The laminator roller is the most important part of a laminator because it is what creates a finished product. It has many moving parts and can seize up if used for too long and pulled apart or through too many sheets of paper.
So, when the roller gets stuck, it causes the heat to be trapped inside your machine, making it unsafe. The repair procedure for unjamming your laminator roller will vary by machine, but most follow a general pattern that can be applied no matter what you do.
6 Helpful Ways to Fix a Laminator Roller
So you’ve got a broken laminator and are wondering what to do? I’ve been there, and I felt pretty hopeless. But as it turns out, it’s not really that hard to fix your failed laminator roller.
- Fire out the source of the problem
- Remove the casing
- Clean the Roller
- Adjust the pressure level
- Examine the interior
- Replace the casing
Fire out the source of the problem
Look for the source of the problem before attempting any solutions. It’s easy to spot these issues without taking the machine apart.
While using the machine, you should pay close attention to the tension and temperature of the roller. Don’t forget to maintain an appropriate speed and timing.
Remove the casing
However, sometimes the issue is not as simple to resolve as we would want; this is when we must delve deeper. Remember to switch the machine off and unplug it to avoid the motor burning out. It is recommended that you wait for the machine to cool down before attempting again.
Then, both left and right housings should be removed. Take caution not to cause any harm, particularly to the roller.
Clean the Roller
Using a clean, soft cloth, wipe the rollers clean. This cloth will benefit from a dip in either the cleaning solution included in the cleaning package or isopropyl alcohol. Wipe it gently; you don’t want to end up spending hundreds of dollars on a new roller!
Adjust the pressure level
You can modify the roller pressure by raising or lowering the pressure adjustment screws. Bear in mind that you should adjust these adjustment screws uniformly on both sides. Adjusting only one side of the pressure on the left side does not match the pressure on the right.
Examine the interior
Conduct a visual inspection of the screws and pulleys and re-tighten loose ones. Screws and pulleys may also be blamed for the laminator roller failing to operate properly.
If the roller and motor continue to spin irregularly, remove the side panel and locate the pulley base, which contains the pulleys and screws. Continue to attempt to tighten them.
Replace the casing
After identifying and resolving any potential issues, finishing all of the preceding processes, and reassembling the dismantled components, always proceed cautiously to prevent causing unneeded complications.
Remember to reconnect it and run it again to determine if the laminator roller’s issues have been resolved entirely and the bubbles continue to emerge.
Quick Troubleshooting Tips for Fixing My Roll Laminator?
If you own a roll laminator, you know how effective it is at laminating signs, banners, presentation covers, visual aids, and documents. There is, however, nothing more aggravating than attempting to troubleshoot laminated document issues. Perhaps your laminate is foggy (silvered), wavy, contains air bubbles, is curled, or contains small unlaminated areas. Each of these issues has a unique aetiology. However, the following are some points to consider when troubleshooting your laminator.
- Speed
If the pace is too fast, insufficient heat is delivered, and the documents become silvered. If the pace is too slow, too much heat is conveyed, and your documents get wavy. At the end of the day, you’ll need to strike a balance between heat and speed. If your laminator lacks a heat setting, you must manually adjust the speed. Similarly, if no speed setting is available, you will need to increase the heat. If you have both, you can experiment with the settings to discover the optimal setting for the type of paper you’re laminating.
- Heat
If there is excessive heat, the laminate will become wavy. If you do not have enough heat or if the heat is inconsistent, your document will develop silvering or cloudiness. If this occurs, you will need to compensate by increasing or decreasing the heat. Additionally, you may need to allow sufficient time for your laminator to recover heat after a lengthy laminating run since the rollers’ temperature will decrease as heat is transmitted to your documents.
- Dust
Dust particles on your documents and photographs might give your laminated documents a speckled appearance. You must first clean the area before running your prints to correct this. A unique tool called a PCR roller is made specifically for this function. A PCR roller effectively removes dust from printed output without affecting the print surface.
- Tension
The tension is a little more difficult to manage on a roll laminator. The tension setting controls the amount of stretch applied to the laminate when it exits the laminator. Generally, you should avoid tampering with your laminator’s tension settings. However, suppose you observe that your laminated output has an excessive amount of curling, cupping, or air bubbles. In that case, you may need to adjust the tension. Simply keep in mind that if you are running the same sort of film on both sides, the tension on both rollers should always be the same.
- Accumulation of Adhesive
If you notice that little dots or areas of your laminated output are not laminating properly, you should inspect your rollers. Damaged, broken, or adhesive-coated rollers may not transfer heat evenly. An unlaminated patch will occur every time the roller comes into contact with the laminate and there is adhesive buildup or a gouge in the roller. The only method to resolve this issue is to clean or replace your laminator’s rollers.
Side Effects Associated With Laminator Roller
When utilizing a laminator roller, bubbles are a common concern. Here are the top four most common causes of bubbles.
- Heat
If an inkjet printer prints too much ink, the operator rushes to laminate the picture before it has completely dried. For long periods, if the laminating machine is not moving the roll, different sections of the roll may have varying temperatures.
This creates “heatspots” because of the varying temperatures. While running at 85 degrees, the laminator roller can become a “heatspot” with temperatures as high as 95 degrees. The ink in a moist inkjet print can readily bleed, boil, and produce bubbles when it comes into contact with one of these hotspots.
- Tension
Insufficient roll tension might lead to bubbles. Insufficient tension might result in air bubbles if there is trapped air between the film and the image. The film will wrinkle if the feed roller tension is too low, causing bubbles to form.
- Speed
Air bubbles can form if the item is pressed quicker than the laminator roller into the nib.
- Silvering
Tiny air bubbles trapped in the laminate cause silvering, which appears as shiny spots on the surface. Over dark and black areas, silvering can be seen more readily than in lighter ones.
Low operating and film temperatures or not enough time for the laminator roller to heat up are the most common causes of silvering. “Cool patches” occur when the laminator roller temperature is not high enough to liquefy the adhesive, and this is caused by an improper temperature setting.