The SircleLam EM-40 roll laminating machine makes an excellent addition to any office or production environment, both because of its robust features and its ease of use. Below is a list of helpful tips for troubleshooting common problems with the SircleLam EM-40:
Problem:
- Laminator is inoperative. The motor does not run, and all of the indicator lights are out.
- Possible Solutions:
- The easiest and most common solution is to check that your laminator is properly plugged in. Ensure that the plug is firmly inserted into the socket, and if that does not help, you may want to try plugging it in to a different socket.
- Check that your circuit breaker has not been tripped. If your laminator shares a circuit with another piece of equipment that uses a large amount of electricity, it is possible that turning one machine on while the other was running tripped the circuit.
- As with most electronics, your laminator may blow a fuse from time to time. The SircleLam EM-40 uses a 20 amp fuse, which is located behind the cover of the machine on the left side.
Problem:
- Both the laminating film and the item that is being laminated are moving through laminator erratically.
Possible Solutions:
- Check thickness of the item that you are laminating. The maximum laminating thickness (without loosening the pressure adjustment screws) is 1/16″ (1.66mm). If your document is thicker than 1/16″, simply loosen the four pressure adjustment screws (each full turn of the screws increases the clearance by 1/16″).
- Your heat shoes may have adhesive residue stuck to them, which can prevent the film from feeding smoothly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the heat shoes with either a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth that has been dampened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heat shoes to dry thoroughly before attempting to re-thread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the heat shoes can be easily damaged if abrasive or sharp objects are used to clean them, so it is important that you always use a soft cloth to remove the adhesive residue.
Problem:
- The laminating film is not bonding to the document that is being laminated, or to itself at the edges.
Possible Solutions:
- Make sure heat shoes and rollers are at proper operating temperature based on the type of film being used. If you have recently replaced the supply rolls with a film that is different in thickness or composition than the film you usually use, you may need to increase the temperature in order to properly fuse the film to the item that you are laminating.
- Because of the substantial 40″ laminating width, the SircleLam EM-40 laminator takes approximately 30 minutes to fully warm up. Be sure that you have allowed your machine to reach the proper temperature before attempting to laminate anything.
Problems:
- Wrinkles appear on the laminated documents that run parallel with the outside edges.
Possible Solutions:
- Increase the film tension on top and/or bottom supply rolls, using the tensioning knobs located on the right side of each mandrel. Tightening the knobs will apply more pressure to the mandrels, which provides more resistance and makes the supply rolls slightly more difficult to turn.
- Lower the laminating temperature and allow the heat shoes to cool slightly before attempting to laminate again.
- If your heat shoes have adhesive residue stuck to them, the film may not feed uniformly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the heat shoes with either a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth that has been dampened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heat shoes to dry completely before attempting to re-thread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the heat shoes can be easily damaged if abrasive or sharp objects are used to clean them, so it is important that you always use a soft cloth to remove the adhesive residue.
Problem:
- The film blisters across the document that is being laminated or along the edges where the layers of film meet.
Possible Solutions:
- Blistering lamination film is usually a sign that the temperature is set too high. Try reducing the temperature on one or both heat shoes and allowing the heat shoes to cool for a few minutes before attempting to laminate. If the temperature indicator light remains on after the temperature has been adjusted, disconnect the power supply and contact your dealer.
- Your heat shoes may have adhesive residue stuck to them, which can prevent the film from feeding smoothly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the heat shoes with either a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth that has been dampened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heat shoes to dry thoroughly before attempting to re-thread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the heat shoes can be easily damaged if abrasive or sharp objects are used to clean them, so it is important that you always use a soft cloth to remove the adhesive residue.
- If the paper that you are laminating contains any moisture, blisters may form during lamination. Be sure to store your paper in a dry place and allow all ink to dry thoroughly before laminating.
Problem:
- Laminated documents curl after they exit the pull rollers (the set of rollers located at the rear of the machine).
Possible Solutions:
- Having the film curl upward or downward after existing the laminator is a sign that the roller tensions are not set evenly. If laminated item curls upward, reduce the tension on the top supply mandrel. If item curls downward, reduce the tension on the bottom supply mandrel. To reduce the tension, simply loosen the tensioning knob located on the right side of the mandrel.
- Residual adhesives on the heat shoes may be causing “drag” on one of the rolls of film. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the heat shoes with either a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth that has been dampened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heat shoes to dry completely before attempting to re-thread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the heat shoes can be easily damaged if abrasive or sharp objects are used to clean them, so it is important that you always use a soft cloth to remove the adhesive residue.