I am trying to better understand how credit cards, or really
any plastic cards are made in bulk.  I am very familiar with
how short-runs of cards are made, a blank is taken and printed
on then foil or strips are added, then embossing or other
operations.

The three things I am after are:
1) What is the process, in detail, for making them?
I believe it is some kind of web printing then
blanking using sheets of 1000s of cards, but want
to find resources on the net confirming this or
showing me how it is done.
2) What are the major players?  Used to know this
but now I have forgotten.
3) What/where are some net or book resources that
will help me understand this and also how cards
are embossed - looking to do an operation that is
more or less like an embossing operation but want
to try to do it inline with the web printing.

Thanks.

Martinjay