The SircleLam EM-40 Roll Laminating Machine is an excellent addition to any office or production environment, both for its robust features and ease of use. Below is a list of helpful tips for troubleshooting common issues with the SircleLam EM-40:
Problem:
- The laminator does not work. Engine does not run and all indicator lights are off.
- Possible solutions:
- The easiest and most common solution is to check that your laminator is properly plugged in. Make sure the plug is firmly inserted into the socket, and if that doesn’t help, you can try plugging it into a different socket.
- Check that your circuit breaker has not tripped. If your laminator shares a circuit with other equipment that uses a large amount of electricity, turning on one machine while the other was running may have tripped the circuit.
- As with most electronic products, your laminator may blow a fuse from time to time. SircleLam EM-40 uses a 20 amp fuse, which is located behind the cover of the machine on the left hand side.
Problem:
- Both the laminating film and the item being laminated move erratically through the laminator.
Possible solutions:
- Check the thickness of the item you are laminating. The maximum lamination thickness (without loosening the pressure adjustment screws) is 1/16″ (1.66 mm). 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 heated shoes may have adhesive residue attached to them, which can prevent the film from feeding smoothly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the hot shoes with a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth moistened with denatured alcohol. Allow heated shoes to dry completely before attempting to rethread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the thermal 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 any adhesive residue.
Problem:
- The laminating film does not adhere to the document being laminated or to itself at the edges.
Possible solutions:
- Make sure the hot shoes and rollers are at the proper operating temperature for the type of film being used. If you recently replaced the supply rolls with a film that is different in thickness or composition than the film you normally use, you may need to increase the temperature to properly fuse the film to the item you are laminating.
- Due to the hefty 40″ laminating width, the SircleLam EM-40 laminator takes approximately 30 minutes to fully heat up. Make sure you have allowed your machine to reach the proper temperature before attempting to laminate anything.
Issues:
- Wrinkles appear on laminated documents that run parallel to the outer edges.
Possible solutions:
- Increase the film tension on the top and/or bottom supply rolls, using the tension knobs located on the right side of each mandrel. Tightening the knobs will apply more pressure to the mandrels, providing more resistance and making the supply rolls a little harder to turn.
- Lower the laminating temperature and allow the hot shoes to cool slightly before attempting to laminate again.
- If your heated shoes have adhesive residue on them, the film may not feed evenly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the hot shoes with a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth moistened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heated shoes to dry completely before attempting to rethread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the thermal 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 any adhesive residue.
Problem:
- The film blisters on the document being laminated or along the edges where the film layers meet.
Possible solutions:
- Blister laminating film is usually a sign that the temperature is set too high. Try lowering the temperature on one or both heated shoes and allow the heated shoes to cool for a few minutes before attempting to laminate. If the temperature indicator light stays on after adjusting the temperature, disconnect the power supply and contact your dealer.
- Your heated shoes may have adhesive residue attached to them, which can prevent the film from feeding smoothly into the machine. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the hot shoes with a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth moistened with denatured alcohol. Allow heated shoes to dry completely before attempting to rethread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the thermal 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 any adhesive residue.
- If the paper you are laminating contains some moisture, blisters may form during laminating. Be sure to store your paper in a dry place and allow all ink to dry completely before laminating.
Problem:
- Laminated documents curl after exiting the pinch rollers (the set of rollers located at the rear of the machine).
Possible solutions:
- Film winding up or down after exiting the laminator is a sign that the roller tensions are not set evenly. If the rolled item curls up, reduce the tension on the top supply chuck. If the item curls down, reduce the tension on the lower supply chuck. To reduce tension, simply loosen the tension knob located on the right side of the chuck.
- Residual adhesives on the hot shoes may be causing “drag” on one of the film rolls. Carefully clean the Teflon-coated surface of the hot shoes with a roller cleaning kit or a soft cloth moistened with denatured alcohol. Allow the heated shoes to dry completely before attempting to rethread your laminator. Note: The Teflon surface of the thermal 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 any adhesive residue.