| Every school has one. Teachers and scrap | | | | equals less electricity used and less wear. Not only |
| bookers say it is one of their favorite tools. Yet, | | | | is this good for your pocketbook, but good for |
| in these tough economic times, the laminator is | | | | the environment as well. |
| often one of the first pieces of equipment to | | | | A heated roller laminator results in much less |
| remain idle. This does not have to be so. With a | | | | waste than a heat shoe laminator. Much like inkjet |
| heated roller laminator, you can reduce your | | | | printers, a large part of the cost of laminating |
| laminating costs without sacrificing quality. | | | | does not stem from the laminator itself, but the |
| First, let me provide a quick lesson on laminators. | | | | consumable supplies used. Standard laminating film |
| Roll laminators come in a multitude of sizes, | | | | can be as expensive as $50 per roll. By minimizing |
| configurations, and costs. Laminators generally | | | | even just a few feet of waste per roll, large |
| operate in two ways. A heat shoe laminator | | | | savings can be had. A heated roller laminator |
| consists of curved pieces of coated metal that | | | | minimizes waste in two ways. First, when a heat |
| surround the laminating rollers. This metal is | | | | shoe laminator is warming up, only the portion of |
| heated up and the laminating film is pulled across | | | | the laminating rollers that are closest to the heat |
| the shoes to melt the adhesive on the laminating | | | | shoes are being heated. The back sides of the |
| film. The rollers simply provide the pressure to | | | | laminating rollers remain cool. This results in a |
| stick the film to the item you are laminating. The | | | | repeating foggy pattern on the first several prints |
| second type of laminator is a heated roller | | | | that are laminated because the cooler sides of |
| laminator. Just as it sounds, the rollers in a heated | | | | the laminating rollers lower the temperature of |
| roller laminator, which are normally made of silicon, | | | | the laminating film below the film's melt |
| are heated and thus melt the adhesive and | | | | temperature before the appropriate amount of |
| provide the pressure for laminating at the same | | | | pressure can be applied. Unless the laminator |
| time. | | | | operator rotates the rollers during warm up, the |
| So how can a heated roller laminator save you | | | | first few feet of laminating film is wasted. This is |
| money? It boils down to two factors: heat and | | | | not the case with the heated roller laminator |
| waste. Let's look at each of these in more detail. | | | | because the rollers are uniformly heated. Second, |
| In order to melt the adhesive on laminating film, | | | | the clarity of laminated prints tends to be better |
| heat must be applied. A standard 1.5 mil laminating | | | | with a heated roller laminator. The laminating film is |
| film that is commonly used in schools generally | | | | pulled across the heat shoes in a heat shoe |
| melts around 275 degrees. Now, with a heat shoe | | | | laminator. Any dust or burrs on the heat shoe can |
| laminator, there is a small gap in between the | | | | scratch the laminating film as it is pulled across the |
| heat shoe, where the heat is applied, and the | | | | heat shoes. |
| rollers, where the pressure is applied. Because no | | | | In the past, heated roller laminators have been |
| heating occurs in this gap, the laminating film cools | | | | overly expensive when compared to heat shoe |
| down in between the heat shoe and the roller. | | | | laminators. GBC manufactures a popular heated |
| This often requires the laminator to be heated to | | | | roller school laminator, however the price is much |
| a temperature much higher than 275 degrees, | | | | higher than standard heat shoe laminators. |
| using more electricity and increasing the wear on | | | | However, Banner American Products, a |
| the laminator's internal heating element. A heated | | | | California-based manufacturer, recently introduced |
| roller laminator does not require the laminator to | | | | a low-priced heated roller laminator called the |
| be heated over the operating temperature of the | | | | EasyLam School Budget. The EasyLam Budget is |
| laminating film because the film is constantly in | | | | half the price of existing heated roller laminators |
| contact with the heat source as pressure is | | | | and is manufactured in the US. Start saving today |
| applied to the item being laminated. Lower heat | | | | with a heated roller laminator. |