Why is my GBC Ultima 65 Laminator not working?

GBC Ultima 65 Troubleshooting Guide:

Common Lamination Problems:

• Wrinkling at the edges.
• Excessive wrinkling between two separate laminated sheets running parallel to each other.
• Air bubbles in the lamination.
• Edge of lamination not sealed.
• Warping of product after lamination.
• Cracking of the printed material after lamination.
• "Silvering" on the laminated product.
• Creasing in various areas of the laminated product.

The previous mentioned conditions are not necessarily caused by machine malfunction. The following are examples of some conditions that may influence the quality of lamination.

Media being laminated - Some prints are made using synthetic materials. This material usually exhibits waves or wrinkles when laminated with thermal films. Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) films are best suited for this application. Thickness of product plays an important part in the laminator's ability to seal at the edge. As the thickness of the material increases, the chance of achieving a sealed edge decreases. Too little or too much heat or roller pressure - Excessive heat usually causes waves or warping of the finished product. Heat problems may also appear in the form of air bubbles. "Silvering" is a condition usually caused by insufficient heat. It is mostly noticeable in dark colors. Silvering may also be noticed when laminating with PSA films, which take approximately 24 hours to cure. If the heat is at the recommended temperature for both the film and the product and bubbles, waves, or creasing are still present, this could be caused by differences in roller pressure, front to back or left to right.

Differences in film manufacturing - The preset temperatures for the GBC Eagle are set for GBC NAP-II laminating film, using 20 lb. Bond paper. GBC Eagle laminators usually will laminate a variety of different manufacturer's film. When laminating with films other than NAP-II, adjustments to the preset temperatures and speed may be necessary.

Ink and toner coverage - Wide format and color prints are made in a variety of ways. The common trend is to use alcohol based inks, called GA ink, or oil based inks, called GO ink. The GA inks usually work very well with thermal films. The GO inks are sensitive designed for vinyl substrates. Another ink type is PIEZO, which is wax based and comes in a "stick" form; it may crack if folded or rolled tightly. Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) films are great candidates for these applications. Dry toner is commonly used in most copiers and printers in today's market. Some copiers/printers use water-soluble toner, while others like XEROX use fuser oil to fix the image to the paper. Fuser oil may not allow conventional laminating film to adhere to the paper. In most cases, GBC thermal HI-TAC film solves the problems of excessive fuser oil.

ROLLER PRESSURE BY THE FOOTPRINT - A laminator's footprint can visually provide a quick assessment of roller pressure. The footprint is the impression made by the heat rollers when the film is allowed to sit idle for three minutes or longer. For best results, use 1.5mil film for this procedure. Run approximately 3 feet of clear film through the heated laminator. Wait approximately 3 minutes for the footprint to form. Run another 3 feet of film and examine the impression. The footprint should be even on both sides and slightly thicker at the center. If this is achieved, run newspaper or lightweight paper through the laminator and check for lamination quality.

Paper Pull Setup Test - This test can be performed to correct roller balance problems. The test must be performed after removing or replacing rollers.

1. Remove all laminating film from front and rear rollers.
2. Cut several 1-inch strips of regular 20lb Bond paper.
3. Gap the rollers and insert the strips starting the test with front heat rollers first. Place the strips at an equal distance, left, center, and right.
4. Apply full pressure to the rollers and lock the rollers in place.
5. Holding the strip at the end, centered, try to pull the paper out of the nip point at each area.
6. If the paper can be pulled from any of these points, additional pressure should be added to the right or left side to increase the pressure at the specific location. The center pressure is affected by adjusting the right and left sides of the rollers. A recommended one full turn should be made to the side where the paper slips.
7. Perform the same procedure for the rear rollers.

LAMINATION PERFORMANCE TEST - After adjusting the roller pressure to the previously recommended starting point, install 1.5 mil film on the laminator, set the temperature to the proper setting, and allow the heat to rise until ready. Before making any further adjustments, please check the laminated footprint again for the previously stated dimensions. If further adjustment is needed, perform the adjustment with equal full turns at the adjustment point.

Theory of Operation:

The laminator uses heat, pressure, tension and speed to continuously apply adhesive coated laminating film to both sides of sheet type materials simultaneously. Both electrical and mechanical properties of this laminator are described in this section. Electrical schematics and wiring diagrams are also provided in this section. A basic understanding of the theory of successful lamination is required for all personnel servicing the Ultima 65.

Theory of Successful Lamination

To obtain the ultimate in a successful laminate, three factors should be present:

1. The product to be laminated should be receptive to, and capable of attaining, a good bond with molten polyethylene adhesive. Most paper products can be laminated with a high degree of integrity. This is because molten polyethylene cements to individual fibers of the paper surface. The rougher the surface texture, the more fibers are exposed to adhesive and the better the bond between adhesive and product. Many substances are applied to paper products, which impair bond between fibers and the molten adhesive. Ink and other printing products affect this bond. While good adhesion occurs between molten adhesive and ink, poor adhesion may exist between ink and its parent paper. Some ink products are heat sensitive and/or lack the ability to be bonded by certain lamination processes. This may require the use of pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), NAP-LAM II, Vinyl, Premium or HI-TAC type film products. Some paper and card stocks are coated with silicones, wax or varnish, which inhibit the ability of molten polyethylene to stick tightly to individual paper fibers. In such cases, a superficial bond develops which may be adequate, depending upon intended use of the finished laminate.
   Smooth surfaces, especially photographic, metallic, and plastic, are difficult for polyethylene to bond to, since no fibers are exposed for the adhesive to contact. This may require the use of other film products to laminate correctly. Products containing moisture will not laminate well since the fluid converts to steam, forms bubbles, and impairs lamination.
2. At the moment of lamination, the product - polyethylene interface - both top and bottom, must reach the lamination film's proper operating temperature. Superficial bonds develop at lower temperatures, and the finished laminate may be adequate for its intended use. However, for proper lamination please consult the lamination guide in section 10.Thickness/color of a product bears heavily on the ultimate integrity of the bond, since the thicker/darker a product; the more heat is extracted from the heat rolls. Thicker/darker products may extract heat faster than the machine can put in, and after 20 feet or so, the interfacial temperature may drop below the critical point. Generally speaking, most card stocks whose thickness is on the order of 0.012” thick can be laminated on a continuous basis.
3. Total encapsulation of product, with a complete film-to-film border, is often recommended to prevent an otherwise successful laminate from splitting within itself. Total encapsulation of product, of course, prevents splitting from casual abuse of a corner or edge of the laminate, and obviously, moisture vapor or liquid cannot enter to weaken the laminated product.
   Flush cutting of laminated product, or even slightly into the product, yields a neat, trim appearance but renders the product sensitive to splitting at the edges and particularly at corners. The split occurs within the product and not at the adhesive product interface. Flush cutting also leaves a paper edge exposed to the atmosphere and any moisture vapor it contains. However, this may be of little consequence unless the laminate is exposed to an actual liquid, where upon the fibers within the product loosen from one another and splitting occurs.

New Ultima 65 Laminator & Lamination Rolls:

If you'd like a New Ultima 65 Laminator, or EZLoad/Standard Lamination Rolls, you can add them here. The New Ultima 65 uses EZLoad & Standard Lam Rolls. These high quality rolls are guaranteed to run perfectly in your machine.

Repair Service, New Ultima 65, Lam Rolls:

Ultima 65 Repair Service

We have local technicians all across the United States. ready to fix your Ultima 65. We service the original Ultima 65, 65-1, 65-2, and Ultima 65 EZLoad and all other models.