A pouch laminator can make a 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 mean
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 mis-fed 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.
Among the most popular models of home pouch laminators are
the SircleLam HQ-230 and HQ-330. Both
versions offer the following features:
- Maximum laminating speed of 9.85" per minute
- Laminates photos
- No carrier sheet required
- Adjustable temperature
- Cold setting (for use with self-adhesive "cold"
laminating pouches)
- Reverse (for releasing jams)
- Six minute warm-up time
- One-year warranty
The only difference between these two models is the maximum
width - the HQ-230 laminates documents up to 9" wide, while the HQ-330 allows
users to laminate documents up to 13" wide. If you only laminate infrequently, and do not
use pouches thicker than 5 mil, then a home pouch laminating machine may be the
perfect choice for you. If you are looking for something a bit more robust,
then read on to learn about office pouch laminators.
Office Pouch
Laminators (for Moderate Usage)
Pouch laminating machines for office use offer a greater
range of features than those designed for home use, and can handle a
medium-to-high volume of usage. These laminators are available in widths
ranging from 4" to 13.5", and can laminate pouches from 3 mil and 10
mil thick. In addition to being able to
stand up to more frequent usage than home laminators, office pouch laminators
also laminate much more quickly (in some cases, more than three times as fast
as the home machines).
Two the most popular models of office pouch laminators are
the Akiles APL-320 and the SircleLam LA-7020E. Below is a comparison of their
features:
Akiles APL-320
- Max. Laminating Speed: 24" per minute
- Carrier sheet not required when laminating 5, 7 or 10 mil
pouches
- Max. Width: 12 1/2"
- Four Rollers
- Independent Heat & Motor Switches
- Variable, Electronic Heat Control
- Heating Element: Heated Rollers
- Warm-Up Time: 3 minutes
- Cold setting
- One year warranty
SircleLam LA-7020E
- Max. Laminating Speed: 33" per minute
- No carrier sheet required (recommended when laminating 10
mil pouches)
- Max. Width: 11 13/16"
- Four Rollers
- Independent Heat & Motor Switches
- Variable, Electronic Heat Control
- Heating Element: Aluminum Heat Plates
- Warm-Up Time: 3 minutes
- Cold setting
- Five year warranty
Both of these machines are equipped to handle daily use,
however they differ in a few key areas. The Akiles APL-320 has a larger maximum
width, but a slower laminating speed than the SircleLam LA-7020E. Independent
heat and motor switches and variable, electronic heat control are included on
both laminators, but the types of heating elements differ. Depending on your requirements, either of
these machines would be a productive and beneficial addition to an office
setting. If you need a machine that is even more powerful, then read on to
learn about professional pouch laminators.
Professional Pouch
Laminators (for High Volume Usage)
Pouch laminating machines for professional settings are the
most robust machines on the market, and offer the most features. These laminators are available in widths
ranging from 4" to 44", and can laminate pouches from 3 mil and 10
mil thick (with select machines having the ability to mount and laminate
simultaneously). Professional pouch laminators also have the highest maximum
laminating speed, with some machines laminating 12' per minute. Nearly all
industrial machines come housed within metal casings for added durability.
Though already discussed in the office pouch laminators
section, the SircleLam LA-7020E is also popular in professional settings. Other well-liked professional pouch laminators
include the SpeedyLam 330R-10 from James Burn International and the Akiles
Pro-Lam Photo, which are detailed below:
SpeedyLam 330R-10
- Max. Laminating Speed: 12' per minute
- No carrier sheet required
- Max. Width: 13"
- Ten Rollers
- Independent Heat & Motor Switches
- Variable, Electronic Heat Control
- Heating Element: Six Heated Rollers
- Warm-Up Time: 5 minutes
- Cold setting
- Max. Pouch Thickness: 14 mil
Akiles Pro-Lam Photo
- Max. Laminating Speed: 38" per minute
- No carrier sheet required
- Max. Width: 13"
- Six Rollers
- Independent Heat & Motor Switches
- Variable, Electronic Heat Control
- Heating Element: Four Heated Rollers
- Warm-Up Time: 5 minutes
- Cold setting
- Max. Pouch Thickness: 10 mil
Both of these machines are equipped to handle high-volume,
professional use, with the primary differences relating to the number of
rollers and overall speed. The SpeedyLam
330R-10 from James Burn International laminates nearly four times as fast as
the Akiles Pro-Lam Photo and has two four additional rollers, but the Akiles
Pro-Lam Photo costs less than half of the price. Depending on your requirements and resources,
either of these machines are capable of producing a high volume of laminated
documents.
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