If you are looking to load new laminating film onto your laminator and still have a little bit of film left, there is a way to use the remaining film to help you load new laminate onto your machine. This article describes how to use the existing film that is already loaded on your roll laminator in place of a laminating film threading card. This procedure requires your laminator to be hot and that the existing laminate be tacky or liquefied (be careful not to burn yourself on the heat rollers). Follow these instructions for replacing your film.

1. Preheat the laminator and remove the feed tray.

2. Cut the remaining top and bottom film webs between the supply rolls and heat rollers.

3. Raise the safety shield to the upright position.

4. Do not allow the adhesive side of the film to contact the heat or pull rollers. Liquefied or tacky adhesive deposited on heat rollers will require the rollers to be cleaned.

5. Remove the bottom film supply roll from the laminator and lower the bottom film guide.

6. Remove the bottom roll of laminating film by sliding the right to release it from the hex shaped brake hub. Loosen the locking screw on the left retaining collar of the film supply shaft and slide the collar off. Pull the shaft partially out of the film tube and then push it back in to knock out the left core. Pull out the shaft all the way out of the tube and remove the remaining core adapter.

Laminating documents with a school laminator is pretty easy. However, loading film onto your school laminator is not quite as simple. In fact, the number one reason for service calls on school laminators is that the film was loaded incorrectly. With this in mind, it is important to be very careful when loading film onto your laminator so that you don’t load it backwards or incorrectly.

If you do end up loading your laminator incorrectly, adhesive may end up being deposited onto the rollers. It is very important that you do not allow this to happen. Otherwise, you will need to scrub the adhesive off the rollers before you can laminate any other documents. Adhesive may be deposited on the rollers if

* You try to laminate with only one roll loaded on your machine

* You try to use two different widths of laminating film at the same time

* Either roll of laminating film is loaded upside down (with the adhesive towards the roller). The shiny side of clear film should be in contact with the heat rollers and the dull side with the adhesive should face out.

* One or both rolls of film are allowed to completely run off the cores of the laminator.

Being careful to not allow one of these things to happen, here are some simple steps for loading film onto your school laminator. Please keep in mind that you should always replace both rolls of film at the same time.