Lamination Issues!

[AKSigns]

Okay so I'm pretty new to the lamination side of things and I need some help!! We bought a Daige quick mount laminator a few months ago and I have tried everything to get my prints to run smoothly through it. I've had a little success but I still keep screwing up! I follow the book and I have tried my own ways of getting the print to go through with success. I usually have bubbles or creases. Does anyone have any good tips to give me some help! I'm sick of ruining prints!!

Thanks
AKS

 

[Velocity]

Not sure about the Diage but we had to set our Royal Soveriegn on lockdown. highest pressure setting and we had to set the drag on the rolls just shy of welding it to the side of the machine. We still have to babysit prints and apply tension to the print as it goes in. Havent had time to take it apart, adjust and waist lam getting it just right so I am stuck babysitting the prints until that day comes.

(sigh)

 

[javila]

Throw it on a sled of coro or pvc.

 

[AKSigns]

Yeah the sled helps but I need to do some large runs so having a sled for about 15 yrds will be a little cumbersome!

 

[AKSigns]

Lamination Issues with picture!

Okay here is a picture of what happens. I have tired every way I can think of to get both sides to have equal pressure but to no avail this happens every time!! It's soooooo frustrating!~

Please help me !! I'm a laminating loser!

 

[dark3d]

Might watch the Seal demo videos.

http://www.sealgraphics.com/62ultra/62ultra.htm

Specifically the 'running jobs' section.

 

[chopper]

do you have the laminate webbed correctly?
the laminators that I have used do not go directly from the roll of laminate to the application rollers, they have a smoothing roller or rod on them before the application rollers, I dont know if your's has this or not but this is how mine is webbed, //chopper

 

[gabagoo]

I am no expert believe me but I found that when the lamination started to look like that photo we actually had to much pressure, since releasing the pressure that problem has vanished for the most part but then again I don't run 15' prints either

 

[Marie]

We use pvc for sleds. With coroplast, sometimes the flues make indents running the length of the vinyl.

That photo does look like too much pressure. Be sure never to stop the rollers once you have started.

Good luck!

 

[petepaz]

are you using craft paperi have found with out the craft works better as long as you don't have more than about an inch over hang of lam also i will put some scrap material through first and once that is smooth i leave a little flap out (2-3 inches) and put the print under that to start and it goes through better

 

[quikseps]

First of all...you have a laminator which really only works "okay" with a sled. Sleds are best made using sintra board.

Secondly...I notice you're using laminate of the max width of the Daige. This "might" never work....these Daige units need plenty of "free space" on each end. When laminating 54" wide material...best to use a 65" wide Daige.

I have a 55" Daige and only use 30" laminate along with a sled. We tried using 54" laminate a few times but forget it.....frigin nightmare. Even though our printers are 54"...we only laminate decal sheets and can work with 30" wide laminate.

Well...back to selling short the Greenback against the Euro and Yen...sure beats screen printing.

 

[Bennett]

Hello,

We had the same problem with laminated becoming wrinkled on the top roller. It was caused by the top roller not being level, which created more pressure on one side of the laminator. We had our dealer in with some special tool that looked like a fish weight scale (there was a really thin piece of metal on the end which was run through the laminator ... the scale would register the pressure from the rollers pulling on the metal piece). After a few adjustments to level out the top roller everything works OK now. (We have an RS 1400C laminator). Hope that helps!

 

[Replicator]

I have had these problems in the past and still do from time to time.

The best advice I could give you would be to make sure that you've started the print/sled absolutely straight.

 

[cartoad]

Have you called Daige? We had similar problems and a part of the problem was the bottom roller. The new ones have a slight crown in the mddle. Our solution was the new roller and using 1/4 plex for sleds. On long prints we needed 3 of us to keep it running, and moving sleds back to front for long prints. We also made sure that we did not let the print bunch up on the sled by slightly lifting the end of the print to put a little air under the print. Carefully check your pressure, and run a starter board thru first to be sure it is going strait.
Good luck,

 

[Former member]

Looks like roll of laminate doesnt have enough tension, That is compounded by the print not going into the laminator flat.
My tip: Instead of using a sled, I roll all of my prints onto a an old 54" core. This tends to prevent waves in the print, and its easier to handle than a large sled.

 

[d fleming]

Daige machines are not made for long runs. That is why they are so much less expensive than seal and others. They are primarily a mounting machine and very good at that. Very little at all in the way of bells and whistles. Saying that, I have used our Daige 54 for runs of 12 and 13' ( when our other machine was busy) without a sled and had no problems, but I've been running laminators a while. Get a cheap, cheap, cheap roll of laminate and practice with cardboard until you get the hang of it, then move on to prints. It's a cheaper education than tossing good work in the can.

 

[CL Graphics]

I had the same problems with my daige. The rubber on the bottom roller was twisted. I called daige and they sent a new rubber sleave for the roller. It was a pita to change but it seams to have fixed the problem. I ran a 15' print threw it last week and it worked fine. I have 13 - 8 foot panels to run through it later today, I guess I'll see what happens.

 

[Sabre]

I'm pretty sure I got the info from one of the members here, but I dont know who to credit. We have a horrid POS Master laminator which we cursed on a daily basis until someone gave us these tips.

We release all tension from the rollers and manually adjust so that we "feel" they're equal gentle pressure, raise the top roller up a full turn so the media and lam will slide through. Pull About 50% of the project (give or take) through the rollers and make sure the lam 100% lined up to the media, turn the tension back on and use the motor to retreat the media and lam back out. Watch for any indications of creases or wrinkles over the course of the retreat, if it looks like it's going to get ugly, abort and retry from the 50% through stage. If all is going well, stop the media before it comes all the way back through leaving you a ~3" tail. Fold the liner of the laminate under itself so that you have a ~1.5" piece of lam to lay down on the media. Again, retreat the media so that the 1.5" tip is in the rollers and you can grab the tail of liner out of the project. Size dependent, I usually pull the liner clear and watch the project entering the machine and have someone else catch it on the other side. Lots of times it isn't 100% necessary, but if they're handy I take advantage of the extra help.

I hope it all makes sense...

Using this kinda outline we've never botched a lam job ever since. But our longest is about 12', nothing heroic like.

 

[schurms]

Two words of wisdom : BIG SQUEEGEE

 

[kustomkoncepts]

How fast are you trying to go from the Printer to the laminator?

I have had similar problems when the vinyl was still fresh and a little warm. the vinyl is warm and you are applying pressure to it changing its form squezing it out. let the prints cool off for at least a half hour. Roland actually suggests a 24 HR out gasing dring period before laminating. I never do and don't know anyone who lets there prints set that long.

another trick is Dock the corners of the starting edge of your print. leave enugh excess material on the leading edge to cut the corners off at a 45 Degree angle. about 6" off the corner will do. this helps ge it started better. also once it is started do not touch the material. if you apply drag to one side it will start to feed up like that picture shows. if you get the print in crooked and unter tention there is no saving it, that print is wasted.

Make sure the tention down pressure is even on both sides. if there is more down pressure on one side it will pull to that side seeing the result you showed in the picture.