Lamination Issues

[Cameron Hayes]

Hello to All,

I am constantly having issues with dirt/sand and even hair fibres and also bugs being laminated into my prints. Some are able to be hidden or off to the side. What does everyone do to avoid this? I am at my whits end and have tried everything I can think off.

Thanks,

 

[papabud]

keep your area clean. sweep mop.
dont let your prints near the floor
wipe your prints lightly as its entering the laminator
dont have a fan blowing on your prints
your laminator and prints are a high static area and will attract anything it can.

 

[Cameron Hayes]

Have swept constantly is hard on a concrete floor and also tried wiping them lightly with a microfiber. never had a fan thankfully.
Knew the laminator was high static but not the prints touching the floor.

Thanks for the reply papabud

 

[Johnny Best]

Dust removal roller, or compressed air to blow off dust and bugs before lamination. A draftsman's duster brush is the cheapest way.
Move away from under the tree outside to do your lam, Use a clean room (ac and screens on windows) to set up your laminator.and shave all the hair off your body.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Having someone standing there wiping with a tack cloth as the print goes through works. Or standing there with a piece of tape wound inside out around your fingers (so the tacky side is out). Any number of dust removal systems (roller and tack pad).

You're never going to be able to get rid of everything unless you're working in a clean room with bunny suits.

 

[Cameron Hayes]

Have used a removal roller and tried compressed air with two of us doing it, still got tiny specs of dust. had no bugs in the area til lamination. everything is locked inside from the weather. Its dog hair which doesn't help as i blow myself down before doing it and they are not in the shed or close to it.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

Have used a removal roller and tried compressed air with two of us doing it, still got tiny specs of dust. had no bugs in the area til lamination. everything is locked inside from the weather. Its dog hair which doesn't help as i blow myself down before doing it and they are not in the shed or close to it.

Get an anti-static kit for your laminator and then use tack cloth. It's boring standing there wiping down a 150' roll of printed material as it goes through the laminator, but it works.

 

[boxerbay]

exactly - clean the area. sweeping doesn't help. it only makes things worse because your lifting the dust and it settles on everything. vacuum first then wet mop it. keep your prints always rolled up until ready to lam. We use a swiffer duster to wipe across before it enters the laminator.

 

[boxerbay]

"shed" omg.

 

[dypinc]

Dust removal roller, or compressed air to blow off dust and bugs before lamination. A draftsman's duster brush is the cheapest way.
Move away from under the tree outside to do your lam, Use a clean room (ac and screens on windows) to set up your laminator.and shave all the hair off your body.

Compressed air? You're kidding, right? Blow it in the air so it can settle on everything and more so on static attracting materials.

Don't rule out humidity control. Lack of proper humidity will create a static nightmare.

 

[RPM]

Depending on your process there are many things you can do. Some as simples loading your prints properly so they stay rolled up until they are fed through the printer. Or something as easy as a tack cloth works right before you laminate. But the biggest variable is keeping your surroundings clean. When I paint cars, most of the dirt that may land in a paint job comes off of the person spraying.

 

[Modern Ink Signs]

Sounds to me like you need a good shop cleaning. Then look at how you are handling and storing your prints.

Ours go from our print room > storage for drying (solvent prints) > shop area for lamination when ready.

 

[rjssigns]

I agree with boxerbay and use a Swiffer duster. Crystal brand tack cloths work well too. Before lamination I run a cotton dust mop(Dust Mops & Commercial Dust Mops in Stock - ULINE) through the office/work area. Mop is sprayed with liquid mop compound first.
Amazing what it picks up.

 

[HandsomeBob]

Use a silicone blue roller to remove fine dust from your print just before laminating. not cheap but works well.
Have no fans in the area.
Wipe down your laminator for dust.

 

[printhog]

IPA kills static well - I spray it around the laminator prior to setup, and wipe down all surfaces with it, and if need be, mist it while running. a clean environment is a must.

 

[Murray]

exactly - clean the area. sweeping doesn't help. it only makes things worse because your lifting the dust and it settles on everything. vacuum first then wet mop it. keep your prints always rolled up until ready to lam. We use a swiffer duster to wipe across before it enters the laminator.

I use a swiffer duster also because i heard they have anti-static properties like a dryer sheet. I also keep the area around the laminator spotless by wet mopping it before laminating.

 

[AKwrapguy]

So with out seeing your shop setup, material storage or lamination process here's what I would suggest.
1. Look into getting a humidifier. Not a huge one but just one big enough for the area getting a small one that you can see the vapor coming out and place it a few feet from the lamination station. Set it up and let it run overnight and remember to keep it filled, this will probably make the biggest difference.
2. Look at getting an ionizer, it'll also help with static
3. Since you have concrete floors, seal them with a concrete sealer. It will help make sweeping a lot easier, also looking at using a sweeping compound if you must, but also look at vacuuming around the printer and laminator. The vacuum should have a filter.
4. Look at grounding the laminator.
5. Depending on your laminator set up, look at a silicone roller and adhesive pads. They can be frustrating to learn to use but are awesome with the right set up.

There are several variables to why your getting dust and hairs (bugs are a little unusual). A little more about what materials your using, printer, laminator would probably help out.

 

[printhog]

I'd add that if you are using a feed table or pickup table that have plastic mats or steel frames, they need to be grounded to the laminator. My tables are all steel framed with mdo tops and cutting mats over that.. unless theyre connected to the laminator i get shocked with sheet feeds of reflective vinyl or vinyl mounts to coroplast, i can see 1/4" arcs off my olfa knife when i touch it to the machine or table.

 

[Promocolour]

Hello to All,

I am constantly having issues with dirt/sand and even hair fibres and also bugs being laminated into my prints. Some are able to be hidden or off to the side. What does everyone do to avoid this? I am at my whits end and have tried everything I can think off.

Thanks,

Having the same problem.

 

[Bigdawg]

Someone thought it would be a great idea to have carpet in our production area. No kidding. So we have issues to some extent with carpet fibers on top of the normal dirt floating around. A sticky tack cloth has saved us, although it is a PITA on long rolls. The cloths do have to be replaced often though... they end up leaving as much as they pick up when the cloth has been used a while.