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Advice on laminator

artofacks1

New Member
Is anyone using this laminator?

Is it better to get a laminator with a crank instead of the air compressor?

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Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
I like a crank because I like to feel the tension but our table is air which is also nice and haven't had any need to adjust the roller pressure. It's harder to find the china laminators that aren't pneumatic.
 

rjssigns

Active Member
IMO air compressor = one more thing to "F" up and added noise.

Really beginning to hate the noise in the lab. Going to start wearing ear protection. Ears are still ringing a bit from last night.
 

Notarealsignguy

Arial - it's almost helvetica
They usually come with a small oil free compressor that is really quiet. They don't use much air either but I do agree it is easier to just plug the thing in the wall. The little hose running on the ground is what annoys me
 

Z SIGNS

New Member
The best laminator for your shop would be a flatbed.
You can use it for other stuff too.
We have both. Rarely use the roll laminator.

Waste of time setting it up for one offs
 

regardstobuck

New Member
I have owned two of the laminators like the one above. Different brands but basically the same thing. Zero issues. You do have to adjust them a bit when you get them to roll/laminate evenly… not hard to do. For the price they are hard to beat. On Friday we laminated 80 consecutive feet without issue. The heat assist is a bit of a joke. It works but has a difficult time regulating temp. Get the widest one, even if you only print 54” also the trimmer attachment is handy. just my 2cents.
 

regardstobuck

New Member
Also… I should say both of mine have had the crank. Not the compressor. I personally like the crank, can’t speak for the compressor style.
 

Geneva Olson

Expert Storyteller
The best laminator for your shop would be a flatbed.
You can use it for other stuff too.
We have both. Rarely use the roll laminator.

Waste of time setting it up for one offs
curios about this flatbed. does it work as a work table as well?
 

artofacks1

New Member
They usually come with a small oil free compressor that is really quiet. They don't use much air either but I do agree it is easier to just plug the thing in the wall. The little hose running on the ground is what annoys me
Do you know where I can find the small oil compressors ? Haven’t seen these before
 

truckgraphics

New Member
We have a Chinese made laminator similar to the one shown by the OP. It has worked great right out of the box. Well, we did have to find instructions for it online as they weren't included, but it was simple enough.

You only need the air compressor to change rolls of laminate. That is, the compressor is used to lift the top roller. There are no real adjustments that I know of and none have been needed.

We use a $35 Harbor Freight compressor with a 3 gallon tank and it works fine. It's lightweight, so great for airing up your vehicle tires too!
 

MarkSnelling

Mark Snelling - Hasco Graphics
curios about this flatbed. does it work as a work table as well?
Hi Geneva - The flatbed "applicator" tables are awesome for sheet laminating (not as good as a roller laminator, though!), mounting prints to boards, premasking, and applying cut vinyl to substrates. When you aren't using the roller to apply things, it is a giant worktable with a light and a cutting mat surface. They are wildly productive. I'd happily send you a quote for a unit if you have interest.

The key to flatbed laminators, though, is knowing they aren't really 'laminators' as much as they are 'applicators'. Yes..they will laminate, but the pressure isn't really all there to get flawless application....and if you had to run 150 feet of prints, it would be a huge pain in the ass vs. a roll laminator.
 

MarkSnelling

Mark Snelling - Hasco Graphics
Having worked for Seal for most of my career, we came out with hand crank systems simply to take a ton of cost out. At first, I wasn't a fan...but you can really fine-tune the pressure which is nice...After a few weeks of using one, I was pretty sold. The drawback is it is very difficult to reset the nip if the rollers get out of parallel.

I've stated a few times on this forum that the last place you want to be cheap on is with a laminator. If you buy the right one, you'll use it for 10-20 years. It will far outlast anything in your shop other than a Gerber Edge. There's nothing more unproductive than screwing a print up at the last stage in your shop. GFP machines are solid, but they don't last as long as Kala or Seal units do (or if you really want to spend a lot of money, an AGL).
 
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