Laminators

An AGL 64i, being used to mount 500 linear feet of PSA prints to cardstock. (Photo courtesy of Design Manufacturing)

Finding that right piece of equipment can be the key to enhancing a shop’s capabilities, and, for many shops, a laminator is a large component.
Take, for instance, Design Manufacturing, a 20-person shop in Comstock Park, Mich. After being involved in plastic signage for several years, Design Manufacturing was ready to expand its operations, says Jackson Martin, plant department manager, and already equipped with a Zund 2500 CV router/cutter, Roland SOLJET PRO III XJ-740 roll-to-roll printer and a Gandinnovations JETi 3150 UV-curable flatbed printer, a laminator was the next logical choice. Design Manufacturing, following much research, completed its suite of signage needs with the AGL 64i laminator.

If you're in the market for a laminator, choosing the right one for your shop can be a difficult decision. With the various features and models, there is plenty to consider, but if you take the time to do your homework, some industry professionals believe the right laminator can expand your markets and improve business.

FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
Laura DeYoung, owner of LM Design, a one-person shop in Colfax, Wash., recently entered the digital printing market and decided to purchase the SEAL Base 62 laminator because of the large amount of outdoor applications she handles. This, of course, means durability is an issue, and she says a heat assist was a must-have feature for her business. With the added heat on the top roller, the lamination provides a better seal for a more protected graphic, says DeYoung.

Martin also finds laminating outdoor applications especially is important when using a UV-curable flatbed printer, and he says heat results in a higher-quality end product.
“If you don’t add a little heat to the laminate, along with the right pressure, speed and tension on the web, the print will have this graying, silver effect underneath the lamination, which you especially see in the deep blacks,” advises Martin.
In addition to the heat assist, DeYoung has found the dial-in pressure panel is a handy feature, which gives her greater control. Many laminator models, she says, only allow the user to pick a predefined pressure specification. But with the dial-in pressure feature, the user can set the precise metric. For instance, if the laminator is set on 70 percent, the user can adjust the machine to operate at 73 percent, instead of clicking up to 80 percent.

Having a laminator also can improve a shop’s workflow and cut costs. Often curling is an issue when working with laminated products, especially when the top and bottom laminates are different thicknesses. To save costs, a shop may use a 5-mil gloss on top of a roll-to-roll print and a 3-mil gloss on the back side. Whether it’s the pressure, temperature or those varying thicknesses, any of those factors can cause the print to curl, says Martin. But he has found the adjustable curl cam feature alleviates this problem.

“The adjustable curl cam, through the center of the machine, somewhat cools the print, and it also puts a slight bend in the direction you prefer,” explains Martin. “So it can assist in flattening out these prints. You don’t have to worry in the morning and think, ‘Geez, is this print going to be rolled up and wasted?’”
Even basic features should be considered and have proved to be helpful when addressing the workflow. Jim Mahnke, creative director of Great Northern Corporation, a 45-person shop in Racine, Wis., says mobility was a required feature for his GBC 1064 laminator.

“We wanted something on wheels, so we could move it to different areas, so when it’s not being used, we can push it against the wall, even though we pretty much use it every day,” says Mahnke.

WORKING WITH THE SALES PROCESS
Before calling your preferred laminator manufacturer, be sure to complete the preliminary research, as basic as it sounds. Of course, you will have questions, and the sales people are there to guide you throughout the process, but Sam Koontz, president of Fairpoint Graphics, a six-person shop in Denver, suggests you have an initial idea of your primary desired features.

For instance, a duo hot and cold laminator may be necessary for some shops, like LM Design and Design Manufacturing, but other shops will find the hot lamination option isn’t required.

“I did some pretty extensive research, and one of the criteria that I thought I needed but really didn’t was heated rollers, and that’s something that I, over the long haul, haven’t used very much,” says Koontz, who owns both a GBC Titan and SEAL 600-S laminator.

He operates a water-based printer and was under the impression that the heat lamps and laminates were less expensive for that type of printing. However, Fairpoint Graphics mainly uses pressure-sensitive laminates, which, Koontz says, do not require heat. Although Koontz acknowledges that heat can help by laying down the laminate more smoothly and quickly, he overall does not think it is essential for his type of printed graphics and advises other shops to first examine their requirements before settling on this feature.

This is a floor graphic in Design Manufacturing’s shop that is being tested with a 10-mil polycarbonate, non-skid overlaminate on PSA vinyl. At press time, this graphic had been placed for three months with no problems in the traffic area. (Photo courtesy of Design Manufacturing)

As far as research goes, Martin found YouTube.com to be a valuable, cost-effective tool. Some laminator manufacturers now are posting demos online for potential customers to view – just like the traditional live versions.

“You don’t have to go anywhere to look at it. You can watch someone operate it, and they’re educated in the features and benefits. We also can watch the video, stop it to talk about it or bring others into the room to discuss the features,” says Martin.

Mahnke, however, sees value in attending live demos, and trade shows can be a convenient way to see multiple machines from various vendors.
“Make sure you go to a show and have that hands-on demo. Bring a person or two, maybe even on different occasions, and you’ll see something different every time that person works with the machine,” says Mahnke.

He also suggests bringing some media that will be used in the laminator. Great Northern Corporation often works with corrugated plastic, which Mahnke says can be a “different animal” than other substrates. Thus, Great Northern Corporation conducted multiple tests on its GBC laminator to ensure the machine would run correctly with commonly used media.
Often laminator manufacturers visit the site during the setup process for hands-on training, and this may be a feature that shops should research during the sales process. Martin, though surprised AGL offered this service, found it useful.

“Even though I have been around laminators and been in the printing industry most of my life, it still was beneficial because it’s a brand new piece of equipment, and I can pick [the trainer’s] brain right there on the spot,” says Martin. “I can be assured he’s going to give me the right techniques. I thought that was a nice feature, a nice added deal.”

EXPANDING AND IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS
After choosing the right laminator, some shops are seeing their markets expand. For DeYoung, purchasing the SEAL Base 62 has allowed her to dip into applications that she previously could not handle.

“I have a lot of people in town who have heard we have the new laminator, and they are beginning to dream up projects that they want,” says DeYoung. “We just completed our first vehicle wrap, and I’m going to do a big banner for a local church that will be hung outside for a year. It’s definitely opened my market here in town.”

Some believe a laminator can help a shop improve business, including Koontz and Mahnke. Specifically, Koontz thinks shops that do not laminate their products are “just asking for trouble.” In the end, he says lamination helps the industry, as a whole, look better.
For example, Koontz says, “If a shop does a vehicle wrap and doesn’t laminate it, the graphics will be destroyed in a short amount of time, and then it turns off the public to getting their vehicles done.”

Mahnke thinks lamination also is about improving your business by providing a constructive service to clients. “If the product is falling apart, it’s not going to help the client at all,” states Mahnke. “So, in the grand scheme of things, I think it will give us a competitive edge and our client a value-added service. It will make us look like we know what we’re doing, from top to bottom.”