A pouch laminator uses a lamination pouch that is usually sealed on one side. The inside of the lamination pouch is coated with a heat-activated film that adheres to the product being laminated as it runs through the laminator. The substrate side of the board contains a heat-activated adhesive that bonds the print to the substrate. This can be any of a number of board products or another sheet of laminate. The pouch containing the print, laminate, and substrate is passed through a set of heated rollers under pressure, ensuring that all adhesive layers bond to one another.
Pouch laminators are designed for moderate use in the office or home. These inexpensive machines are quite effective. However, for continuous, large-volume lamination projects, a roll laminator performs more efficiently.
Pouches can be bought with different thicknesses in micrometres (referred to as MIC). Standard home or office machines normally use 80-250 micrometre pouches, depending on the quality of the machine. The thicker the pouch, the higher the cost.
In the United States, lamination pouch thickness is measured in mil, which equals one thousandth of an inch. The most common pouch thicknesses are 3,5,7 and 10 mil (76,127,178 and 254 μm).
Certain pouches such as Butterfly Pouches can be used with a pouch laminator to form ID cards. Butterfly pouches are available with magnetic stripes embedded.
Read more about Pouch Laminator: Maintenance
Famous quotes containing the word pouch:
“The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)