Laminates of films having improved resistance to bending in all directions and methods and apparatus for their manufacture

A flexible laminate comprising a monofilm-formed or multifilm-formed flexible ply A, and a monofilm-formed or multifilm-formed flexible ply B, both comprising orientable thermoplastic polymer materials, in which the ply A has a fluted configuration and the ply B on a first side is adhesively bonded in bonding zones to crests on a first side of the ply A, where:

• (a) the ply B also has a fluted configuration, a flute direction of the ply B forms an angle from about 30° up to and including 90° to a flute direction of the ply A and the bonding zones being on crests of the first side of the ply B to produce spot bonds with the crests on the first side of the ply A,
• (b) the adhesive bonding is
• (i) directly between the ply A to the ply B and established through a lamination layer on the ply A and/or the ply B;
• (ii) established through a separate thin bonding film;
• or
• (iii) through a fibrous web adapted for bonding,
• (c) wavelengths of the flutes in the ply A and/or the ply B are no longer than 5 mm, and the wavelengths of the flutes in both the ply A and the ply B are less than 10 mm, and
• (d) the ply A is molecularly oriented in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to its flute direction as determined by shrinkage tests.