Tech

Cold or hot lamination? Which is more convenient?

Laminating is a way to preserve documents and sometimes make them more portable without damaging their corners. There are different ways to laminate: with cold or hot laminating machines. The cold laminator is safer and the hot method is more popular, but safety must be taken care of with both. 

Laminating machines are equipment that, as its name indicates, are used to laminate or laminate documents and sheets of different sizes, adding a thin layer of plastic on top, so that the paper will be protected by an additional film, turning the wrinkle-free, waterproof document-in-one.

Laminators are very popular machines used in homes, offices and educational institutions, as allies to create projects or organize files. Its uses are innumerable and will depend on the needs of each user. In any case, it is important to highlight that there are two basic mechanisms for document lamination. 

On the one hand, there is the cold lamination and, on the other, there is the hot lamination. In addition to these two, a third could be added, which would be a mixed mode, as there are laminating machines that are equipped with both laminating methods. 

Next, we will review the advantages and characteristics that stand out in each of these techniques, so that the best laminator on the market can be selected (Here you can find some options to buy), which is appropriate to the demands of each user..

hot lamination

Within the plasticizing systems, the hot method is the most used and popular. According to the thickness of the cover, the temperature must be regulated for the process to be effective. Before using, you must wait a while for the machine to reach the desired and convenient temperature to start the process.

In the same way, if after using a thick cover you will change to a thinner one, then it will be necessary to wait a while for it to cool down, to obtain a better result in the lamination process. 

Also, there is a wide variety of models of laminating machines. The most notable in the hot laminating segment are the machines that incorporate two hot rollers and the machines integrated by four rollers. The latter are usually the best and also the most expensive. These machines usually have an automatic selector for speed, heat, and other specifications. 

When the document lamination process is being carried out in new machines, they tend to give off a stronger odour, due to the heating of the rollers and the casing, which can be annoying at first, but it is not toxic and will disappear after a while. couple of uses. 

cold plasticized

In the case of the cold lamination system, it is a technique for document lamination that has been less widespread, so it is not as popular as hot lamination.

This process tends to be recommended as a laminating mechanism in educational centers, as well as in places where there are small children because the technique does not require heat, so that no part of the machine heats up and there is no risk of exposure to burns. 

These machines require no warm-up time and can run either through rolls to laminate large amounts of content or through sleeves cut to specific sizes. 

In addition, in this segment there are two types of machines: those that work manually, without electricity, and the dual or mixed type laminators, which have the capacity to carry out the laminating process both hot and cold. 

Both modalities are suitable for the plasticizing process. However, after having selected a model, whether cold or hot, there are other criteria and considerations that can be analyzed so that the purchase is efficient and appropriate to the requirements of each user.

Therefore, beyond the mechanism, it is appropriate to know how often the machine will be used. If it is equipment for frequent use, it is necessary to select alternatives that are robust and of quality, with a high level of plasticizing, so that the process is completed quickly. 

Another important consideration is the size of the sleeves that will be used to laminate the documents and the thickness of the sleeves. In terms of size, one of the most popular is Din A-3 and, if a solid and resistant laminate is required, covers of up to 250 microns can be used. For these cases, it is convenient and recommended that the machine be of the hot type and have a temperature regulator, so that it can be adjusted according to needs. 

Hot or cold, but jam-free

Paper jams in the machine are a constant that occur during the document lamination process. Hence the importance of the laminator having a system for releasing the paper during the process. In this way, the document will be prevented from being damaged or incidents occurring. 

Similarly, there are those who suggest that, when selecting one of these machines, if it is hot, it has a system that dissipates heat and prevents the surface from increasing its temperature too much. In addition, for safety, it is necessary that, in either case, they are equipped with an automatic shutdown, speed regulator and light indicators that let the user know when the lamination process has finished.

Although both modalities are suitable for laminating documents, for greater versatility, there are those who recommend selecting models with a dual laminating system in a single piece of equipment, both hot and cold. 

When you finish using the equipment, regardless of the modality, remember to wait a few seconds to hold the document after the process is finished and finally turn off the machine.

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