How To Use A GBC Laminator

The GBC Ultima 65 Laminator is one of the best laminators you can ever use at home or work. The quality of laminates from this machine is top-notch. It is also straightforward to operate if you follow the proper procedure.

If you have purchased a GBC Laminator or you intend to, it is ideal that you are aware of how to use and operate the machine. Things can quickly go wrong if you don’t have enough knowledge on how to operate it.

In this article, I will show you how to operate the GBC Ultima 65 Laminator and use it for your laminating needs and also answer various questions regarding the operation and maintenance of the machine.

How Do I operate The GBC Ultima 65 Laminator?

After purchasing the product, you don’t need to go ahead to start using it. You have to do some installations to ensure it is ready to start laminating. For guides on setting up and installing the GBC Laminator, kindly refer to the user’s manual that comes with the product.

Also, you should check the manual to see the various features of the laminator and get conversant with them before proceeding with the installation.

How To Load The Film of the GBC Ultima 65 Laminator

Before you can use any laminator, you must load the film first. Here, I will describe the Film Loading procedure for the GBC Laminator. Please note that Film Loading is way more accessible when the machine is in a Ready State or warming up.

1. Lift the Safety shield and lower the feed table. You can do this by pushing down on table latches.
2. If you want to reload the film, cut the excess top and bottom film webs between the idler bars and the supply rolls.
3. The next step is to remove the old rolls of the film; you can do this by raising the four-film levers on the film saddles.
4. Install the new film rolls correctly.
5. Close the four-film holder levers on the film saddles.
6. Thread the film. Film threading involves four procedures, including; Unwind the top, and bottom film rolls so there can be enough slack for threading. Drape the Lower supply roll over the top idler bar to create enough space to close the feed table. Drape the film from the Upper roll over the film from the Lower roll. Make sure that the top and bottom film edges are correctly aligned.
7. Next, close the heat shield and the feed table. Then turn the top roller an extra ¼ turn to create slack in the film of the top roller.
8. Push the film into the NIP of the Heat rollers with the film threading card that comes with the film. Keep doing this while the Forward button is hit in the next step.
9. Use the Slow Forward button and hold a little while watching the film thread through the Heat & Pull rollers.
10. Watch the film exiting the back of the laminator.

Operation

After doing the necessary installations and loading the film of the GBC Ultima 65 Laminator, you can start using it. Follow this procedure to begin with, your GBC Laminator;

1. Plug the laminator into a socket with the fuse that comes with it. Then move the Main power switch to the “ON” position.
2. Kindly ensure you have used the proper film before turning it on.
3. When the Laminator has gotten to the operating temperature, it will be displayed on the Green ready indicator on the control panel.
4. Position the item you want to laminate on the feed table. Ensure it is properly aligned.
5. Press the RUN button.
6. Slowly slide the item you want to laminate into the Heat Rollers.
7. As soon as the item you are laminating comes out of the rear of the laminator, hit the STOP button.
8. There is Rear Slitter behind the laminator. Use it to separate the laminated item/items from the film web.
9. While you are using the laminator, keep an eye on the film exit and make sure the film is not drawn back into the exit to avoid film wraps.

As you use the GBC Ultima 65 Laminator, I will advise that you mix the feeding location to give the heat rollers a longer life. If you continue feeding similar size media in the exact location, it will result in a wear spot which will affect the life span of the heat rollers.

How To Clear A Jam in the GBC Laminator

There are so many reasons why jams will occur in a laminator. One is when the laminator is not positioned to allow the film to drop freely on the floor as they exit the laminator.

When the films accumulate as they exit, it will cause the film to wrap around the roller, resulting in a jammed condition. The fundamental way of clearing a jam is to rotate the heat rollers in the opposite direction. You can do that by following this procedure;

• When you notice a jam, stop the laminator by pressing the STOP button.
• Open up the Heat Shield and the Feed table.
• You will notice film webs around the idler bars; cut the top and bottom.
• Take hold of the loose ends of the film web and slowly pull out, simultaneously pressing and holding the REVERSE button on the laminator.
• When the Heat Rollers are no longer stuck with the film, stop the laminator by letting go of the SLOW REVERSE button.
• Rethread the film using the Film Loading procedure I explained earlier in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is My GBC Laminator not turning on?

If you notice that your laminator is not turning on, it could be due to at least one of three reasons. The first could be that the Main Power switch on the back is not in the “ON” position. You can rectify this by moving the power switch to the “ON” position.

Another possible cause is that the Laminator might not be connected to a power source. You can resolve this by inserting the plug into the appropriate receptacle. Also, it could be that the plug’s fuse has been blown. You will need to reset the circuit breaker if this is the case.

Why is Machine on but will not run?

This is a pervasive question that a lot of people ask. If your GBC laminator is on, but will not run, then you should check your Heat Shield or Feed Table if they are fully closed. If they are not fully closed, the safety switch will not activate, thereby stopping the machine from working.

Why do My Rollers stop while Laminating?

There are also occurrences when the Laminator rollers stall while laminating. This can be because the media is too thick. If possible, use a thinner media in the laminator. It could also be that film is wrapped around the rollers. In this case, follow the same procedure I described earlier in clearing jams.