usi CRL 40 User manual

Provided By
http://www.MyBinding.com
http://www.MyBindingBlog.com
USI CRL 40
Laminator
Instruction Manual

CONTENTS
Section Page
1 Introduction 2
2 Machine specifications 3
3 Installation 3
4 Controls and Component 4
5 Principles of the lamination process 6
6 Warm Up (Without film loaded) 7
7 Loading laminating film 8
8 Warm Up (With film loaded) 16
9 Laminating 17
Coldspots
Curl
Feeding Technique
Side by Side laminating
Thick items
Fancontrol
Temperature settings
Closing down
Film Removal
Preventing Wrap Around
10Cleaning 23
11 Manufacturers Recommendations 24
Film Types
Film Gauges
Volumes
Stock Weights
12 Laminating Tips 25
De-curling
Join Splices
13 Fault Finding 26
Poor film adhesion
LaminateCurl
Lack of edge seal down
Creasing
Longitudinal creasing of film
Film sweating
Film shrinkage
Undulations in laminate
Film wrapped around rollers
Film squeal

2
1. INTRODUCTION
We at Pacific Laminations want to take this opportunity to thank you for selecting the CRL40 laminator and
to assure you of our continuing support.
Do not hesitate to contact Pacific Laminations or your distributor for any technical support, problem solving
or general laminating advice.
The CRL40 is designed to thermally laminate graphic materials in written, printed, copied, photographic or
drawn form. The machines have been designed to produce high quality lamination with a minimum level of
skill and machine control.
To ensure that you receive optimum results from your laminator and to prolong its working life please follow
the installation, operation and maintenance instructions in this manual. Read the manual thoroughly before
using the laminator.
Please fill out the machine warranty form at the back of the manual and return it to U.S.I. INC.

3
2. MACHINE SPECIFICATIONS
The following chart gives the specifications of the CRL40 model.
CRL40
Max film width 40"
Speed Variable 0 - 13ft/min
Depth 24"
Length 50"
Height 15"
Net weight 154lb
Power Consumption 3000 w
Power supply 220/240 v 50/60Hz
Speed Adjustable
Nip Pressure Factory set
Heat setting Adjustable
Max. film lengths
Film gauges 1.5mil to 5mil
Maximum thickness 1/8"
3. INSTALLATION
3.1 Positioning
The laminator should be positioned on an unobstructed level surface with access to all sides, particularly at
the rear of the machine for the operator to clear the laminated web exiting the machine.
The laminating process uses heat and it is important that the machine is placed in climatically stable area that
is not excessively cold. Do not position the laminator in the direct path of airconditioners, cooling fans, open
doors or similar areas subject to temperature fluctuations.

4
4. CONTROLS AND COMPONENTS
It is very important to familiarise yourself with the controls of your LAMINATOR before you begin
laminating.
The following illustration will help:
4.1 Legend
1 Top film mandrel brake adjustment (Film tensioning)
2 Core grippers (obscured by top roll of film)
3 Upper film Mandrel shaft
4 Upper idler bar (obscured by top heat shoe)
5 Power light red
6. Speed control
7 Fan switch
8 Bottom film mandrel brake adjustment (film tensioning)
9 Lower idler bar (moveable easy load mechanism) (obscured by lower roll of film)
10 Lower film mandrel shaft
11 Temperature Controller
12 Thermostat light (red)
13 Reverse/Off/Forward Control
14 Main power switch (on rear of right hand consol)
15 Cooling fans (obscured by top heat shoe)

5

6
5. PRINCIPLES OF THE LAMINATION PROCESS
The lamination process uses a specialised laminating film consisting of a heat stable base film (polyester)
coated with an adhesive co-polymer resin. Whilst dry to touch at room temperatures, at approx 250oF the
resin softens into a very aggressive contact adhesive. Two webs of the coated film are drawn over a
matching pair of hot surfaces (heat shoes) to heat activate the resin. They are passed between two heated
rubber rollers under pressure to form a hot sticky sandwich of film. Two pull rollers stretch the film flat
while it is being cooled by fans. Articles are fed between the two film layers as they enter the laminating nip
and are encapsulated between the two film webs.
Under heat and pressure the two adhesive film layers impregnate the article's surface with molten adhesive
providing a long lasting flexible airtight seal. The cooled adhesive film forms part of the strength of the
laminate.
The key points affecting the quality of a lamination are the quality of the laminating film used, the heat shoe
design and the quality and temperature of the heated rubber nip rollers.
Fig 5.1 THE PROCESS

7
6. WARM-UP (Without film)
(Refer to page 15 for warm up with film loaded).
(a) Connect machine to a single phase power source.
(b) Check that the Forward/Reverse control is in the OFF position.
(c) Switch 'ON' main power switch.
(d) The red "power" light should glow.
(e) Dial the thermostat (heater) knob to 270oF.
(f) Providing there is no excessive adhesive residue on the roller (see i below) the rollers may be
rotated after 10 minutes warm-up.
(g) To ensure elimination of cold spot (refer page 16) the rollers should be allowed to rotate for a
further 10 minutes.
(h) Reduce the temperature to 250° - 270°F, the normal laminating temperature.
The machine is now ready to load film
Full warm-up time usually takes 20-25 minutes depending on the climatic conditions. While the heat shoes
may reach operating temperature quite quickly (indicated by red light) good lamination requires evenly
heated rubber surfaces on the nip rollers and these take longer to warm-up. Patience and good roller rotation
will ensure an even heat soak of the rollers giving optimum laminating results.
In normal circumstances temperature setpoint is all that will need to be changed.

8
7. LOADING LAMFILM
The first steps in this process are to remove the remnants of the old roll of film (See Section 9.9, Page 18)
and if necessary, to clean the nip rollers (See Section 10.1, Page 22). Also see page 8a for USI colour code.
(Note: Stickers already on the machine)
7.1 The laminating film has a dull side and a shiny side. The dull side is the adhesive and extreme care
must be taken not to lay this side against the heat shoes or a lengthy cleaning process will be
required.
7.2 When loading laminating film with dull side out. Film should come off the top of the roll.
7.3 Check your roll of film for the occasional splice. While unusual they are unavoidable and if you
find one, place that roll on the top position (see Section 12.2, Page 24). Slide your roll of film onto
the supply mandrel. As it is rotated, the roll should lock. The film position on the top mandrel
should unroll from top towards the operator. The film on the bottom mandrel should unroll from
top away from the operator.
7.4 Remove the feed table to facilitate film loading.
7.5 Release the tension control on top and bottom mandrels so as the film unwinds freely. Position the
mandrels loaded with film in the mandrel supports.
7.6 Pull the film from the top mandrel and thread it under the top idler bar, draping the web over the
front of the top heater bar. It is a good habit to fold back 25 mm (1 inch) of the film onto itself
(adhesive to adhesive) at this point, to ensure the film does not curl back towards the heat and touch
or stick to the heat shoe. (See Fig 7.1).
CAUTION :
An excessive fold-back of more than 50 mm (2 inches) could foul during threading.
Fig 7.1 POSITIONING TOP WEB

9

10

11
7.7 The bottom idler bar should be in the "load" position i.e. nearest the roll of film. Thread the bottom
film web under the bottom idler bar and, pulling it towards you, align it with the top film web and
place it against the top film surface, which should now be tacky so that they bond together. (See Fig
7.2).
Fig 7.2 POSITIONING BOTTOM WEB
HINT :
Having threaded the bottom film web, hold it away from the top web. Visually align the two webs,
adjusting the bottom web by small sideways movements until you are satisfied it is as accurate as
you can achieve. (See Fig.7.3).
Fig 7.3 ALIGNING FILM
If the webs are not accurately aligned, the exposed adhesive will build up on the roller unnecessarily
and require more regular cleaning.

12
7.8 It is essential that the bottom (moveable) idler bar is locked into the run position. With both hands
on each end of the idler bar push it gently towards the back of the machine until it locks into place.
7.9 Replace feed table and place feed plate in position. (See Fig.7.4)
Fig 7.4 POSITIONING FEED PLATE
7.10 Select "Forward".
7.11 Place metal feed plate onto feed tray and push it against the film webs and between the front nip
rollers. After an initial resistance, the rollers should carry the plate through the machine and clear
the rear back rollers. Ensure it clears the back rollers cleanly, cut it from the film web and remove
the film from the feed tray.
7.12 There can be a tendency, especially for thinner gauge films or with imbalanced tensions, for the
finished laminate web to back up as it exits the laminator to a degree that it is grabbed by the
revolving back rollers and becomes wrapped around them. To minimise the occurrence of wrap-
around make sure the laminated web can't double back into the back rollers by pulling it away as it
emerges. To STOP the motor, switch to STOP position.
7.13 Assess the operation. Satisfy yourself that the film webs have not fouled during thread-through.
(See Section 9.1, Wrap-arounds, Page 21). Re-start the forward movement and gradually tighten the
brake control on the film mandrels (clockwise). Only enough brake is required to ensure that the
web of film smooths out and lays flat on the second half of the heat shoes during lamination, the first
half of the heat shoe should normally have wrinkling or tunnels evident. (See Figs 7.5, 7.6, 7.7). It
is always good practice to operate with the minimum film tension required to flatten the film. Top
and bottom film tension must be even. An imbalance between top and bottom film tensions will
result in curl in the final laminate. Upwards curl (as it exits the rear pull rollers) indicates too much
tension on the top film roll and vice versa with downwards curl (See Section 9.2, Page 16).
Excessive overall tension can result in narrowing of the film (See Section 14.7, Page 29).

13
Fig 7.5 UNTENSIONED FILM
Fig 7.6 TENSIONING FILM

14
Fig 7.7 CORRECTLY TENSIONED FILM
CAUTION :
Do not over-compensate when turning the brake knob. Allow the film to find its natural drag/path.
This could take 3 feet through the machine, depending on the accuracy of your original alignment,
etc.
7.14 Turn the fans on, you are now ready to Laminate.
Testing the Lamination
Before feeding through work for the first time, it is advisable to test laminate a piece of waste
paper/card, preferably black which shows faults more clearly. Lightly cut a cross in the film and try
and peel the film. If it does not peel cleanly it is a good lamination.
By cutting the laminated plastic that is now hanging from the back of the machine, you can judge if
you have too much curl, caused by excessive or imbalanced brake tension (as explained in Section
7.13).

15
7.15 Film Loading Checklist
After understanding all the detailed information on the film loading procedure we have detailed
below an abbreviated check list of the sequence of events. Only use this after you have thoroughly
read and understood the detailed procedures.
Remove remnant film
Clean nip rollers
Release brakes
Remove feed tray
Load top film roll
Thread under top idler bar
Lay on heat shoe with 1" fold back
Place bottom idler bar in "load" position
Load bottom film roll
Check alignment with top roll
Thread under idler bar and lay on the top film web
Push idler bar into "run" position
Replace feed tray
Start machine and push feed plate into nip
Ensure feed plate and film exits the machine cleanly
Stop machine and cut off feed plate
Remove feed tray
Start machine and tension top and bottom film webs
Check for balanced tensions (curl)
Check film alignment
Replace feed tray
Do a test laminate

16
8. WARM-UP WITH LAMFILM ALREADY LOADED
8.1 The normal method of warming up the machine will be with film loaded.
(a) Check that the "Forward/Reverse" knob is in the stop position.
(b) Turn on the main switch key (red power light should glow).
(c) Dial the thermostat (heater) knob to the warm up temperature of 270oF.
(d) Wait at least 15 minutes.
(e) Switch to "forward" and rotate rollers approximately one half turn.
(f) Leave for another 10-15 minutes. This is to allow the rollers to heat evenly around their
circumference and prevent cold spots.
(g) Reduce to the operating temperature of 250° - 270°F and commence laminating.
(h) Check that the machine is warmed up with a test laminate (preferably a dark colour).
A quick way to shorten the warm-up period and to eliminate cold spots is to run the
machine with just the film webs passing through the machine. The passage of hot
film accelerates the heating of the laminating rollers. While not recommended due to the
loss of expensive film it may be useful in urgent situations.
CAUTION :
Good quality lamination can only be achieved by thorough and even heating of the
rubber nip rollers. This requires plenty of warm-up time to ensure an even heat soak into the
rubber. Trying to rush the warm-up process will jeopardise both the adhesion and appearance of the
final product.
In the winter or cold areas it is important to ensure the room is at normal working
temperatures and the work you want to laminate is not too cold - This will ensure your
laminating is well stuck.

17
9. LAMINATING
9.1 Cold Spots
Good laminating film resins activate at around 212oF and to produce adequate bond, they need to be
laminated with hot nip rollers. The rubber nip rollers are heated by exposure to radiant heat from the
surrounding heat shoes. As the nip rollers gather less heat in their area of contact with each other,
roller rotation during the warm-up process is essential to ensure even heating. After the initial
warm-up a colder spot may be present at this point where the laminating rollers touch. This is
because the rubber rollers insulate themselves from the heat source at this contact point (See Fig
9.1). Symptoms of a cold spot are a thin, milky horizontal line repeating regularly on the laminated
item. The cold spot on the laminating rollers has insufficient heat to provide the same level of
adhesion as the hotter areas of the laminating rollers.
Fig 9.1 COLD SPOTS
Cold spots are usually a result of laminating before the full warm-up period procedure is finished.
To overcome cold spots allow a longer warm-up time and rotate the rollers more frequently.
A quick way to shorten the warm-up period and to eliminate cold spots is to run the machine with
just the film webs passing through the machine. The passage of hot film accelerates the heating of
the laminating rollers. While not recommended due to the loss of expensive film it may be useful in
urgent situations.
9.2 Curl
An imbalance in roll brake tensions is the cause of laminate curl. The solution is to identify which
roll of film has the higher brake tension. Cut a 200 mm strip of laminated film of the back of the
machine, and by holding it in a vertical position will clearly indicate even the slightest curl.
Upwards curl (as it exits the laminator) indicates higher tension on the top film roll, downwards curl
indicates higher tension on the bottom position.
To overcome the curl adjust the film tensions. Always try to release the brake on the film position
with the higher tension, providing the film passing over the second half of the heat shoe can be kept
wrinkle free. Alternatively slightly increase the tension on the other roll of film.
While most laminated items are generally flat the inherent tensions within film will not always allow
a perfectly flat result.

18
9.3 Feeding Techniques
Ensure the article to be laminated is flat and free of curl or creases (See Section 12.1, De-curling,
Page 24). Lay the article flat on the feed table and with your fingers slightly stretch it to the sides to
flatten out any creases or curl on the leading edge. Move the article towards the laminating nip at
approximately the same speed at which the film is passing over the heat shoes - not any faster.
Forcing the items into the laminator results in insufficient heat on the leading edge of the item and
may result in poor lamination of the front edge, especially the front corners (See Sections 14.4, Page
28).
Once the nip "catches" the item it will be drawn forward by the rollers. Retain a slight outward and
firm backward pressure on each edge of the item to avoid any creasing. Large lightweight posters
may require substantial pressure. Hold the item for as long as possible to prevent the trailing edge
from buckling.
Fig 9.2 CORRECT FEEDING TECHNIQUE
CAUTION :
Always keep your fingers clear of the laminating nip, ensure that no loose clothing e.g. ties
come close to the laminating nip.
9.4 Side By Side Lamination
When wide lamfilm is loaded you may wish to laminate items side by side. Very useful for small
numbers of odd sized items. This is not a recommended practice as it is wasteful of expensive film.
The best utilisation of film will always be achieved by using narrower film and feeding items
accurately one up. One up feeding substantially reduces the time taken in trimming.
Should you choose to run two up it may often be difficult to achieve a satisfactory side seal between
the two items. Thicker items in particular will not seal in the middle area as the laminating rollers
are unable to exert sufficient down-pressure between the two items. The limitation of the machine
must be considered and it is sometimes necessary to change to a small film width and run the items
one across.

19
9.5 Thick Stock
Your laminator is designed to laminate items up to 1/8" in thickness, processing any item heavier
than this may damage the gearbox (and void your warranty).
The thickness of the item to be laminated has a major effect on the integrity of the bond. Thicker
items soak up essential temperature from the laminating nip and if the nip is not thoroughly heated
will affect the bond strength.
Always laminate some thinner items before starting on thicker items. In severe situations (winter
temperatures) try to warm the items to be laminated with a fan heater.
Edge seals are difficult to achieve on thicker items as the nip rollers are unable to achieve sufficient
down pressure around the edges. Presentation to the client "cut clean" to the edge is accepted as
normal. Learn to identify the weight of stock where edge seal is not practical so that it can be
discussed with your client before laminating.
9.6 Fan Control
The fans provide cooling to allow the hot resin to "set" before exiting the machine and avoiding
waves when using "soft" gauge films (this can become more pronounced on continuous run
quantities).
9.7 Temperature Settings
Your laminator should be set at 270oF during the warm up process to accelerate heat absorption by
the nip rollers.
ONCE WARMED UP THE NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE IS 250oF
This is the recommended laminating temperature for all 76 micron film.
Do not increase heat excessively (i.e. beyond 270ºF) or it may produce a rippled surface or
bubbling as moisture is released from the paper substrate that is being laminated.
You will only ever need to raise the laminating temperature when laminating 38 micron film (See
11.2, Film Gauges, Page 23).
CAUTION :
Do not run your laminator at 280ºF or above. You run the risk of degrading the laminating rollers.
They will harden and crack with prolonged exposure to high laminating temperatures. They are very
expensive to replace.
9.8 Closing Down
Laminating film may be left in the machine until next required.
(a) Switch to "STOP".
(b) Turn off mains.
It is a good practice to occasionally remove film when closing down to facilitate cleaning
procedures.
9.9 Film Removal
The following procedure should be used when removing film remnants when you reach the end of a
supply roll.