Finish It Right: Why You Need a Laminator

Laminating a print is an easy way to provide the end-user with added value. Not only can lamination improve your customers’ overall business image, helping to bring in more sales, it also saves them money in the long-term, as the finished product can be reused without getting scratched or torn, explained Export Manager Bruce Cozens, Vivid Laminating Technologies, manufacturer of Easymount laminators.

Valuable graphics are protected, signs and posters are given extra strength, and low-cost weather resistant signage can be produced.
Laminating films offer UV protection, rigidity, texture to add interest, and the ability to add adhesives for mounting to windows, walls, and floors, added Angie Mohni, director product marketing at ACCO Brands, which includes SEAL and GBC.

“Through the lamination process a professional look is achieved and a variety of finishes (matte, gloss, luster etc.) can be applied,” noted Dan Kane, marketing, Royal Sovereign, which offers a range of laminator solutions. “Each finish has its own unique properties that can enhance colors, increase contrasts, and more importantly provide a level of protection to the printed material.”

Lamination protects against marking and damage and enhances almost any type of printed material by deepening and brightening colors and contrast. “As some inks fade over time, laminates that include UV qualities are recommended for signs that will be used outdoors,” Cozens said.

All of these can transform a print and add profit for the PSP and enhancement for the end user.

Applications

There are many applications available from wide format laminators:

• Vehicle Wraps
• Roller Banners, Pop-up Displays & Exhibition Graphics
• Floor Graphics
• Outdoor Signage
• Posters, Graphics & Signs
• Mounting Prints to Boards and other substrates such as Aluminum DiBond
• Applying Application Tapes
• Flood Coating Boards with Colored Vinyl

Purchase Considerations

While the purchase of a laminator is often bundled with the purchase of a wide format printer, make sure you are getting the right laminator, said Frank Corey, Mid Atlantic Area Sales Representative, Quality Media and Laminating Solutions, distributor of the Kala Mistral 1650 laminator, the 2015 SGIA Product of the Year.

“You have to make sure you are getting a good laminator,” he commented. “The laminators are a lot more complicated than the printer to run; with the printer, you put paper into it, and it prints. Unless you are doing high-end work, it’s pretty simple. Lamination is not.”

When purchasing a laminator, there are several drivers in the final decision.

First, consider the applications you are looking to run. “Depending on the applications required, a PSP may need a full-featured laminator (more costly) or a base model with limited features (more cost effective),” said Victoria Doucet, marketing manager, Drytac, a leading manufacturer of laminating systems and heat-activated and pressure-sensitive laminates and mounting adhesives.

When thinking about meeting your application needs, look at:

Machine size. The maximum size of your applications will dictate the width of the machine. Having a laminator wide enough to accept the maximum print widths will allow one to completely maximize their output and production. Vivid offers systems that start at 26-inches and go up to 83-inches wide. Its most popular model is the 63-inch wide EM-1600 SH, which is a single hot machine.

Whether or not heat is required. The application will also dictate whether your laminator should be cold, heat assist (usually 140°F) on the top roller only; or thermal (or hot), for encapsulation. In the latter, both rollers are heated (up to 266°C)

Encapsulating involves a heat activated thermal film being applied on both sides of the print. The finished result is trimmed to leave a clear border around the edge of the print, therefore encapsulated. Film is available in gloss and matt finishes in a range of thickness including 38, 75, 125 and 250 mil rolls. 

Certain applications require heat or perform better with top heat assist, therefore, it is critical to consider whether the primary application requires thermal based (encapsulation) or single side (pressure sensitive adhesive). If the primary job function is encapsulation, a cold roll laminator will not work.

A PSP creating menus will need a laminator that has top and bottom heated rollers (encapsulation) as well as a cooling and pull roller system, explained Doucet.

However, a PSP simply mounting prints to boards may not need those features but may want larger diameter rollers and a faster processing speed. “Many large format printers prefer pressure-sensitive overlaminates instead of thermal films because they find it inconvenient to heat the machine,” Doucet added. “Thus, fully heated rollers on laminators may not be as common as they once were.”

“Pressure-sensitive laminating film can be applied either cold or with heat-assist (usually about 100-120°F) to soften the adhesive,” Cozens said. “This allows it to flow into the print better and to help eliminate a ‘silvering’ effect that can occur when laminating cold.”

Silvering refers to the bubbles or ‘spots’ that can appear under a lamination film, an effect that is not usually permanent. It can be greatly reduced with heat-assisted lamination, but the effect will improve over a 24-48 hour period even if no heat has been used, Cozens noted.

Whether or not mounting capability is required and the maximum size of substrates that the machine can mount. If you will just be mounting to foam core, you won’t need a wide mounting gap. However, if you are looking to mount to thicker substrates, you’ll want a larger mounting gap.

Whether or not roll-to-roll functionality is needed. Certain applications, such as car wraps, require roll to roll to ensure the product is delivered for the application in rolls.

Additional Purchasing Considerations

A laminator should have large, non-stick rollers, and a durable metal construction, Doucet said.

According to Corey, you need to look at the rollers themselves; their size, whether or not they are made of steel, do they have a crown? “Unless the laminator uses heavy duty steel rollers, the middle roller may be wider.

Instead of using steel rollers, some laminators use aluminum, and have a bigger crown. “It can’t track straight; after 20 feet or so starts to track right or left,” said Corey.

The size of the roller is also important, he added. The bigger that roller, the more web, the more raft, the easier it is to make sure it comes off flat.

Besides a large crown in the top roller, the hardness of the roller and how it is engineered may also contribute to the skewing effect that some laminators exhibit on long runs.

“You don’t want to waste material and you don’t want wrinkles,” explained Corey. The wrinkles are typically caused by rollers. If one side doesn’t perfectly match up with the other, the material tends to track right or left.

“Whether mounting, pre-masking, or laminating the laminator must have appropriate nip settings to allow for materials to be fed in with ease,” Kane said. “Purchasing a laminator with fixed roller may limit the ability to mount and therefore limit the number of jobs one may accept.”

How are the rollers set? There are four types of laminator “nip control”- using two knobs, a crank, motorized, or pneumatic (air), Corey said.

“To get perfect tracking (where both laminate and print go straight), you have to have the nip set correctly (one roller directly on top of the other across the web) and no crown or a slight crown on the top roller.” He added. “Too much crown will cause the laminate to skew to one side and you have to reweb.”

Also keep in mind the anticipated workload and how long you will need the machine to last, said Cozens. “Know the budget you have and stick to it. If you can afford a higher spec'ed system you will be rewarded in the long term due to build quality, performance, and reliability.”

Additionally, PSPs need to think about the operator and their skill level. Is this their first experience or are the operators well versed in understanding temperature and speed? “Some higher end laminators have a lot of great features that might not get utilized by an unskilled operator,” Mohni commented. “Conversely, a skilled operator that can utilize all of the features available will be able to do quick changeovers for high volume, elevate the finish on any application and look for new ways to generate revenue.”

Most importantly, laminators should be easy to use for the operator.

Cost and availability of supplies for the laminator and what you are looking to create also need to be considered. While thermal films are often less expensive than their pressure-sensitive counterparts, the cost of a dual heated roll machine can be significantly more than a cold only machine, said Mohni. “Both thermal and pressure sensitive films exists in a variety of textures, finishes, and sizes so it really comes down to user preference.”

Another area, which can sometimes be overlooked, is if the laminator will actually fit into your workshop space, Cozens said. “ Are there any power or air requirements? Is this on the 1st floor, the basement or upstairs and can the new system be installed there?” Some systems can be separated from their stands, making it easier to install.

New Technology

The technology used in laminators is changing as manufacturers continue to add operator-friendly features designed to make the lamination process easier, remarked Doucet. “Keeping the operator in mind, Drytac has placed all controls on one side of its machines for easier use, and included auto grip unwind and take-up shafts for rolled media as well as easily serviceable parts.”

Wide format laminators are becoming increasingly easy-to-use, remarked Mohni. “The basic features and functions of how a laminator works haven’t changed in years; however, manufacturers such as SEAL are constantly introducing features that enhance the user experience and make the laminators more productive. These features include roll troughs, AutoGrip shafts and roll-to -roll options. The 65 Pro MD utilizes technology in its Easy Operator Interface to control things like nip height, temperature and much more.”

The process of using rotating rollers to apply pressure (and heat) to pressure sensitive or thermal-based film to create a bond to the media has remained for the large part the same throughout the years, Kane said. “Advances have come not with the process but from the application and ease of use. Increased stability caused by improved stands help ensure a level lamination surfaces and quick notch gap adjustment systems easily allow use to apply the right amount of pressure every time. Film Saving technologies help to reduce waste by automatically slowing down the rollers when printed media is not detected.”

Kala’s automated calibration system keeps rollers synchronized. The system constantly monitors and calibrates nip pressure and assures uniformity thoughout full rolls (300’-0”+) from start to finish. Electronic nip adjustment assures repeatable precise pressure without the use of a compressor and eliminates the need to feel the “sweet spot” as when using a manual adjustment hand crank. No tension adjustments on rewind/take-up shafts eliminates the need to constantly supervise and adjust the tensions to avoid the release paper from pulling the laminate away from the roller surface or from getting caught at the nip, in both cases ruining the print.

Its five self-locking roll shafts and roll-to-roll capability come standard with the laminator.

The new Easymount Air range uses patented technology, designed in-house by Vivid technicians in England.

Running at speeds of up to 33-feet a minute, pneumatic air pressure controls the laminating rollers, allowing you to mount and laminate with incredible accuracy and speed, said Cozens. This new technology allows the roller to adjust to the exact thickness and pressure required, giving faster production times. The pneumatic air allows the roller to float down; ensuring Foamex and fluted boards are not crushed. When the rollers achieve the correct board thickness, the roller can be locked in place to keep the required gap, making board feeding more accurate.

The ability to lock the roller into place at the touch of a button is especially beneficial for long runs of boards, where the height and pressure will continually stay the same, Cozens said.