The 5 Most Common Issues with Laminating Machines

A well-looked after and maintained laminating machine should last for years and be a great investment. However, if the machine isn’t looked after or you don’t purchase high-quality laminating equipment from the start, you may find yourself looking at a problem.

Issues with laminating machines always happen at the worst possible time and they can take time to resolve. In the meantime, you are unable to produce the laminates you need and this can cost you valuable business. It’s a good idea to understand the 5 most common issues with laminating machines and what you can do about them. It will make life much easier!

• Film Doesn’t Stick

Potentially the most common issue is that the film doesn’t stick properly, preventing the paper from being laminated and protected. In most cases, this is because the ink is too dense! 

In effect, dense ink doesn’t bond well with plastic films and struggles to stick. The best approach is to use lighter ink but, if this isn’t an option, make sure you have chosen the right film for the job. 

• Bubbles Appear Under the Film

Bubbles under the film mean that air has got into the system. However, it isn’t usually just one thing that has caused this. Air can get in because the film is going through too fast, there isn’t enough tension on the sheet, or the ink isn’t fully dried. In fact, air can also be an issue if the rolls have hot spots that make the ink boil, effectively creating bubbles.

You’ll need to investigate each of these issues to find out which is causing the problem. Maintaining roll temperature is a good starting point, as is checking the feed speed, too fast or too slow can cause issues. 

• Wrinkled Print

Wrinkled print is often referred to as the orange peel effect. It can ruin your presentation but the good news is that there is usually a simple fix. Wrinkling appears because the temperature of the laminator is too high. 

If possible, reduce the temperature and use the correct film. You can also speed up the laminator slightly and even change the film to eliminate the issues. 

• Curly Print

Your laminated piece will naturally curl a little bit. But, if it is a lot or persistent you’ll need to adjust the tensioner on the laminator.  When the top and bottom films are the same tension the bottom will be stretched more and end up curling. Reducing the tension at one end will help, as will using the right film for your project.

• Marks On the print

Marks on the print is a simple issue that is connected to dirt having got onto the rollers. This distorts the image and can leave marks on the file. 

Marks are generally caused by glue or film/paper sticking to the roll. You’ll need to check and clean the apparatus before trying again.  It can also be beneficial to feed the print parallel to the roll.