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Selecting the Best Pouch Laminator For Your Needs

A pouch laminator can make a дуб ламинат great addition to your home, office, school, or professional print shop, but with all of the outstanding laminating machines on the market, knowing which machine will fill your unique needs can be difficult. Below we will break down the differences between the various styles of pouch laminators to help you make an informed decision about which laminating machine to purchase.

The Basics

Nearly all pouch laminators are thermal machines, which means that they utilize heat to seal the pouch and fuse the layers together. Depending on the machine, the heat is applied by either heated plates or heated rollers. All machines utilize rollers to help ensure secure adhesion, eliminate air bubbles and move the laminated documents through the machine. Low volume machines (primarily for home use) are equipped with two rollers, mid-level laminators (for offices or schools) contain 2-6 rollers and professional laminating machines (for high volume users or copy shops) include between four and ten rollers.

Most machines offer variable temperature control to allow users to adjust the heat level based on the thickness of the laminating pouch. Many pouch laminators also include a reverse feature, which makes it easier to clear jammed or misfed documents. Other popular features include a stand-by mode (preserves power while the machine is not laminating), the ability to laminate without a carrier sheet (used to prevent adhesive from oozing out from the edges of the laminating pouch and onto the rollers), cool rollers (help to reduce curling of laminated documents), and the ability to laminate photos.

When selecting a pouch laminator, you'll need to evaluate the features that are the most important to your specific needs. If you will be producing a high volume of laminated documents, you may want to look for a machine that has a high maximum laminating speed. If you regularly use thick laminating pouches (7 mil or 10 mil), then you'll need to ensure that your selected machine can handle thick pouches. Those who only laminate IDs or badges may be content with a model that has a maximum document width of 4", while those looking to laminate signs or displays will likely want a machine that offers a larger width. Taking the time to review the features of the available pouch laminating machines will help to ensure that you get the best laminator for your purposes.

Home Pouch Laminators (for Low Volume Usage)

Pouch laminating machines for home use offer the most basic features, without many of the advanced options that are used in office or professional settings. These laminators are most commonly available in 9" and 13" widths, and can laminate 3 mil and 5 mil pouches only.