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what pressure should i use with my laminator?

Posted by Paul Seamer on 20 November 2007 at 21:03

Hi Guys.

I am getting quite a bit of silvering when I’m laminating. I have a cold laminater and the laminate is around 12mil thick (more like a plastic). Some guys say put the pressure on as much as possible and some say just enough to roll over laminate. Can it be better to have less pressure?

Any help greatly appreciated

Thanks

Paul

Ivan Dias-Cooke replied 18 years ago 7 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

Peter Normington

Member
20 November 2007 at 21:10

Paul,
its the norm when cold laminating, but depends on the ambient temperature how noticeable, it will go away after a day or two though.

Pressure is not really relevant

Peter
Karl Williams

Member
20 November 2007 at 21:12

Hi Paul.
I was told when I got my laminator I would get the silvering effect with it being a cold. when applied with a squeedgie most or all of this goes.

Karl.
Peter Normington

Member
20 November 2007 at 21:14

I hope its not 12 mil thick, you would need a road roller, rather than a laminator 😉

Peter
Stephen Ingham

Member
21 November 2007 at 07:53

paul what type or make of laminate is it that is so thick? what are you using it for?

cheers
stephen
Steve McAdie

Member
21 November 2007 at 09:01

Hi Paul,
When I laminate I just use the weight of the laminators roller to apply the pressure. I find that screwing the roller down to increase the pressure does not improve the silvering. Also by doing that you are increasing the load on the bearings which would increase wear & tear.

Steve
Adrian Yeo

Member
21 November 2007 at 09:09

quote Peter Normington:

I hope its not 12 mil thick, you would need a road roller, rather than a laminator 😉

Peter

Think he might mean 12thou, 1 mil = 1 thou = 0.001"

Sorry, Cant help with the laminating question though 🙁
Paul Seamer

Member
21 November 2007 at 09:55

Hi Guys. thanks for the replies. The material is 300 Microns thick. Says 12 mil on box. I have an Easy mount laminater. I have now moved the laminater into the graphics room as it was just outside in the unit (which is not getting very cold). Will see if the temperature makes a difference.

Thanks
Paul
Ivan Dias-Cooke

Member
21 November 2007 at 12:55

Oh, I can post something helpful to clarify!!

A "mil" is also known and is the same as a "thou".

It is nothing to do with millimetres, but the confusion caused to Joe Public who thought it did, means it has fallen from use in all but a few industries bar the ones concerned with film, foil, plastics etc, and of course vinyl!

1 mil is 0.001 inches or 0.0254mm.

1 micron is a millionth of a metre, or 1/10,000th of a cm, or 1/1000th of a millimeter.

Dual measurements are used on the packaging of many vinyl and similar products, so in the case above, 12 mil is (12×0.0254mm) which rounded off is 0.3mm thick, hence 300 microns.

Regards

Ivan