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Roll Laminators
Technical Support |
Once the film has been properly threaded, turn on the heat switch; when the laminator is hot, you are ready to laminate!
TIP: In between usage, always secure the film at the back of the laminator with a large metal binder clip (available from your local office supply store). This small amount of weight will keep the film from wrapping around the rollers next time you turn the machine on.
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How to Maintain a Roll Laminator
Never clean your laminator when the power is on. Very serious injuries can result from attempting to clean a laminator when the power is on.
Heat shoes and rubber rollers (especially the laminating rollers) should be cleaned each time film is changed. When cleaning is done regularly, it isn't a big chore. Adhesive on the shoes can be wiped off while the machine is hot using a clean, dry cloth. The adhesive will stick to the cloth much better than to the teflon on the heat shoe. Make sure to wear gloves or keep plenty of cloth between the heat shoe and your skin to avoid burns. If the heat shoes have no adhesive on them, they can simply be dusted with a damp cloth. Never use any abrasive or solvent on the shoes. The abrasive can remove the teflon, and solvents create a hazard with no benefits.
If there is no adhesive on the laminating rollers, they can likewise be wiped down with a damp cloth. You may use Windex or some other water-based solution which will not leave a residue. Access to the laminating rollers is limited by a metal guard on most laminators. See your user manual to determine the best way to access the laminating rollers on your machine.
Clean one section of the rollers, then restore power and advance the rollers a little to clean the next section. Continue the process till the rollers are clean.
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How to Remove Adhesive from the Rollers
When there is adhesive on the rollers, warm the machine to operating temperature for 15 minutes with no film threaded. Open the rollers (if your model allows) and leave them turning during warmup. Once the adhesive is heated and softened by the heat, disconnect power. While the adhesive is still hot, it can be removed with a hard rubber or plastic eraser or rubber cement pickup. Some prefer to use a short piece of 1/4" surgical tubing threaded onto a pencil for a handle. These materials will cause the soft adhesive to roll up in little balls, which can then be wiped off with a damp cloth. Never clean the machine unless power is disconnected.
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PROBLEM: Film is Stuck to One of the Rollers
This is a problem that we call a "wraparound." It is a common problem, almost always caused by incorrect threading of the film. It can also happen if the laminator is not turned off when one of the rolls of film runs out before the other. When you observe the film beginning to wrap around a roller, immediately turn off the rollers. You should be able to turn on the reverse switch and pull the film off the rollers. Once you have removed the film from the laminator, you should clean off any adhesive as described above.
If film has rolled around the roller several times, the wraparound will require more effort to remove. Never use a knife to remove film. This can cause damage to your rollers! Removing a wraparound is a process very similar to the one described above for cleaning adhesive from the rollers. Little by little, the film can be heated and pulled away from the rollers until it is all removed. Then the remaining adhesive should be removed.
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PROBLEM: The Film is Wrinkling
Here is a check-list for causes of film winkling:
- The film will wrinkle if there is not enough supply roll tension. Any laminator needs a certain amount of resistance to the unwinding of the supply rolls so that the film lies flat as it goes into the nip of the laminating rollers. Turn the rolls of film (supply rolls) in the unwind direction. Is there some resistance? On a 25" machine with 3 mil film, two turns of tension on each knob should be about right. Thinner film needs less tension; thicker film need more. Loosen both supply roll knobs until tension on the spring is released. From the point where each knob just begins to press on the spring, add the correct tension by half turns. (Four half turns equals two turns, for example.) Do not use too much supply roll tension. A larger laminator with 5 mil or heavier film may require 4-5 turns of tension on each knob. It's unusual to need more than 5-6 turns of tension, even on bigger laminators. Remember, you should not be concerned about wrinkling of the film on the heat shoe. You are only concerned about wrinkling you can see in the finished work.
- Make sure the film path is correct for both top and bottom webs. Make sure the film is threaded around both the top and the bottom idlers. Take a look at a threading diagram to be sure the film is threaded correctly.
- Make sure the machine is up to temperature. The film should clarify just as soon as it hits the heat shoes. If the laminating and pull rolls on your machine can be opened and closed, make sure both sets of rollers are closed.
- If the top looks fine, but the bottom shows lots of bubbles and wrinkled, the bottom idler is probably not threaded. Check the threading diagram to be sure.
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PROBLEM: The Paper is Wrinkling
Here is a check-list for causes of paper winkling:
- Make sure you feed the item so that the leading edge is parallel to the laminating rollers. If the item is not lying flat and smooth when it goes into the laminator, it cannot be expected to come out flat and smooth. If an item has been rolled, folded or wrinkled beforehand, first flatten and smooth out the leading edge. Make sure the leading edge goes into the laminator flat and parallel to the rollers. As soon as the rollers take the item, grasp the back corners and pull back and down on the item so the folds or wrinkles are pulled out and it is held flat against the feed tray going in. Don't lift up on the back of the item. Keep it flat against the feed tray.
- If you see serious wrinkling on both sides of both film and paper, the laminating rollers probably need to be closed and locked. Check your roller opening/closing controls. (Note: The laminating and pull rollers on most school/light commercial laminators are always closed and locked.)
- What do you mean by "wrinkling?" It's hard to describe. What we mean by wrinkling is creases or folding over of the film or paper. What some people have described to us as wrinkling was what we would call waviness, or some other problem such as a repeating impression on the surface of the finished lamination. Sometimes the best way to identify the nature of a defect is to mail or overnight samples to us. Make sure you call 1-800-869-2827 to notify us before sending the samples. Label each sample clearly as to the type of film and laminator, laminator settings, direction of travel, and item being laminated. It's also a good idea to send unlaminated samples along for testing as well.
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PROBLEM: Film is Wrinkling and Supply Rolls Moving Side-to-Side
This is an indication that the supply roll mandrels have been reversed Check the supply roll tension knobs. On some laminators, there is a decal indicating "TOP RIGHT" or "BOTTOM RIGHT." The two supply roll mandrels look identical, but they are not. When they are reversed, they don't apply supply roll tension, even when the supply roll tension knobs are tight. If the mandrels are in the correct position, but one is still slipping, the gripper which holds the supply roll core on the mandrel may be broken.
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PROBLEM: Bubbles or Silvering between Film and Paper
Here is a check-list for bubbling or silvering:
- A few large bubbles on the leading edge of the sheet being laminated is characteristic of what happens when the item is pushed into the nip faster than the speed of the laminator. As the paper buckles upward, the image side touches the top web of film in advance of the nip. Once captured in the adhesive, the bubbles cannot be removed. Bubbles can be captured in the same manner when the back of the item is lifted off the feed tray, or when the item is pushed too quickly as it is being fed.
- Bubbles can be caused by lack of supply roll tension. Too little supply roll tension will cause bubbles before it will cause wrinkled in the film. See the section on "Film Wrinkling" for advice on setting supply roll tension.
- Bubbles and wrinkles can be seen if the film is not threaded correctly, if the temperature is too low, or if the laminating rollers are open.
- Silvering is caused by the capture of tiny bubbles of air. It looks like a hazy or reflective area in the lamination. It may go unseen over light areas of an image, but will be more obvious over dark or black areas. Silvering is usually caused by too low an operating temperature. Silvering is most often seen when a machine is not given time to warm up or if the film temperature drops too low. When a machine is warmed up without the motor on, one side of each laminating roller remains relatively cool. When lamination is begun, a pattern of repeated silvering can be seen each time the cool side of a roller is applied to the lamination. There can be other causes of repeating defect patterns.
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PROBLEM: Repeating Patterns or Defects
This is a problem which has been known to baffle experienced laminator operators for awhile. Fortunately, it's usually easy to fix. The circumference of the laminating roller on a laminating machine is from about 4" to more than 9", depending upon the type of laminator. Whenever you see the patterns or defects repeating at the same interval as the circumference of one of your laminating rollers, there is something on the roller. Usually you will find that it's a piece of paper or a scrap of film. It also could be adhesive that needs to be removed.
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PROBLEM: Waviness or Dimpling
This is usually caused by too much heat. On some laminators, it can be caused by forgetting to turn on the fans or forgetting to close and lock the pull rollers. The adhesive in the film needs to cool and solidify while it is pulled flat and tight between the laminating and pull rollers. If there is too much heat, the adhesive will set up while the film is slack and curved, resulting in a clear but wavy laminated surface. Lines of distinct dimples when run down the center of the web at right angles to the laminating rollers are caused by excessive heat and/or forgetting to turn on the fans.
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PROBLEM: Smell of Hot Film
This problem is usually the result of simply setting the laminator too hot! The temperature should be set no hotter than needed to get a good bond from the type and gauge of film that you are using. For 1.5 mil PE film (commonly used by schools), the temperature should never be hotter than 330°F. In general, the better the quality and thicker the film, the lower temperature is required. Use the film manufacturer's recommended temperature range or a Laminating Film Temperature Chart to determine the best setting for the film you are using.
Even when the temperature is set at the right temperature for the film you are using, the lamination process is not completely odorless, and some people find the smell of hot film unpleasant. The good news is that the smell of hot polyethylene is not harmful to your health. Also, there are better quality films which melt at a very low temperature and produce almost no odor at all.
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PROBLEM: Squealing While Film is Advancing
Squealing is caused by the taut film being pulled over the teflon suface of the heat shoes. It is heard more often on new machines than old ones. Unfortunately, occasional shoe noise is normal. It is caused by too much supply roll tension or too little speed. Squealing is usually eliminated by reducing supply roll tension and speeding up the machine. If squealing persists despite everything you try, the fault is probably with the film coating. Every once in awhile, polyester suppliers send material to film makers which was coated for printing instead of being coated for lamination film. The print receptive coating is slightly sticky, while the proper coating for polyester in laminating film is a slip coat or a hard coat.
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Order online, send us email, or call 1-800-869-2827. 
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© 1999-2006 Netc.Netc.
Last Updated 09-Nov-06
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