ONE-STEP MOUNTING AND LAMINATING ________________________________________________________
Generally, the process of decaling and then mounting is difficult when dealing with larger images because the
images must be put through the laminator twice. However, the availability of mounting boards with heat-
activated adhesive on one side, such as the Hunt Manufacturing’s Single Step
Heat-Activated Foam Board,
makes it possible to laminate and mount an image with one pass.
*
IMPORTANT:
Before you can begin, first adjust the four shim wheels to correspond to the thickness of the
backing you will use.
•
Set the four shim wheel settings to 3/16” or 5mm.
•
Set the top heater temperature at 210
°
F or 99
°
C.
•
Pull the top laminate down from the top unwind shaft, under the top idler and drape it evenly over the face of the
top roller.
•
Use a piece of standard 3/16” foam board to hold the laminate under the top roller as the roller is lowered.
•
Use the footswitch with the motor speed setting at 2 FPM or 0.6 MPM.
•
Check the adhesion of the laminate by sending a piece of foam board through first. The laminate must be free of
wrinkles and bubbles.
•
Set the brake tension so that the laminate is taut coming off the roll.
þ
WARNING! Too much brake tension could cause the laminate to stretch and not adhere properly.
•
Trim the actual adhesive mounting boards slightly larger than the image – a 3” border is sufficient. Use the
excess for leader boards.
•
Tape the leading edge of the image onto the mounting board to secure its position as you feed the board
through the rollers.
•
Feed the leader board into the nip with the image to be mounted right behind. For more than one image, send
them through one after another.
*
IMPORTANT:
Send the images fairly close together so that a wide gap doesn’t occur, causing the roller to slip.
But do not overlap.
•
NOTE: Thicker laminates and images require slower speeds to allow the heat to properly penetrate the laminate
and the image and activate the adhesive on the mounting board.
•
Remove the mounted image from the rear of the laminator, trim it to size and display it.
The one-step process takes practice to master. Each individual combination of laminate and image requires
different speeds and temperature settings. Use a copy of the Process Control Sheet to record successful
combinations.
