Lamination film has glue on one side in order for it to stick to your material properly. Sometimes, if the rolls aren’t loaded properly or they are off center you might end up with glue on your rollers. This article with guide you through the steps of safely cleaning your rollers:
Please Note: Always use a Roller Cleaning Kit
There are roller cleaners out there specifically used for cleaning rubber rollers that you would find on Laminators, Folders, Coil Inserters etc. That is the cleaning solution you will want to use. Never use alcohol or blanket wash to clean your rollers as they will damage the rollers. Southwest has a handy kit that contains the cleaning solution as well as additional materials needed and the instructions in this article that you can purchase here.
Steps to Cleaning your Laminator:
- Heat the laminator rolls to be cleaned to 150 degrees Celsius.
- Apply the roller deglazer to the roller.
- Using a scrubbing pad, gently agitate the roller surface.
- Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the roller clean.
- Finish cleaning the length of the exposed area of the roller.
- Advance the roller to expose a new area to be cleaned and repeat the process.
- Load your new lamination film as shown in the below diagram
When should you call a Service Technician?
If the glue has hardened on the rollers, you will need a service tech to come out to assess the damage as the above steps might not work.
Additional Tips for Maintaining your Laminator:
Never use a knife on your rollers. They will damage the roller and the only solution available is purchasing a new roll. Always turn off your laminator when not in use with the rollers open. Opening the rollers makes sure that they will maintain their round shape and not develop a flat spot which could affect your outputs.
As mentioned above, this roller cleaning/deglazer can also be used on folders to remove ink stains, and on coil inserters to clean the plastic residue left over from the rings (you’ll notice they need to be clean when the roller is slipping on the bindings). So it is always a great idea to keep a bottle of it handy.
Southwest has service technicians across Canada, so help is always just a phone call or e-mail away. To learn more about our services, visit our website or give us a call and we would be happy to help.
