lamination” should refer to lamination with two layers of 3-mil film. If you are buying or selling lamination film or lamination service, please make sure both parties understand the film descriptions being used.
There is a huge variety of thermal laminating films available to suit many different kinds of application. Here are some of the more commonly used “special” film types or film additives:
∙Film with low-melt adhesives, also known as co-polymer films; these often have better clarity and are less likely to curl or ripple.
∙Matte films to eliminate glare or to accept printing or accept printing or writing; many suppliers offer films with glossy and matte (non-glare) finishes.
Rolls of film may be purchased in different widths. The size of the laminator is the only limitation to the width of the film rolls you can use. The Educator can use 4, 12, 18, or 25 inch rolls. Make sure the upper and lower roll widths are the same, and are aligned with each other.
Rolls are also produced with different lengths of film on a roll (250’, 500’, 1000’). The Educator will easily accommodate film rolls up to 6” diameter.
When installing film, always center the rolls if film on the supply roll mandrels so the
core grippers engage the cardboard core. Look for the score marks around the supply rill mandrels to aid in aligning the top and bottom rolls.
We recommend 3-mil film for the most common applications, including posters, signs or instructional aids. The 3-mil film provides better protection, more rigidity, and a more lustrous appearance than 1.5-mil film. Five mil film is suggested for those applications that need the most protection and rigidity.
Lamination with 1.5-mil film can sometimes present problems because the film is so thin it loses heat easily. It sounds backwards, but 1.5-mil film has to be run at a higher temperature than a 3-mil film with the same adhesive. The higher temperature compensates for the faster rate of heat loss during lamination. A standard 3-mil film is applied at 280°F, while a standard 1.5-mil film must be applied at 310°F. Even when applied at 310°F, a 1.5-mil film is still more likely to delaminate later.
If the item being laminated is fairly thick, it will pull heat from the film. This will lower the temperature of the 1.5-mil film and prevent it from sticking properly. When laminating thick items with standard 1.5-mil film, it may be necessary to raise the temperature to 330°F or 340°F. Do not use any higher temperature for any film than is needed to get an acceptable degree of adhesion, as measured by an X-test. Remember there are low-temperature films that should run at much lower temperatures than those cited in this example. (see the chart on film operating temperatures.)
Rolls of film are sometimes spliced. Most film suppliers will mark a splice with colored tape. This way, you can see the splice as a “dash” of color on either end of the roll. If