2.3 Process principle
In all processes the materials are fed through the nip from the front side to be joined together by
pressure and/or temperature.
A process that makes maximum use of the machine is shown in Figure 4. Shown is an image roll to
roll decaling process with a pressure sensitive top and bottom layer.
The top film has a release liner and the bottom layer is without release liner.
Figure 4: Creating Pop-up art, including image supply from roll.
The image that has to be coated on both sides is unwound from a roll on the optional table mounted
media unwind (1) and fed between the main rollers (2) via the in-feed table (3). The bottom
unwind/wind-up shaft (4) is set as a wind-up to roll up the finished product.
When the optional Easy Feed in-feed table is installed, the media trough can be used to place the
image roll.
The top coating film is taken from a supply roll on the (rear) upper unwind shaft (5). The bottom
coating film is taken from a supply roll on the (front) lower unwind/wind-up shaft (6).
When using a pressure sensitive laminate, it often has a release liner (7) that has to be removed.
As in the top half, it runs via a splitter bar (8) where the release liner is removed. This release liner
is rolled up onto a cardboard core placed on the wind-up shaft (9) in the upper section.
A mounting film has adhesive on both sides and release liner on just one side, and this has to stay
on until the image is mounted. So a mounting film is processed the same way as a laminate without
release liner.
Note:
When using a pressure sensitive laminate without a release liner (like in the bottom section), it
must not run via the splitter bar to avoid adhesive residue getting on this bar.
Because the rear position is needed for the result, the bottom film is taken from the front position.
The unwind/wind-up combi functions in the bottom positions make this exchange of unwind and
wind-up possible.
The upper main roller can be heated (10). Heat sensitive film is fed under the splitter bar (8)
providing maximum contact surface with the heated main roller.
Description
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