High-quality lamination plates, security engravings and plasma coatings for smartcard and ID document production.
4Plate GmbH
Wuppertal, Germany · Berne, Switzerland · La Garenne-Colombes, France · Chelles, FranceNew on Amplifa
About 4Plate
4Plate is a group founded in Wuppertal in 2014, formed as a joint venture of C.T.LAY (Italy), Pro Gravur (Switzerland) and PlascoTec (Germany). The group supplies the entire value chain for lamination plates: from plate production and engraving of security features to surface hardening and plasma-based coating. Products are manufactured in stainless steel (4STEEL, 0.6/0.8/1 mm), hardened stainless steel (EXTREMESTEEL up to 500 HV) and nickel-plated/chromated brass (4BRASS, approx. 400 HV). The portfolio includes security engravings such as MLI/CLI lenses, microtext from 15/20 µm, braille to ISO standard, guilloche and 3D shapes of 50–100 µm height, plasma coatings (4SLIDE, 4FLEX, 4SAM-DLC) as well as cassette systems and press pads for lamination presses. The group has been active in the market for over 35 years and supplies the smartcard and ID document industry worldwide. Production sites are located in Germany, Switzerland and France; in 2026 the company was realigned by Pro Gravur and PlascoTec.
- Site
- Wuppertal
- Processes
- Lamination plates (steel lamination plates, mirror/silk/matt surfaces), Engraving technology & security features (MLI/CLI/lenses, microtext, braille, guilloche, 3D shapes), Plasma coating (4SLIDE anti-stick, 4FLEX, 4SAM DLC), Surface hardening / hardening (EXTREMESTEEL, hardened stainless steel up to 500 HV), Cassette systems & press pads for lamination presses, Laser engraving of lenses (laboratory), Optical artwork creation (graphic design), Lamination plates in stainless steel (4STEEL) and hardened stainless steel (EXTREMESTEEL)
- Materials
- 4STEEL – stainless steel lamination plates (0.6 / 0.8 / 1 mm), EXTREMESTEEL – hardened stainless steel (up to 500 HV), 4BRASS NI/CR – brass, nickel-plated/chromated (~400 HV), Aluminium (4KSET / cover plates), Yamauchi pad KN22 (PVC card lamination, up to 180 °C), Yamauchi pad YOM02 (PC/eDP cards, up to 250 °C), Polycarbonate (lamination process for PC cards), Stainless steel lamination plates (0.6 / 0.8 / 1 mm)
- Certificates
- INTERGRAF 15374:2023
- Founded
- 2014
- Industries
- Smartcard production, ID documents (travel documents, polycarbonate cards, datapages)
- 01
Plate production
- 02
Engraving of security features
- 03
Surface hardening / hardening
- 04
Plasma coating
- 05
Assembly of cassette systems and press pads
- 06
Quality inspection in own laboratory
Materials & Processes
Stainless steel lamination plates (0.6 / 0.8 / 1 mm)
Standard material for all security features, available in surface finishes from mirror gloss to matt.
Hardened stainless steel (up to 500 HV)
High scratch resistance and longer service life in the card printing environment.
Brass, nickel-plated/chromated (~400 HV)
For very fine engravings and micro-technical applications with high cycle counts.
Aluminium (4KSET / cover plates)
Material for cassette systems and cover plates, with or without coating.
Yamauchi press pad KN22 (up to 180 °C)
Press pad for PVC card lamination without silicone rubber.
Yamauchi press pad YOM02 (up to 250 °C)
For PC/eDP cards with patented "air bubbles" damping structure.
Polycarbonate
Lamination process for PC cards and ID documents.
Plasma coating (4SLIDE, 4FLEX, 4SAM)
Anti-stick and DLC coatings for reduced cycle times, fewer film residues and longer plate life.
Sites
Wuppertal
DEProduction and headquarters of 4Plate GmbH
- Materials
- Stainless steel, brass, aluminium
- Plasma coating system
- 3D microscope
- Laboratory lamination press
Berne
CH4Plate by Pro Gravur AG – security engraving
- Materials
- Stainless steel, brass
- Laser for lens engraving
La Garenne-Colombes
FR4Plate France / Alteaminox
Chelles
FRWorkshop / production site
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamination plates (steel lamination plates, mirror/silk/matt surfaces)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Engraving technology & security features (MLI/CLI/lenses, microtext, braille, guilloche, 3D shapes)Joining | 15/20 µm microtext letter width; 3D shapes 50–100 µm height | – | – | – | Stainless steel, Brass |
| Plasma coating (4SLIDE anti-stick, 4FLEX, 4SAM DLC)Surface | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Surface hardening / hardening (EXTREMESTEEL, hardened stainless steel up to 500 HV)Heat treatment | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Cassette systems & press pads for lamination pressesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Aluminium, Stainless steel |
| Laser engraving of lenses (laboratory)Inspection | – | – | – | – | Stainless steel |
| Optical artwork creation (graphic design)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
8 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D microscope | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser for lens engraving | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laboratory lamination press | – | – | – | – | – |
| Roughness measuring device | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gloss meter | – | – | – | – | – |
| Calo tester | – | – | – | – | – |
| Adhesion tester | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plasma coating system | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality
The group works with state-of-the-art inspection technology: the laboratory is equipped with a 3D microscope, roughness measuring device, gloss meter, Calo tester, adhesion tester and free surface energy measurement. Security features in the micron range are inspected according to strict procedures; the security production site is certified to INTERGRAF 15374:2023.
| Evidence | Wuppertal |
|---|---|
| INTERGRAF 15374:2023 |
History
- 2014
Founded in Wuppertal (Germany) as a joint venture of C.T.LAY (Italy), Pro Gravur (Switzerland) and PlascoTec (Germany) for the production of high-technology lamination plates
- 2026
4Plate focused and restructured by Pro Gravur and PlascoTec
Over 35 years of market experience (4Plate by Pro Gravur AG) and over 30 years of plasma surface technology expertise (PlascoTec)