Pouch laminated menus lifting

[emcpherson]

Recently (1 month ago) I laminated about 50 11x17" menus using a pouch laminator. we used 80 lb cover weight stock with low toner coverage and 3 mil laminate pouches with 1/8" lip. Run at low speed at 120 degrees celcius. The menus have already begun to split and lift on the lip edges, especially at the corners. Adhesion to the paper itself is still adequate.

On completion, there were no noticeable bubbles or warping on the sheets, they all appeared to lay flat. An "x" test on the paper was also performed and there were no issues noted. Slowed the machine down slightly also, as previous run at a faster speed had a slight bubble around the edges of the stock.

1 month doesn't seem like a long enough period of time for these to already be splitting, so I'm curious if anyone else has run into this issue with pouches. They are handled frequently, but this doesn't seem like enough time to cause lifting due to handling alone. We initially wanted to try the pouch laminator as our wide format roll laminator has a lot more waste and more production time, but if we have to replace the product, we're not saving on anything. Could it be the adhesive? Has anyone else seen this happen this quickly with pouches?

Also - we don't see this happen as quickly on either of our large format roll laminators.

 

[kslight]

I haven’t used a pouch laminator since all the digital printers quit using fuser oil…what kind of printer is this coming off of? Did you allow the print to cure / outgas before laminating (I normally allow minimum 24 hours). What’s your print / paper storage environment like humidity wise? Using good quality new lamination film?

 

[pippip]

From the op description I don't think the paper to laminate adhesion is the problem, I think it's the lip around the corners seperating. So the actual laminate to laminate.

 

[gregbatch]

Sounds like lack of pressure. Some pouch laminators are just spring loaded and don't have an adjustment. Plus, the rollers can lose flexibility over time. Are the edges crystal clear after laminating? If not, you are not getting a good bond and need more pressure.

 

[emcpherson]

Coming off a Konica Minolta Digital Copier. Offgassed for 24 hrs and humidity is between 46-50%. New laminate pouches. Problem is both edges separating then lifting from paper. Clear edges after lamination, so I agree with @gregbatch about pressure as there is no adjustment on the machine. I'm thinking leaving a larger lip may help, or possibly a thinner laminate? May a 1.5 mil?

 

[namelessentity]

I always just laminate text weight and let the laminate be what makes the piece thick. I always have issues with card stock not creating a good seal, plus it just seems superfluous.

 

[narseman]

3 mil laminate pouches with 1/8" lip. Run at low speed at 120 degrees celcius.

I'd push that temp up another 30 + deg. Because of the thicker film. Also recognize that the first couple sheets will cool the small rollers down considerably, and it take a little time for the temp to catch up. So you may have 2-3 or 5-6 that did not get the proper temperature. All LOOKS good. But...