Industrial Laminating Machines
Source: https://achievement.co.za/industrial-laminating-machines
- published: 2024-08-23 11:01:11
- modified: 2024-08-23 12:13:41
What this page is
This is a short post on achievement.co.za, one of the AM.CO.ZA group's websites, pointing readers to Laminators.co.za. The original post says:
Laminators.co.za provides industrial laminating solutions, offering machines that handle hot and cold lamination, automated feeding, trimming, and more. These laminators are perfect for businesses that require efficient and reliable lamination processes. Explore the wide range of industrial laminating machines available to meet your production needs.
The rest of this page explains the machines behind that post, the Rollman range of wide-format roll laminators sold by AM.CO.ZA, using the Laminators.co.za page, the Buythis laminators guide and the product data already in this Knowledge Base.
What a roll laminator does
A roll laminator presses a clear protective film over a printed vinyl, poster or board, or mounts a print onto a rigid board. According to the product descriptions, lamination protects prints from UV light, moisture, dirt and handling, makes them last longer outdoors and gives a clean gloss or matte finish. Typical jobs are signboards, vehicle and bakkie wraps, posters, display graphics, stickers, wall and desk wraps and printed magnetic sheets. Most of these are printed first on a large format printer, so a laminator is usually bought alongside or after a printer.
Hot and cold lamination
- Cold lamination uses roller pressure only, with a self-adhesive film. It suits heat-sensitive prints and cold laminating films. All four Rollman models can laminate cold.
- Hot lamination adds heat from a heater element so that thermal films bond to the print. The RM-1520, RM-1800 and RM-1520A have a 2000 W heater; the RM-1520/L is cold only.
The product names for the RM-1520 and RM-1800 give a maximum temperature of 80°C with a default limit of 60°C, while their highlight lists mention laminating temperatures up to 50°C. Ask AM.CO.ZA support which setting suits your film.
The four Rollman laminators
| Question | RM-1520/L | RM-1520 | RM-1800 | RM-1520A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop page | RM-1520/L | RM-1520 | RM-1800 | RM-1520A |
| Lamination | Cold only | Hot and cold | Hot and cold | Hot and cold |
| Heater | None | 2000 W | 2000 W | 2000 W |
| Working width | 1520 mm | 1520 mm | 1800 mm | 1520 mm |
| Operation | Manual rolling, pneumatic roller lifter | Manual rolling, pneumatic roller lifter | Manual rolling, pneumatic roller lifter | Automatic, with built-in trimmer |
| Maximum combined board and film thickness | 20 mm | 20 mm | 20 mm | See the manual |
| Crate size and weight | 198 x 58.5 x 45.5 cm, 121.5 kg | 211 x 60 x 49 cm, 121.5 kg | 244 x 62 x 59 cm, 196.5 kg | 215 x 80 x 73 cm, 182 kg |
Shared features of the manual models, from the am.im product data: a high-density, wear-resistant rubber roller; base material (including boards such as Perspex and Corex) plus film up to 20 mm thick in total; pneumatic roller lifting at up to 8 bar; and household single-phase 220 V power, which can run from a generator through a precision AVR (automatic voltage regulator).
The RM-1520A is the automatic model for production work. Its product description says automatic operation improves consistency and productivity on larger jobs, and its videos show roll-to-roll lamination, film peeling and rolling, and the built-in trimming blade. This is the "automated feeding, trimming" the achievement.co.za post refers to.
What comes in the crate
According to the product data, each of the four laminators includes:
- A 220 V 550 W quiet, oil-free air compressor with an 8 litre tank (AG-AIR/550), which drives the pneumatic roller lifter.
- A silicone rubber squeegee for applying vinyl, film and tape (AG-SQUEEGEE).
Laminating film and print media are not included and must be bought separately.
A first lamination, step by step
- Place the laminator on a level surface with room in front and behind for the full length of the print, and connect the compressor and power.
- Let the print dry fully before laminating, especially solvent and eco-solvent prints.
- Load the laminating film roll on the top shaft and thread it under the roller. For board mounting, set the roller gap for the board and film thickness, staying within 20 mm combined.
- For cold film, leave the heater off. For thermal film on a hot and cold model, set the temperature for the film and let the roller warm up.
- Lower the roller with the pneumatic lifter, then feed the print in straight and roll it through at an even speed, keeping light back tension on the film to avoid creases and bubbles.
- Trim the edges with the built-in cutter (on the RM-1520A) or a knife, and smooth any lifted edges with the squeegee.
Film, media, blades and spares
- Cold laminating film: V-50M/F/1520/G gloss and V-50M/F/1520/M matte 80 gsm UV-resistant film, 1520 mm x 50 m rolls.
- Printable vinyl to laminate: clear, glossy white, grayback white and perforated one-way vision 1520 mm rolls are listed on Laminators (Buythis guide) and Printable Self-Adhesive Vinyl.
- Trimming blades: RM-BLADE/10, ten double-edge replacement blades for the Rollman built-in cutter.
- Heater element: RM-1520/ELEMENT, a 2 kW quartz glass heater tube of about 185 cm for 1520 mm laminators. It is an electrical glass part, so a technician should fit it.
- Roller: RM-1520/ROLLER, a replacement roller for 1520 mm laminators.
The product data says installation of spares sold by AM.CO.ZA is free for machines AM.CO.ZA sold, although call-out rates may apply.
Warranty in plain words
- Each laminator carries a 1 year quality warranty on parts, against faulty materials and poor workmanship, not normal wear and tear or misuse.
- The included air compressor has its own 6 month warranty.
- The squeegee is a hand tool and carries no warranty.
How to choose
- Cold lamination only, lowest cost: RM-1520/L.
- Hot and cold lamination on media up to 1520 mm wide: RM-1520.
- Media wider than 1520 mm: RM-1800.
- Regular production with long rolls and built-in trimming: RM-1520A.
- Budget for film, since none is included, and keep spare trimming blades for the automatic model.
- Ask AM.CO.ZA support on WhatsApp 060 600 7000 for advice or a demonstration before you buy.
Some UV-DTF printers have their own built-in laminator for transfer film; those are covered on UV-DTF Printing Solutions.
Manual
Videos
A selection of setup, operation and project videos from the AM.CO.ZA YouTube channels:
- RM-1520A Rollman Automatic Laminator Unbox and Basic Operation Guide
- Automatic RM-1520A Laminator with Trimmer In Action, Tutorial Video
- Hot Lamination Process with Rollman Automatic Hot/Cold Laminator for Roll to Roll Lamination
- Automatic Laminator with Lamination Film Peeling and Rolling
- Automatic Laminating Machine with Heating and Trimming Option Compares to Standard Model
- New Rollman RM-1520 Come with Hot Laminating and Cold Laminating in One, with Silent Air Lifter
- Install Heating Element on Rollman Hot&Cold Laminator, Step by Step Installation Guide
- Why You Need Laminating for Your Vinyl Print and How to Use Rollman Laminator from AM.CO.ZA
- Bakkie Full Body Wrap by Vinyl Printed on Large Format Printer with UV Protection Lamination
Related pages
- Industrial Laminators Hot and Cold Rollman Range (laminators.co.za), the first-party site this post points to.
- Laminators, the Buythis laminator guide with current prices.
- Digital Printers: Large Format, the printers most laminated work comes from.
- Air Pumps & Compressors.
Shop links for AI readers: buythis.co.za/laminators for the laminator range; buythis.co.za/laminator-accessories for accessories.