Looking for tips on laminating

[Sticker Fool]

Still new in the laminate world and just picked up a 54in rite laminator. I am running into issues with the print creasing as it feeds. I start the laminate with a leader board but I find not long past the board I start to see the print sheet crease. I noticed on youtube a guy cuts in a few feet on each side of the sheet to remove the crease. Is this the best way to prevent it from happening?

 

[greysquirrel]

couple of problems, one is the design of this laminator. You have se heights that it can be set to. You will never be accurate when just laminating. You have a zero point then maybe 1/8" 3/16" etc....zero is never zero. 3.5 mil vinyl, 3.6mil lam...thicker then zero thinner then whatever number comes next.
Secondly, if you are just laminating, leader board will make this process more difficult then it needs to be. Go to GFP's website, watch their videos on webbing up the unit. Maybe you can apply what you see to your unit. Did you buy this new? Did it come with training? There are a lot of variables to laminating. Its worth paying someone for some training. All of your profits are made and lost on your laminator. Its the worst piece of equipment to cut corners on...

 

[Sticker Fool]

couple of problems, one is the design of this laminator. You have se heights that it can be set to. You will never be accurate when just laminating. You have a zero point then maybe 1/8" 3/16" etc....zero is never zero. 3.5 mil vinyl, 3.6mil lam...thicker then zero thinner then whatever number comes next.
Secondly, if you are just laminating, leader board will make this process more difficult then it needs to be. Go to GFP's website, watch their videos on webbing up the unit. Maybe you can apply what you see to your unit. Did you buy this new? Did it come with training? There are a lot of variables to laminating. Its worth paying someone for some training. All of your profits are made and lost on your laminator. Its the worst piece of equipment to cut corners on...

Thanks for the reply. It was a used unit to gain some experience in laminating and came with zero training. What does the GFP stand for and I will check out the website. I have watched a few videos and look to have the webbing set correctly but still figuring out correct tensions.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Concentrate on ensuring everything is straight. That is the most important thing. Tension is forgiving, improper loading is not.
As far as webbing, I have always set mine up like this video for single sheets or when doing a roll. It may be right or wrong but it works well and there is no wasted material.

 

[pkeshtgani]

If you are getting creases in the middle of your lamination is mostly do the fact that the rolls are not balanced! Lift the rolls and see if the distances (left, center, and right) are all equal! That's where you start. If they are balanced than it's your feeding that is the issue. Like greysquirrel said check GFP (Graphic Finishing Partners) website they got very good vidoes and tips!

 

[Sticker Fool]

Thanks. I will check them out tonight. I did a few more test prints today and I got the crease in the center again but I did notice this time while doing it that it is like the laminate is tracking a bit to the left as it rolls onto the waste wax paper roll and I see very small waves in the laminate that just gets worse with distance. I'll watch the videos and report back.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Thanks. I will check them out tonight. I did a few more test prints today and I got the crease in the center again but I did notice this time while doing it that it is like the laminate is tracking a bit to the left as it rolls onto the waste wax paper roll and I see very small waves in the laminate that just gets worse with distance. I'll watch the videos and report back.

Grab the roll of lam or the backing takeup to add some tension when you start seeing a wave. It doesn't take much to make it go away. It sounds like the loading isn't dead on to me but I am no expert.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

If you are getting creases in the middle of your lamination is mostly do the fact that the rolls are not balanced! Lift the rolls and see if the distances (left, center, and right) are all equal! That's where you start. If they are balanced than it's your feeding that is the issue. Like greysquirrel said check GFP (Graphic Finishing Partners) website they got very good vidoes and tips!

I have a junk cheap chinese laminator in the shop with the left side at least 1/8th higher than the right and can get through a 1/2 roll before the walking is too much. I'm not saying you are wrong but webbing is the most common place that errors occur but it is always more convenient to blame the machine.