FYI a way to fix laminator rollers with cuts instead of replacing...

[Andy D]

Our Seal laminator's top roller had deep cuts and gouges due to a neglectful former employee,
and was leaving mark in our laminated prints. I was in the process of researching
buying a replacement laminator because replacing the rollers was cost prohibitive.
Then a coworker told me about a local company that can "mill" the rollers down,
removing the cuts. I was sceptical, I thought either we would end up with a rough surface
or the laminator wouldn't work right with a layer of the rubber removed, but it was $175 vs
many thousand dollars, so we tried it and it worked perfectly... the rollers look brand new
and work the same as when they were new.

This is where we took them, luckily they were local, but I'm sure there are other companies that perform the same service,
or you could ship them to this place...

 

[petesign]

someone needs to buy that coworker a beer!

 

[FatCat]

Nice tip!

 

[scott pagan]

good tip. we're in the process of evaluating how to improve our laminator that is in the same shape yours was. thanks for the link

 

[T_K]

NEVER EVER EVER CUT ON A ROLLER! AAAAUUUUUUGH!

But, I'll definitely have to keep that in mind. Haven't had that problem at my current job (b/c I'm the only one in the printing dept. :Big Laugh), but you never know about the future.

 

[T_K]

If you "have to" cut on a roller...

...use one of these!

 

[Andy D]

...use one of these!

Actually, this may be the best tool I ever bought, you can either use
to cut the laminate and the backer paper... or just the backer paper
if you're starting a laminate job.

 

[Robert Gruner]

Try filling cuts with a polyurethane Marine Sealant.

 

[escortle]

Our Seal laminator's top roller had deep cuts and gouges due to a neglectful former employee,
and was leaving mark in our laminated prints. I was in the process of researching
buying a replacement laminator because replacing the rollers was cost prohibitive.
Then a coworker told me about a local company that can "mill" the rollers down,
removing the cuts. I was sceptical, I thought either we would end up with a rough surface
or the laminator wouldn't work right with a layer of the rubber removed, but it was $175 vs
many thousand dollars, so we tried it and it worked perfectly... the rollers look brand new
and work the same as when they were new.

This is where we took them, luckily they were local, but I'm sure there are other companies that perform the same service,
or you could ship them to this place...

Very old post… do you still have the name of the place?

 

[ChaseO]

Very old post… do you still have the name of the place?

https://unitedstatesrollerworks.com/

 

[phototec]

Try filling cuts with a polyurethane Marine Sealant.

Have you actually tried to fill the cuts is a Silicone roller with a polyurethane Marine Sealant?

 

[JamesLam]

Brand spanking new laminator, told staff without exception what they were not allowed to use it for and on the second day had an 1/2" hole in the top roller. After spending a few heartfelt moments trying to understand what or who I had hurt in a previous life I used a high temp silicon and that hid about 99% of the damage. With a few touch ups it's still going strong 15 years later.

PS I wonder what ever happened to that employee? I think they left the province and are now living under a new name through a government protection scheme.

 

[ikarasu]

Find a plastics / rubber manufacturer in your area.

We have 3 within a 30 min drive - I think we paid $200 to have them put it on a lathe and shave it down past the cuts.

Someone ran an olds through our laminator... Took a huge chunk the size of a quarter out of it... So we had to re-rubber the roll. That was $750... Came back perfect, just had to do a few adjustments so the pressure was equal and it runs like a brand new, 10 year old seal laminator.