Maintaining your laminator is important, and a regular maintenance schedule will help ensure that your laminator continues to provide you with reliable service for years to come.

Preventative maintenance is the key to adding years of reliable service to your laminator. This service should be performed at least once a year, and more often if you use your laminator more than 5 times a week. It will be necessary to remove the side panels to expose the internal work pieces of the laminator, so make sure you have the proper tools before you begin.

Start with the power cord. Examine the power cord for missing grounds on the AC plug, cuts in the cord, or any evidence of exposed wiring. Most of today’s laminators use 220 volts as their power source. Any defect in the power cord could present an electrical hazard to users, so it is absolutely necessary to replace it if any defect is found.

Check the drive rollers and pressure rollers for signs of cracks or defects. A small amount of dirt or a nick on a roller can cause defects in laminations. If defects are found, you should consider replacing the rollers. Also check rollers for play in bushings or bearings. Replacing them now in the early stages of wear can save you hundreds of dollars in repairs down the road.

Clean your thermal shoes. Be sure to heat the shoes and clean them of any unwanted glue or other contaminants. Any imperfections in your thermal shoes will show up in your finished laminating project. Use a laminator cleaning kit designed specifically for cleaning the hot shoes and rubber rollers on your laminator. DO NOT use anything abrasive on any of these parts as it can cause irreversible damage and costly replacement.

Pull out the side panels to expose the internal wiring and mechanical part of your laminator. Check drive chain for play. You must have a minimum amount of play. Check the drive sprocket for signs of wear. Many times when a laminator stalls, the motor will keep trying to run and will wear down the teeth on the sprockets. Replace these items if there are signs of wear.

While removing the side panels, perform a visual inspection of the internal wiring. (Make sure unit is unplugged) Heat is the worst enemy of any laminator’s internal wiring and over time the cables become brittle and dry which could cause an electrical hazard. Replace any wiring found in this condition making sure to use the same gauge wire.

Your laminator is a big investment, but with a small investment of time, you can save hundreds of dollars in repair or replacement costs.