article is to explain more about the different thicknesses we produce and for what application they are good for.

THICKNESS REFERENCE:
0.15mm = 6 mil , semi rigid
0.2mm = 8 mil, this thickness and above are rigid
0.25mm= 10 mil
0.3mm= 12 mil
0.4mm= 16 mil
0.45mm=18 mil
0.5mm= 20 mil
0.7mm=28mil

MEMBRANE PRESSING / VACUUM PRESSING: For Solids and Woodgrains,  Dackor's 12 mil is most common as it can be membrane pressed by all however some company's even have the expertise to profile wrap as well. When you press, it uses heat and suction to form over the mdf components. This means that the material is pressed into the substrate. By going thicker you are able to hide more imperfections. In addition, by going thicker, deeper embosses can be incorporated for more realistic surfaces. Quality producers know that Dackor has a plethora of thicker materials as well and we do this to enable our customers to have higher quality parts and also to create more realistic woodgrain textures.

PROFILE WRAPPING: When profile wrapping, companies do not experience suction of the material into the mdf so thinner products can be used. The most common sizes are 6 mil and 8 mil. When we produce 6mil we do so with a semi rigid vinyl. This reduces cost but also enables the product to wrap well. Some companies love semi rigid due to its ease of wrapping however semi rigids often are not as strong or durable to scratches and wear. For that reason we offer rigid 8 mil product to enable the material to be thin enough to wrap yet more durable to scratch and more rigid to process. 

SEMI RIGID VERSUS RIGID: The best way to describe the difference is that semi rigid feels more like a thin shower curtain that is more flimsy in your hand. This is caused by adding more plasticizers to enable the product to stretch. This also lowers the cost of the product. Rigid, however, uses a very low amount of plasticizers and enables the product to be more rigid. The product still goes on a roll however its really more like a thinner version of membrane press laminate.

FLAT LAMINATION: Companies can flat laminate 12 mil and thicker vinyls however this is typically done with a PUR line or 2 part epoxy. For most flat lamination lines you would utilize a 6 mil or 8 mil. This is personal preference. It should be noted the strengths and weaknesses are that the 6 mil applies more quick and cost less however being thinner it may show more imperfections in the substrate whereas the 8 mil is more rigid. Please note that the heat utilized in processing will be different as well based upon the formulation of rigid versus semi rigid as well as the thickness. If the product is more thick it may take more heat to absorb into the material.  

MITER FOLDING: When folding the vinyl becomes a hinge. This means that you are routering a v groove in the back of the part and only kissing the vinyl. When you fold the part you get a crisp edge. One advantage of a rigid vinyl is that when you fold it thermosets better and is less likely to pucker on the edge. So there are some strengths to miter folding a rigid over a semi rigid. 

CONCLUSION: Please note that there are so many variables in lamination. There is time, heat, duration, pressure, glue used, board, humidity , user and more. This means that like all professional laminations you really need to test produce product to be sure of the thickness and formulation to be sure more ease of processing.