What Is Cold Laminating

Cold laminators sometimes known as pressure sensitive laminators use pressure to seal the pieces of plastic film around the item.

What is cold laminating.

Cold laminators range from simple two roller hand crank machines up to large and complex motor driven machines with high precision rollers adjustable roller pressure and other advanced features. The downside to hot laminators is that some items for example some photographs can not handle the heat required to apply the lamination. The size of your materials will play a part because you ll need a roll laminator to process large items such as posters. Cold lamination on the hand uses pressured adhesive to get the job done without heating.

So going with the cold machine could end up costing you a bit more in the long run. Lamination is the technique process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers so that the composite material achieves improved strength stability sound insulation appearance or other properties from the use of the differing materials such as plastic a laminate is a permanently assembled object created using heat pressure welding or gluing. Some laminators only have thermal technology and use heat to seal the laminating film and documents together. Hot lamination is the most common and durable lamination method and is generally preferred over cold lamination.

However laminators even for the cold process deliver the best quality. If cold laminating is all you do use self adhesive laminating sheets without a laminating machine. Hot laminators use a heat activated adhesive that is heated as it passes through the laminator. Both methods deliver results so depending on your needs you may want to get one that can fit your home or office well.

If speed is a factor the ideal laminator for you will be one that warms up quickly and can laminate more inches per minute. Something you absolutely must think about before getting a laminator is what you plan on laminating. Others also have cold laminating capabilities meaning the film and documents are pressed together. The plastic film used with a cold laminator already has.

Hot laminators use heat to melt the adhesive backing on the pieces of plastic film this bonds the plastic film around the item you are laminating to completely seal the item. A laminating machine distributes even pressure when laminating documents which is where the cold setting on your machine comes in handy. A large percentage of cold laminate for use in the print industry is pvc although a wide range of other materials are available. Hot laminating is the most common temperature usage as it provides the greatest durability and clarity.

Cold laminating films have a more aggressive adhesive that can be applied with pressure instead of heat. Low melt films have heat activated adhesives that can applied at 185 to 195 degrees. Cold laminating is sometimes used for sensitive documents such as photos. Heat assist films have pressure sensitive adhesives psas and liners and are applied with hot roll laminators at 185 to 195 degrees.