Earth-conscious products are in higher demand than ever, and Lamination Depot is here to help fill your binding and laminating needs with ecologically-friendly products. Read on to learn about our selection of environmentally-sound binding supplies, including binding posts, paper covers and a brand new binding system, as well as an innovative roll laminator designed to reduce energy consumption.
Screw Posts
We carry more than 20 sizes of screw posts (also called “Chicago Screws”) and screw posts extensions, all of which are made of solid aluminum and are 100% recyclable. These reusable binding posts are a great choice for swatch books, architectural and engineering drawings, or any other application that requires loose sheets to be securely bound together. Click here to see our entire selection of recyclable aluminum screw posts.
PaperLock Binding System
This revolutionary PaperLock binding system is attractive, eco-friendly and secure. Using paper punched on a traditional plastic comb binding system, thisbinding system inserts a patented PaperCombthat securely binds documents and allows them to be easily stacked and stored. The materials used to produce the PaperCombs are environmentally-friendly and can be recycled, making the PaperLock binding system a functional and “green” addition to any office. Click here to learn more about the PaperLock binding system.
Binding Covers
With eight vibrant colors and three rich textures to choose from, our Earth-friendly binding covers are manufactured using recycled materials and are 100% recyclable! Heavy-weight Grain covers feature a sturdy 16 mil. thickness, are available in eight colors, and are made from 25% recycled materials and 10% post consumer waste. Linen Weave covers feature 80# (12 mil.) linen-textured cover stock in five eye-catching colors, and are made from 20% recycled material and 30% post consumer waste. Leatherette covers feature 80# (12 mil.) leather-textured embossed paper, and are made from 20% recycled material and 30% post consumer waste. These attractive and environmentally-conscious covers are offered in a variety of sizes with both round and square corners available.
A pouch laminator can make a great addition to your home, office, school, or professional print shop; however it can be difficult knowing which machine will fill your unique needs.
Taking the time to review the features of the available pouch laminating machines will help to ensure that you get the best laminator for your purposes. Below we will break down the differences between the various styles of pouch laminators to help you make an informed decision about which laminating machine to purchase.
The Basics
When selecting a pouch laminator, you’ll need to evaluate the features that are the most important to your specific needs:
Width: Those who only laminate IDs or badges may be content with a model that has a maximum document width of 4 in., while those looking to laminate signs or displays will likely want a machine that offers a larger width.
Temperature Range: Nearly all pouch laminators are thermal machines, which means that they utilize heat to seal the pouch and fuse the layers together. Depending on the machine, the heat is applied by either heated plates or heated rollers. Most machines offer variable temperature control to allow users to adjust the heat level based on the thickness of the laminating pouch. If you regularly use thick laminating pouches (7 Mil or 10 Mil), then you’ll need to ensure that your selected machine can handle thick pouches.
Rollers: All machines utilize rollers to help ensure secure adhesion, eliminate air bubbles and move the laminated documents through the machine. Low volume machines (primarily for home use) are equipped with two rollers, mid-level laminators (for offices or schools) contain 2-6 rollers and professional laminating machines (for high volume users or copy shops) include between 4-10 rollers.
Reverse Function: Many pouch laminators also include a reverse feature, which makes it easier to clear jammed or misfed documents.
Volume: If you will be producing a high volume of laminated documents, you may want to look for a machine that has a high maximum laminating speed. Speed is often increased by additional sets of rollers.
Other popular features include a stand-by mode (preserves power while the machine is not laminating), the ability to laminate without a carrier sheet (used to prevent adhesive from oozing out from the edges of the laminating pouch and onto the rollers), cool rollers (help to reduce curling of laminated documents), and the ability to laminate photos.
Office Pouch Laminators (for Low to Moderate Usage)
Pouch laminating machines for office use offer a greater range of features than those designed for home use, and can handle a medium-to-high volume of usage. These laminators are available in widths ranging up to 13-1/2 in., and can laminate pouches from 3 Mil and 10 Mil thick. In addition to being able to stand up to more frequent usage than home laminators, office pouch laminators also laminate much more quickly (in some cases, more than three times as fast as the home machines).
These laminators are available in widths ranging up to 44 in. and can laminate pouches from 3 Mil to 10 Mil thick (with select machines having the ability to mount and laminate simultaneously). Professional pouch laminators also have the highest maximum laminating speed, with some machines laminating 12 ft. per minute.
Nearly all industrial machines come housed within metal casings for added durability.
Akiles ProLam Ultra Professional Photo Pouch Laminator
James Burn USA SpeedyLam Pouch Laminator
Max. Speed
53 in./min. (4 ft./min.)
144 in./min. (12 ft./min.)
Max. Width
13 in.
13 in.
Max. Pouch Thickness
14 Mil
14 Mil
Temperature Adjustment
Digital
Digital
Memory Settings?
Yes
Yes
Reverse Function?
Yes
Yes
Number of Rollers
6 (4 Hot, 2 Cold)
10 (6 Hot, 4 Cold)
Warranty
1 Year
1 Year
Both of these machines are equipped to handle high-volume, professional use, with the primary differences relating to the number of rollers and overall speed. Depending on your requirements and resources, either of these machines are capable of producing a high volume of laminated documents.
In Review
Whether you are looking to preserve family photos, enhance company ID cards or provide lamination services at your print shop, pouch laminators are cost-effective and user-friendly with numerous models to fit practically any need.
There are many pouch laminators on the market, and you can learn to distinguish quality laminators by evaluating key features. Investing the time to research the capabilities of the available machines will not only help you find the best machine for your application, but will also help you make the most of your budget.
Remember: what works best for someone else may not be a fit for your unique needs, so performing your own research is a crucial step in the process of purchasing a pouch laminator.
