Laminating Info

A pouch laminator uses a lamination pouch that is sealed at one end. This is the leading end which is fed first into the laminator. Inside the lamination pouch is coated with a resin adhesive which when heated as it runs through the laminator bonds and encapsulates the product being laminated. The pouch containing the product is passed through a set of heated rollers and pressure rollers; or in the case of hot shoe laminating the product is passed over a heating element then through pressure rollers to encapsulate the product.

Pouch laminators are available in 4 roller or 6 roller models. The 4 roller models and 6 roll heat shoe pouch laminators are designed for moderate use in the office or home. Generally 6 hot roll pouch laminators are used in commercial or high volume applications as they are faster and give a better finish. For continuous, large volume and wide format lamination projects such as maps or posters, a roll laminator performs more efficiently.

Pouches can be purchased in different thicknesses known as micrometres (referred to as MIC). Pouch thickness range from 38 MIC to 250 MIC pouches. Cheaper laminators will only laminate up to 100MIC and better manufactured laminator will laminate up to 250MIC.