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What laminator and why?

Awards+

New Member
My shop is in the market for a laminator. What brand and models seem to be easy to use and durable without breaking the bank? Looking for something 54"-64". I came from a shop using a china made unit that was ok not great but I can't remember the brand.

Thanks
 

petesign

New Member
Love my royal sovereign. After suffering through the daige for a year and a half, that **** is like star trek in here.
 

Circleville Signs

New Member
Yeah - there are so many variables in play. If you are a decent sized shop, and just laminating an average amount of material (say 200sf/day or less), then a Royal Sovereign is definitely what I'd recommend.

If you are doing high volume, then you gotta go Seal pro w/heat assist and get the roll to roll option.
 

petesign

New Member
^^ Yes, I'd have gone with the SEAL 54el, but it didnt have a take up roll, that's the best feature on the RS. Set it, and let that sucker burn through 100' of prints at a time. It's all self-contained... so you dont have to let it run down the production table rolling it as you go.
 

dasnootz

New Member
After owning a RS and currently owning a Seal - I would much rather have the Seal.

Both models were 54" and I constantly had problems keeping consistant even tension across the rollers with the RS - ruining a lot of prints with creases. So far (2 months) this has not been an issue with the Seal.

The only feature I liked more with the RS was that it had a track mounted razor on the back that made it easier to cut the printed material off the roll when it was done... but the agony of watching prints get ruined and time and money wasted isn't worth that feature alone.

...oh yeah, the take up real was another feature of the RS, but to be honest I never trusted the machine to run long enough jobs (beyond 8 feet) that would really utilize it.
 

petesign

New Member
wow, i've never encountered that problem with my RS. crossing my fingers that I don't. My only beef is having to sled everything.
 

dasnootz

New Member
I had a rep show me a good way to web it and use less material.. If you send the laminate w/ liner through the roller and get good tension, you can slide something (I use the back of a pair of scissors) across the lining so that you cut the lining only and not the laminate. Then you run advance the rollers, peeling the liner back and tapr it to the reel.

I find I only need to use about 6-8" of material to be have it ready to roll.
 

Circleville Signs

New Member
wow, i've never encountered that problem with my RS. crossing my fingers that I don't. My only beef is having to sled everything.

That's because you sled everything :)

So do I. As a matter of fact, I dont' just start the sled, I always have a piece of coro running underneath the entire job.
 

Terremoto

New Member
+1 Dasnootz

I'm with Dasnootz as far as the RS is concerned - no experience with a Seal.

Ours is a real crap shoot as to whether or not it's going to destroy a job. We've had the covers off the thing trying to get the tension set and I have to say that what I've seen of the innards it's not that well made.

As for the design and engineering of the RS I would have to say that there's plenty of room for improvement.

Just my 2 cents worth but my experience with the RS hasn't been that great.

Dan
 

Awards+

New Member
I'm going to the Far From Normal show in Fargo in a few weeks and looks like the seal and rs will be there. These are the two main machines I've been considering.
 

lenwardus

New Member
I had a rep show me a good way to web it and use less material.. If you send the laminate w/ liner through the roller and get good tension, you can slide something (I use the back of a pair of scissors) across the lining so that you cut the lining only and not the laminate. Then you run advance the rollers, peeling the liner back and tapr it to the reel.

I find I only need to use about 6-8" of material to be have it ready to roll.

+1 , use a pair of tweezers, close the ends, scribe the paper, then open them and use to peel the paper back.:thumb:
 

petesign

New Member
Almost got the 54el, but space here is at a premium and it doesnt have a rear take up assembly. I dont think you could go wrong with the Seal, but our RS had that which is why we got it instead.
 

petesign

New Member
RSC-1401C, we also purchased the rear take up assembly. (you have to buy that separate.)
 
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Awards+

New Member
RSC-1401C, we also purchased the rear take up assembly. (you have to buy that separate.)

These are the two models in our range so one of these machines will be the one. I will get a chance to us both next weekend and I hope that makes the decision easier.
 
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