Diamond Hard Velvet Matte™ D&K Soft Touch Issue

[WhatsInaname]

We run this material frequently, as well as the gloss superstick. We are having an issue on perfect bound books, where the soft touch is peeling away from the spine binding edge and/or hinge scores. This is NOT an issue with the gloss.

We run a 12.75" roll, at roughly 275 degrees. Speed is run pretty slow, at about 3.5 - 4 fpm (feet/minute). I'm pretty sure the temp is fine, but how about speed? Anything else I am missing? We are only laminating one side, and 1.2mil thickness.

Print is pretty much standard. Gloss cover or text weight, and printed with a Xerox Versant 180.

 

[J_DVRS]

I had a similar problem a few years ago but different machines etc. The only thing we could point to is the amount of cyan on the stock. We were applying a soft touch laminate. I use a UV coater for smaller runs, whenever I use soft touch on that I actually find it holding on to the stock better at higher speeds.

 

[cqb1988]

what about the roller pressure? we use 230f, 3 fpm, and 60psi on regular adhesive soft touch film, works fine,printer is konica or ricoh, I think 275 degrees might be high, it can distort the film too much at low speed.

 

[Stickman42]

We use the same film and Versant 80 prints. We bring the total ink coverage down to 240 when printing. Laminating at your speed and settings gives us fairly good results.

 

[WhatsInaname]

Hi all - Still having this issue with the soft touch. Running a Canon imagePRESS V800 now, but it is not limited to our printer. It is anything we run, digital or offset. I have the speed down to about 2.5 which helps, and tight rollers, but for production purposes, that's just way too slow. Same temp. Just not good results.

Running a Professional Laminating Systems, Inc., PL-1200 hp. (Model PR12) Anyone have any updates? (Hi Stickman42!)

 

[Stickman42]

Well hello to you too @WhatsInaname! How's your Horauf doing these days? You can PM me if you've got any updates.

As I wrote in another post, these are the things that got me past the same issue here:

- verifying and adjusting the laminating roll temperature
- adjusting the pressure of the lamination roll
- slow the laminating machine speed way down
- adjust the total ink coverage of the prints to 240% (not one customer has noticed or complained)

It was explained to me that the base film material in the matte film you (and I) are using is one that gets in the way of the heat the laminator roll produces from reaching the adhesive on the other side. Then, your adhesive has to get through the ink/toner on your sheets, and down into the paper fibers to get a good bond. Throw in a bend/fold at the spine and you're bound for delamination if everything isn't "good enough"