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1-4 PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
Hot roll laminators operate by pulling film with a thermally activated adhesive through a
heated set of laminating rollers. Film from the supply rolls passes over heated rolls to
activate a polyethylene adhesive layer on the film. It then passes through rubber rollers
to apply pressure and bond the film to the item being laminated. The adhesive is
pressed into the ink and fibers on the surface of the paper (see section 5-3).
The strength of the lamination bond can be checked by cutting a
large “X” on the
surface of (but not through) a laminated sample with a sharp blade. Use the tip of the
blade to pry up one corner of the “X”. Grab that corner and pull up the film. Ink and/or
paper fibers coming up with the layer of film indicates a good adhesive bond.
If the film comes up too easily, with no ink or paper, the lamination was probably done
at too low a temperature. Check the instructions that may have come with your
laminating film and/or the
lamination temperature chart in section 5-3
.
Please note that when doing an X-test on glossy (coated) paper, a good X-test will pull
up ink only. The film should not come up easily. When laminating material that is not
glossy (uncoated), the paper is often more fibrous and a good X-test will yield ink and
paper fibers coming up with the film.
The Compass hot roll laminator is ideal for encapsulation and can accept substrates up
to 1/8 inch / 3 mm thick.
Designed for sign and graphics applications, hot roll machines are used in many
settings including schools, sign shops, photo-finishing labs, reprographics shops, and
manufacturing plants.
Using a hot roll laminator is much easier than doing the same work by hand. Fast and
versatile, it requires little instruction for you to be up and running. Film tension is
controlled with slotted wheels. The laminating roller gap is preset. Hot roll laminators will
apply most materials under a wide range of speeds and tension settings.
