Laminating Problems and Solutions

Ledco Laminating FAQs
Squealing while film is advancing

Ledco Laminators FAQs

The film will wrinkle if there is too little supply roll tension. Any laminator needs a certain amount of resistance to the unwinding of the supply rolls so that the film lays flat as it goes into the nip of the laminating rollers. Turn the rolls of film (supply rolls) in the unwind direction. Is there some resistance? On a 25" machine with 3-mil film, two turns of tension on each knob should be about right. Thinner film needs less tension, thicker film needs more. Loosen both supply roll knobs until tension on the spring is released. From the point where each knob just begins to press on the spring, add the correct tension by half turns. (Four half turns equals two turns, for example.) DO NOT use too much supply roll tension. A larger laminator with 5-mil or heavier film may require 4-5 turns of tension on each knob. It's unusual to need more than 5-6 turns of tension even on bigger laminators. Remember, you are not concerned about wrinkling of the film on the shoe. You are only concerned about wrinkling you can see in the finished work.

Make sure the film path is correct for both top and bottom webs. Make sure the film is threaded around both the top and the bottom idlers. Take a look at the film threading diagram in your operators manual.

Make sure the machine is up to temperature. The film should clarify just as soon as it hits the heated areas (the two black parts we call the shoes). If the laminating and pull rollers on your machine can be opened and closed, make sure both sets of rollers are closed.

If the top looks fine, but the bottom shows lots of bubbles and wrinkles, the bottom idler is probably not threaded. Look at the threading diagram for your machine.

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