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Other Support Topics:
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How do I thread film on my roll laminator?
The following diagrams show laminators with heat shoes, but they are also generally applicable for a laminator with heated rollers. The most important thing: Always make sure the shiny (glossy) side of your film is the side that moves against the heat shoes or heated rollers! The dull side of the film is the side with the adhesive, and it will stick to the heat shoes or wrap around the rollers if you have threaded the laminator the wrong way.
Film with a 1" core will almost always be wound with the adhesive side in. Film with a 2-1/4" core is wound with the adhesive side out. All of our newer model school or light commercial laminators require 1" core. If your laminator is an older model, it may require 2-1/4" film.
To thread film into your laminator, first turn the laminator off and make sure it is cold. Then remove the mandrels from the laminator and slide a new roll of film onto each mandrel. Take care to replace the top and bottom mandrels back into the correct position on the laminator. Then thread the film as follows:
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To view a threading diagram for 2-1/4" core film,
click here.
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THREADING DIAGRAM
for 1" core with Adhesive Side In
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Use the threading card that is provided with the new rolls of film to push the film into the laminator at the "nip," where the two rolls of film meet. Turn on the rollers and make sure both rolls of film are feeding through the laminator as in the diagrams below.
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| Lay loose ends of film over heat shoes. Be sure the side touching the heat shoe is the glossy side! |
Turn the rollers on and push the loose film into the laminator with the threading card. |
Allow the threading card to carry the film all the way through and out the back of the laminator. |
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 can I 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 warm-up. Once the adhesive is heated and softened by the heat, unplug the laminator. While the adhesive is still hot, it can be removed with a hard rubber or plastic eraser. 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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Film is stuck to one of the rollers. What do I do?
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.
TIP: When trimming your laminated products from the back of the laminator as they exit the rollers, leave at least 6" (or the length of your hand) of film out of the back of the laminator. This will prevent static electricity from pulling the film back into the laminator and causing a wraparound.
TIP: Clip a large binder clip like the one pictured here onto the laminating film as it comes out of the back of the machine. This will prevent static electricity from pulling the film back into the laminator and causing a wraparound.
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My laminating film is not sticking to the project I am laminating or the film is still cloudy after laminating. What should I do?
First, and most importantly, relax. This is the most common problem faced by schools when laminating and there is normally an easy solution. There are two adjustments that can be made to get your film sticking.
Heat: If the film is not sticking or is cloudy, the temperature on the laminator may be set too low. However, before you turn the heat knob to nuclear level, remember that you want to use the lowest temperature required to provide a clear lamination. This prevents waves from occurring in your finished product. Never turn your laminator above 330°. Check the box of laminating film to see what temperature activates your film. Our PET film has a temperature range of 250°-275°, while our CP film has a temperature range of 210°-230°. Even though your laminator is set at the temperature that is specified for your film, you may need to turn the temperature up a bit higher. This is because thicker projects such as construction paper or several pieces of paper glued together absorb more heat than thinner paper, leaving less heat to melt the laminating film.
Speed: If your laminator is equipped with a variable speed option (a knob or button that allows you to speed up or slow down how fast the laminating rollers turns), you can also adjust the speed of the laminator to get your film to stick. First, attempt to adjust the temperature as described in the Heat section above. If the temperature is at the higher end of the film's temperature range and your film is cloudy or is not adhering, try slowing down the speed of the laminator. This will give the laminating film more time to melt on the heat shoe and more time under the heated roller.
TIP: If you are laminating projects with a wide range of thicknesses, it may be easier to find a reasonable temperature that works for most of your projects and then slow the laminator down when laminating your thicker items.
But what if the speed is as low as it will go and the temperature is where it should be and the film is still not sticking? If you have a heat shoe laminator, it is actually possible to laminate TOO slow. There is a small gap in between the heat shoe (where the film is melted) and the nip (the point where the front rollers meet). If your speed is set too slow, the adhesive on the laminating film will cool down in between the heat shoe and the front rollers and will not stick. A good way to test this is to turn the speed knob as low as it will go and turn the speed up slightly in roughly 10% increments. At each increment, let film run through the laminator and check to see if it is sticking. If the film sticks and is clear before you reach 50% of the laminator's maximum speed, your problem is solved. If you reach 50% of the laminator's maximum speed and the film did not stick at any point in between, your temperature is set too low. See the Heat section.
If your laminator does not have variable speed you will not be able to adjust your speed. Adjusting the heat is your only option.
Finally, if you have tried all of these steps and your film is still not sticking, you may want to try a different laminating film that has a lower activation temperature or a more aggressive adhesive. Our 1.2 mil and 1.7 mil CP films have these qualities and are very popular with schools because they are easy to use and look spectacular.
Remember, laminating is an art, not a science. This means that even though you have your speed and temperature set where you think it should be set in order to properly laminate, adjustments may need to be made to get a finished product that you are happy with. There are too many variables (laminating temperature, laminating speed, type of laminating film, the thickness of the paper you are laminating, the type of paper you are laminating, humidity, outside air temperature, roller pressure, and on and on... to have the same speed, temperature, and results for every project. If all else fails, give us a call and we will be happy to help you.
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The film is wrinkling and ruining my projects!! How do I fix it?
There are several reasons that the laminating film can be wrinkled. First, a wrinkle is an actual crease in the laminating film. This is different from wavy laminating film which has no creases, but does not lay flat. Wrinkled film and wavy film are caused by different issues.
- 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. 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 rolls of film. Make sure the film is threaded around both the top and the bottom idler bars. 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 rollers 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 wrinkles, the bottom idler is probably not threaded. Check the threading diagram to be sure.
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My film is wrinkly and the supply rolls move from side-to-side when laminating. How do I fix it?
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. If this is the case, you will need to purchase a new gripper or mandrel.
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My finished product is clear, but wavy. Why?
Wavy film is usually caused by too much heat. Remember, waves in your film are different than wrinkles. If your film is creased, see the solutions for wrinkled film. On some laminators, wavy film can be the result if you've forgotten to turn on the fans or forgotten 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. If your film is wavy, turn down the heat in small increments until the waves disappear. If you turn down the heat and the film becomes cloudy after it is laminated or it does not stick to the paper, you have turned the heat down too far.
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There is a spot that shows up every 4 inches on my finished product. What is the problem?
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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I have a heat shoe laminator and the first few pieces that I laminate will be clear for a few inches, cloudy for a few inches, then clear again. Why?
The heat shoes on a laminator only cover the front and top or bottom edges of the front laminating rollers. As you warm-up the laminator, the heat shoes warm the rollers as well. The back sides of the rollers that face away from the heat shoes are cooler because they are not surrounded by the heat shoes. When you start to laminate, the cool part of the roller cools the laminating film below its melt point which prevents the film from sticking or causes a cloudy pattern. When the hotter part of the roller touches the film, the film clears up and the adhesive sticks. This causes a pattern of laminating-not laminating-laminating-not laminating. This pattern will continue until both sides of the rollers are evenly heated. If you do not want to waste film or ruin your projects with this pattern, first, turn the heat on the laminator on to warm-up the heat shoes. Wait for approximately 10 minutes and then turn the laminating rollers on. Advance the film 2 to 3 inches forward and stop the rollers. Then allow the laminator to continue to warm-up for another 5-10 minutes. If your laminator has rollers that will open, you can open the rollers and turn them on as you warm-up the laminator; this will heat them evenly.
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This film smells bad! Is this normal?
Laminating can generally be described as melting plastic to paper. Melting plastic smells bad. You can minimize the odor by using the lowest temperature needed to correctly laminate your products. 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 PET 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. If the smell is very bad, avoid laminating in small, enclosed rooms and leave doors and windows open if possible. We can provide a Material Safety Data Sheet for any of our films if you are concerned about health issues related to odor caused by melting film.
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When I am laminating, it sounds like fingernails screeching down a chalkboard. Please help me stop the squealing!
Squealing is usually eliminated by reducing supply roll tension and speeding up the machine. Squealing is caused by the taut film being pulled over the Teflon surface 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. If squealing persists despite everything you try, the fault is probably with the film coating. Every once in awhile, polyester suppliers send film makers the wrong film. If the film was coated for printing instead of being coated for lamination, there's a problem. The print receptive coating is slightly sticky, while the proper coating for polyester in laminating film is a slip coat or a hard coat. If you have tried all of these methods and the sound is still unbearable, you may try another roll of film or we can send you some earplugs.
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Laminating Film Temperature Chart
Call us at 1-800-795-5258 for a temperature chart.
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