subject: Getting Familiar With Different Types Of Laminating Machines [print this page] Lamination is the process of covering or sealing important documents like ID cards, certificates and many more. The protective coating consists of plastics which protects the document against various elemental hazards and prevents its degradation. There are a variety of laminating machines available which are designed specifically for office and corporate use. Office laminating machines are designed with the aim of providing protection against frequently used and important documents and are utilized by companies both big and small. The use of these machines can result in substantial savings as companies dont have to recopy or reprint important documents again and again.
Laminating machines are highly important for businesses that produce various passes and IDs such as tickets, backstage passes and VIP badges for various events on a regular basis. Besides offices and corporations, laminating machines are also highly beneficial to firms and small establishments such as printing shops which carry out regular printing of important documents, certificates, maps and IDs.
Lamination machines can be divided into two major categories: Hot pressing machines and cold pressing machines. The most commonly used machines are those which work on the principle of hot pressing; however, in the instances where heat sensitive documents are involved a more viable option is to use cold pressing machines. The basic differences between the two machines are highlighted below:
Cold Laminating Machines
There are instances in which the documents that require lamination are sensitive to heat, and in such cases the best option is to choose cold laminating machines. Items such as documents printed from a laser printer, faxes or photos are sensitive to heat and as such, using a hot laminating machine would entail the risk of ruining the colors and ink of the document. Unlike hot laminating machines, their cold counterparts utilize pressure in order to carry out the laminating process. These machines utilize specially designed pouches which are activated under a certain amount of pressure.
One additional benefit of cold laminating machines is that some designs dont even require any electricity, and instead require that users turn the crank attached to the machine to carry out the lamination process. These machines provide a viable alternative to hot laminating machines, however, it should be noted that their quality and durability is less than what is achieved from hot machines. Moreover, they are easy to operate and do not require any technical know-how in order to operate them. Moreover, because there arent any electrical parts involved in cold laminating machines, they require little maintenance.
Hot Laminating Machines
Hot pressing machines incorporate hot rollers into their design and utilize laminating material which comes in the form of pouches. These pouches are essentially two plastic films which are joined together from a common edge. The process of lamination requires the items to be placed in an appropriately sized pouch after which they are placed into a carrier made out of cardboard. The cardboard carrier is akin to a file folder and is designed to prevent direct contact between the pouch and the hot rollers.
