Laminating Equipment: Product Overview

You can protect documents, photo identification, and placards from dirt and fingerprints with laminating equipment. These multi-functional machines apply waterproof laminate to the surface to enhance the color and contrast of photos and graphics and prevent them from fading over time. It also helps prolong the value of the material.

Types of laminating equipment
Different forms of laminating equipment are available depending on what you need to protect: the machine needs to be large enough to properly handle your materials.

Pouch laminators are easy to use and portable. It lets you laminate materials measuring 4” to 12”. A pouch is sealed on one side and coated with heat-activated film before getting fed through the machine. It can take multiple passes to completely laminate an item.

If you’re working with heat-sensitive material such as wax-coated documents, a cold pouch laminator is pressure-sensitive equipment that applies adhesive laminate direct to the surface.

Print shops and schools rely on roll laminators to handle large volumes of material and work with lengthier materials like posters and banners. Roll laminators use dual film rolls with heat-activated glue on one side to apply the laminate to the top and bottom of the material.

For materials where you’re only concerned about the front, foliant laminators handle single-sided lamination. You feed materials manually using a conveyor loader and the machine applies a thin laminate film with a premium finish. Foilant laminators can also separate sheets that are stuck together and stack and cut materials after lamination.

What to look for in laminating equipment

Laminating equipment can be quite large so consider if you have the floor space to support larger, heavier machines or if you can get what you need from a small, tabletop model.

If the equipment uses rollers, make sure they evenly distribute heat and ensure a tight seal. Machines with as many as four rollers can produce the best quality finish.

Next, consider how long you need the laminate to protect your material. You’ll have to pay more for quality acid-free or UV film that can protect materials for a long time.

The dealer you buy the equipment from may be able to sell you replacement supplies such as lamination rolls. Find out if they can provide you with special deals as a previous customer.

If you need to attach a laminated cover to a report or information packet, or need to neatly compile documents into a book, consider book binding equipment.

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