How do you fix a jammed laminator?

How do you fix a jammed laminator? Is one of our common questions from our customers. Most schools, offices and a good number of homes have a pouch laminator. They are very handy for preserving important documents or creating signs. Laminators are great when they are working well but are a real pain if the pouch gets jammed.

Ideally prevention is better than cure so trying to avoid jams in the first place will help.

• Always use good quality pouches, inferior quality pouches can leak adhesive onto the rollers of your machine which will build up over time and cause jams.
• Take extra care when inserting pouches into your laminator, make sure they are in the middle and that they enter straight, this will prevent them from touching the sides and subsequently wrapping around the rollers.
• Make sure the document you are laminating is the correct size for the pouch and that is is flat. Crinkled documents or curled edges can cause problems inside your laminator.
• Ensure the temperature and speed are set correctly, otherwise if a pouch goes through too slowly at a too high temperature it can cause problems. As a general rule we recommend around 130 degrees at a medium speed for 80 micron pouches.

Despite your best efforts, occasionally a jam can occur but with a bit of care it can often be resolved.

• If your laminator has a reverse button, you can press this straight away if the pouch appears to not be going in straight or is crinkled, this will remove the document for you to try again.
• The first thing to do with a jam is to turn off the power either the on/off switch or at the socket, this will avoid the motor burning out. Wait for the machine to cool before attempting to remove the pouch.
• Have a good look to see what the problem is, more often than not, the pouch will have wrapped itself around the roller. If this is the case then there are a few things you can try:
• Again if your laminator has a reverse mode, turn the device back on and give this a try. If the pouch starts coming out, be sure you don’t pull on it too hard. This can make the problem worse and could possibly damage your machine.
• Some laminators have a removable cover over the rollers which can help to gain better access, again ensure machine is turned off and cool before removing this cover, they are often metal and will get very hot. With the cover removed you should easily be able to remove the pouch. If it has wrapped itself around the rollers more than once, you may need to cut it free. Be extra careful not to damage the rollers whilst cutting the pouch.
• Sometimes you have to admit defeat, especially if the pouch has melted onto the rollers and call out a technician. If your machine was reasonably expensive or you don’t want to void your warranty this can be a good idea. NZ Binding are happy to repair your machine for you but often it is more cost effective just to replace your old machine.

Also read Laminating Tips to Improve Your Laminating

Contact NZ Binding For Any Further Information

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact our team by using the online contact form below, using the chat service in the bottom right hand corner of your screen or give us a call at 09 972 0842.

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