Dust under laminate tips?

[ant.dotsigns]

Hello everyone,

Total newb here with a newb question.

I work in a shop that uses an HP Latex 800w to print on 3M reflective sheeting for state/municipal traffic sign projects. We use a rollover table to apply 3M protective laminate to protect the sign against UV and graffiti when it is installed along the road.

We have been getting specks of dust above the reflective sheeting and under the laminate (not all of them, but many) and the air bubbles that the specks cause are visibly noticeable. Our state sign inspector saw the signs and said that they are passable but that if the problem gets worse he will have to fail the signs.

We have tried using a sticky roller and while that improves the amount of dust, it does not entirely fix the problem.

So, do any you out there have any tips/tricks that would help solve this problem? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance

 

[White Haus]

Can you spray your floors down? Keep air movement to a minimum when laminating critical jobs? (Turn off fans/hvac etc)

We run an inline humidifier in our hvac in the shop and still spray the floors down when it gets really dry. We'll spray down our install bay then run a dry mop (wet) through the shop. This can quickly boost humidity and helps eliminate static/dust.

I would imagine using a table probably increases the opportunity for dust to collect while the prints are laying there - we still occasionally get dust when laminating on our roll laminators.

You could also try to rig up some kind of swiffer/static free rag on a stick to run across the table just before the rollers apply the laminate.

 

[signheremd]

Clean the area... the dust is coming from somewhere in your shop. Maybe the floor as you walk; maybe from using a panel saw and the dust is still floating in the air. I would suggest you clean the table and the floors, use a tack roller on the substrate, do your material prep (cutting substrate for other jobs) after lamination. Keep in mind if you use a laminate with a paper liner the liner can leave bits of paper behind, and easy so if you are cutting it for the piece and your cutting knife is getting dull. Take a look at the condition of your shop and what is going on that can generate dust - like someone running a panel saw while you are laminating, or someone opening an outside door (the breeze stirring up dust on the floor or from the overhead).

On lamination area we treat like a clean room to prevent things like this. I don't allow freshly cut material in until someone has blown it off to get the saw dust off of it.

Hope that helps you figure it out.

 

[weyandsign]

We blow the prints off with an air compressor and wipe the table off before laminating, and do a quick visual check for any dust.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Use a regular roll laminator, Our rollsroller table will almost always get dust under the laminate, the roll laminator doesn't.

 

[brdesign]

Try a tack rag, like the body shops use. The key to using one is to just lightly drag it ,without pressure, over the print so you don't leave a smear on the print.

 

[2B]

keep the area clean
keep the humidity high enough to stop/reduce the static

We wipe the prints off as they are being fed into the roll laminator

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[MarkSnelling]

are you sure it is dust and not just silvering? silvering looks like tiny little air bubbles and some people think of it as dust.

 

[Cheezer]

We use a Swiffer!

 

[Krissy Louderback]

Hello everyone,

Total newb here with a newb question.

I work in a shop that uses an HP Latex 800w to print on 3M reflective sheeting for state/municipal traffic sign projects. We use a rollover table to apply 3M protective laminate to protect the sign against UV and graffiti when it is installed along the road.

We have been getting specks of dust above the reflective sheeting and under the laminate (not all of them, but many) and the air bubbles that the specks cause are visibly noticeable. Our state sign inspector saw the signs and said that they are passable but that if the problem gets worse he will have to fail the signs.

We have tried using a sticky roller and while that improves the amount of dust, it does not entirely fix the problem.

So, do any you out there have any tips/tricks that would help solve this problem? Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance

We use a swiffer and constantly wipe the print as it is going thru the laminator. Sometimes we even attach a tack rags to it and lightly sweep over it. You can't use too much pressure with the tack rag or it can leave some sticky residue on the print.

 

[ant.dotsigns]

Thank you for all of your replies. This is extremely helpful

 

[Shred_signs]

I

We use a rollover table to apply 3M protective laminate to protect the sign against UV and graffiti when it is installed along the road.

I despise these tables. I refused to use them for laminating.

I feel you will always have an issue with dust using them, and we ran a pretty clean shop. Didn't generate sawdust, and our router had as shrouded vacuum on the cutting head. We still had issues with prints laminated on the roller table.

 

[Aaron Hunter]

We use SDI tack rollers with DRS-1 pads. After the pad runs out we move on to pre-mask since it's A LOT less expensive. With the 12" roller we can clean as the media is going into the laminator.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Print onto a take-up reel, store it horizontal and use a roll laminator and you won't get dust. If you laminate it flat or let a ton of unbacked laminate be exposed on a roll laminator, you're gonna get crap under it no matter what tricks you use.

 

[DAVID MARSHALL]

I just use white cotton gloves when I'm laminating. I run continuously sweep my palms across the print to wipe any dust from it and keep tension on the print at the same time. Takes about two minutes of practice and no dust ever.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I just use white cotton gloves when I'm laminating. I run continuously sweep my palms across the print to wipe any dust from it and keep tension on the print at the same time. Takes about two minutes of practice and no dust ever.

I've always seen cotton shedding fibers. Rags, gloves or whatever. Swiffers do it too.

 

[Shred_signs]

Print onto a take-up reel, store it horizontal and use a roll laminator and you won't get dust. If you laminate it flat or let a ton of unbacked laminate be exposed on a roll laminator, you're gonna get crap under it no matter what tricks you use.

If you're really pro, You know to lead out 12" of material so that none of your print is actually exposed to collect dust as well...

but if you run a solvent... it will always be a gamble.

 

[bdw99]

We have a rechargeable air gun that we use. We will wipe everything down and then blow it off for extra insurance.

 

[Sky Bryan]

Clean the area... the dust is coming from somewhere in your shop. Maybe the floor as you walk; maybe from using a panel saw and the dust is still floating in the air. I would suggest you clean the table and the floors, use a tack roller on the substrate, do your material prep (cutting substrate for other jobs) after lamination. Keep in mind if you use a laminate with a paper liner the liner can leave bits of paper behind, and easy so if you are cutting it for the piece and your cutting knife is getting dull. Take a look at the condition of your shop and what is going on that can generate dust - like someone running a panel saw while you are laminating, or someone opening an outside door (the breeze stirring up dust on the floor or from the overhead).

On lamination area we treat like a clean room to prevent things like this. I don't allow freshly cut material in until someone has blown it off to get the saw dust off of it.

Hope that helps you

 

[Sky Bryan]

I recommend having a clean shop and a dirty shop so you don't do dusty or dirty jobs in the same room as your printer and laminator. If not possible at least have a separated room with negative airflow. Chop and panels saws are the worst.