Need Help Need Help with Laminator Purchase

[SignCorp Inc.]

I purchased a HP 560 Latex printer. I posted a thread a few months ago and wanted to re-post to get more feedback and opinion. We are primarily an electrical sign company but we need digital prints from time to time and because of the out gassing of solvent printers we chose the latex printer. We purchased from Grimco and wanted some feedback of which laminator to purchase. Looking for higher quality machine. Hot or cold? What bells and whistles might we need? Should I get a 64" or 54"? Grimco sells GFP, Seal and RS. I see positive feedback on Feedback on Kala Mistral machines and I am not familiar. Feedback please!!!

Oren

 

[WYLDGFI]

64 inch laminator is way to go. Seal is decent....Kala is ok. QMLS in CT sells other models as well. Depending on your budget you can spend 20k just for the laminator or just under 10k for something to start with. Grimco is a good company to deal with & takes care of their clients. IMO anyway.

 

[Reveal1]

Definitely 64" if you ever plan to laminate 60" prints. We do wraps and 5ft sign faces so do so regularly.

 

[OhioSigns]

I just bought a Kala Mistral 1650 a few months back. So far I really like it but I was coming from a cheap Enduralam (Chinese) made laminator that I had used for the last 10+ years. The Kala is a huge improvement. It tracks straight and the heat assist is awesome to reduce silvering. The only thing I don't like is that it has so many safety features that will trip occasionally. I need to take a look at the wiring and try to do some bypasses as others have done keep it from tripping. I have heard others that said it doesn't laminate rigid substrates very well but so far it has worked fine for me on coro, ACM, polycarbonate, PVC and aluminum. Eventually I would like to get a flatbed applicator to do short runs and rigid substrates and just use the Kala for longer runs and roll to roll.

 

[MikePro]

Have had my seal 54 base for ~10years, and zero complaints. Whichever laminator you choose, get one with a heat assist to reduce any potential silvering.

only service I've had to do on the machine was re-wire the foot pedal cable, as it had pulled out of its internally-soldered connection after years of yanking it around and moving the laminator in/out of the shop/office for mounting prints to boards.

If I were to upgrade it at this point would be for the newer generation Seal that has the take-up roll for your laminated print.

 

[Reveal1]

+1 on the Seal Base - ours is the 64" and zero problems since 2011.

 

[thomlov]

I got two seal’s and a royal sovereign and when i needed a fourth laminator last fall i tried to get a seal, but wasnt able to find a dealer here. So i bought a Kala Mistral 1650 instead.

The Kala is good, but the Seals are sturdier, faster to thread, and easier to work with since it doesnt have the top bar. Its also easier to work with if you laminate to a table, since everything easily can be reached from the front.

So Seal all the way, its going to last you decades.

 

[bannertime]

Interesting seeing all the comments about Kala; for awhile it sounded like they were best machines around.

 

[greysquirrel]

GFP can’t be beat for the price.

 

[Supremedecalz]

Have had my seal 54 base for ~10years, and zero complaints. Whichever laminator you choose, get one with a heat assist to reduce any potential silvering.

only service I've had to do on the machine was re-wire the foot pedal cable, as it had pulled out of its internally-soldered connection after years of yanking it around and moving the laminator in/out of the shop/office for mounting prints to boards.

If I were to upgrade it at this point would be for the newer generation Seal that has the take-up roll for your laminated print.

Hey guys can anyone explain to me what makes the nip rollers rotate on the seal laminators. This is the left side panel does everything look normal

 

[netsol]

my seal has been in storage unit for a couple years
if the chain is rotating, see if the shafts are as well
a bearing can be frozen, a set screw can be loose or missing, a woodruff key can be broken

 

[Supremedecalz]

my seal has been in storage unit for a couple years
if the chain is rotating, see if the shafts are as well
a bearing can be frozen, a set screw can be loose or missing, a woodruff key can be broken

I checked that, everything is rotating when i hit the foot pedal or forward and reverse on the panel. So i guess the control functions work. The heat works as well. *There are no sprocket or chain attached to the nip rollers. Does the media make the nip rollers rotate from the unwind reel? I’m So lost here. Hey I’ll pay you $40 to open up your side panels and take pictures i want to compare and see if my machine has something missing. Let me know if you have $Cashapp or vemmo.

 

[MikePro]

 

[MikePro]

thread piracy, but i'll abide. only the bottom roller rotates via motor, nip pressure rotates the system.

 

[funnyb0nz]

my seal has been in storage unit for a couple years
if the chain is rotating, see if the shafts are as well
a bearing can be frozen, a set screw can be loose or missing, a woodruff key can be broken

Why in storage? Looking to get rid of it if no issues?

 

[karst41]

Hey guys can anyone explain to me what makes the nip rollers rotate on the seal laminators. This is the left side panel does everything look normal

The NIP is set from the top roll. The lower roll is chain driven and turns the top roller. NiP correction is set on the top nuts in your photo. use a sheet of paper at both ends of the roller to determine equal Nip at each side. You should run a full roll with no drift

 

[rjssigns]

Another laminator to consider is a Mimaki. Not sure if they're a rebrand but the one in the lab at school has been a solid performer.

 

[Behrmon]

Have the Seal Base 64 (10 years old now) and the Kala (little over a year). Seal may be built a little sturdier but prefer the Kala all day for true tracking, included take up, storage bars, and just not having to babysit it. servicing the Seal for us is problematic to say the least.

 

[CalverleyDesign]

I purchased a HP 560 Latex printer. I posted a thread a few months ago and wanted to re-post to get more feedback and opinion. We are primarily an electrical sign company but we need digital prints from time to time and because of the out gassing of solvent printers we chose the latex printer. We purchased from Grimco and wanted some feedback of which laminator to purchase. Looking for higher quality machine. Hot or cold? What bells and whistles might we need? Should I get a 64" or 54"? Grimco sells GFP, Seal and RS. I see positive feedback on Feedback on Kala Mistral machines and I am not familiar. Feedback please!!!

Oren

So good timing - if you are interested - I have a Kala Arkane 65” Laminator that is used but in excellent condition and just posted it for sale yesterday - new it was $12,750 - am selling for $8250 OBO - Trace - 214.726.5787 - Text if interested

I have another we use everyday - best laminator on market - having had GBC and Seal both - it’s just allot easier

 

[karst41]

Another laminator to consider is a Mimaki. Not sure if they're a rebrand but the one in the lab at school has been a solid performer.

The Mimaki is made by GBC, and sell for under $6000. There was one of these on ebay with a starting bid of $3200. Nobody bid. My contacts at Circle R can not answer even the most basic question on these laminators.