Roll laminators are great for laminating large posters and display materials or bulk runs of documents, but what about users that just run documents 12″ wide or smaller? In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the SmartLoad 12, which is the perfect size for laminating letter-sized documents and costs about half as much as other comparable roll laminators.
The Basics
Nearly all roll laminators are thermal, which means that they utilize heat to seal the edges of the laminate film and fuse the layers together. Depending on the machine, the heat is applied by either heated rollers or heat shoes, which are long, flat, aluminum plates. Regardless of the type of heating element, all laminating machines utilize rollers to help ensure secure adhesion, eliminate air bubbles and move documents through the machine.
Benefits of the SmartLoad 12
The SmartLoad 12 laminator has three primary benefits – cost, size, and ease of use. With many roll laminators costing in the thousands, the SmartLoad 12 has a reasonable price point of less than $400. The SmartLoad 12 laminator is designed to be compact, so it is small enough to fit in any environment (and it weighs only 30 lbs.). Loading and threading film onto most roll laminators can be somewhat difficult, but the SmartLoad 12 has an innovative “smart load” design that significantly reduces the film loading time while preventing the user from loading the film upside down. There’s no mandrel to load the roll onto – just snap the SmartLoad film roll into the machine and thread the film through the rollers.
The SmartLoad 12 has a maximum laminating width of 12″, which makes it a perfect choice for individuals and organizations that laminated letter-, legal-, and menu-sized documents. It has a fixed laminating speed of 3′ per minute, and a quick warm-up time of only one minute. It uses a heat shoe, and features an adjustable temperature that enables it to laminate films ranging from 1.7 mils thick to 10 mils thick. The SmartLoad 12 also includes a convenient built-in horizontal trimmer and feed alignment guide, as well as a one-year warranty.
In Review
The SmartLoad 12 roll laminator is a small machine that’s packed with big features. It may be limited to laminating documents 12″ wide or less, but with a fast warm-up time, built-in trimmer, innovative film loading system, affordable price point, and one-year warranty, it’s one of the most attractive small format roll laminators on the market. If you frequently laminate letter-, legal-, or menu-sized documents, then be sure to take a look at the SmartLoad 12.