Using Cold Lamination Film With A Thermal Laminator

So going with the cold machine could end up costing you a bit more in the long run.

Using cold lamination film with a thermal laminator. You can seal a document with your hand a ruler or credit card. Our standard laminating film is the equivalent to gbc nap lam i and usi standard laminating films at a fraction of the cost. Over laminate film is usually between about 24 and 100 microns in thickness. Cold laminating films have a more aggressive adhesive that can be applied with pressure instead of heat.

Heat assist films have pressure sensitive adhesives psas and liners and are applied with hot roll laminators at 185 to 195 degrees. Hot laminators use a heat activated adhesive that is heated as it passes through the laminator. Similar to using standard adhesive tape to cover your document cold lamination is ideal when the precision quality of a thermal heat laminator is not necessary or when the material you are using is not suited for the heat of thermal lamination. The downside to hot laminators is that some items for example some photographs can not handle the heat required to apply the lamination.

That s where the cold setting on your machine comes in handy. This laminating method uses laminating rolls or pouches that are coated on one side with thermally activated glue. What you re going to be laminating. Once heat is applied the glue melts much like a hot glue gun.

Usi s opti clear premium low melt thermal roll laminating film is nationally known for its crystal clear finish and superior bonding. Precision top quality construction prevents wrinkles and provides a perfect edge seal resulting in a professional finish. There s a choice of cold heat assist and thermal adhesives for laminates. Low melt films have heat activated adhesives that can applied at 185 to 195 degrees.

At the same time a laminating machine distributes more pressure more evenly. Every laminator needs a certain amount of resistance in the unwinding of the supply rolls so that the film lays flat as it goes into the nib of the laminating rollers. Heat along with pressure coats the laminating film to documents pictures and more. Hot laminating hot laminating often called thermal laminating is very common.

No warm up time necessary. However you will find that the supplies need for cold lamination are more expensive than what you need for thermal processing. Technically when using a cold pouch you don t need a machine. Also respect the laminating temperature of 40 c to avoid wrinkling due to damp materials during the laminating process.

Lamination film is available to serve a variety of purposes often a mixture of protection and enhanced appearance. Thinner film needs less tension thicker film needs more.