Laminating without time to gas off

[TheSignKid]

I have a roland rf-640 express and i just ran some 2 strike prints. They came off the roll dry and dont smudge if you drag your finger. If i laminate these right away whats the chance that they'll Delaminate ?

 

[mkmie]

80%. I guess it depends on how much ink. We've had to print and lam right away on the Roland due to an install f up. There was little print but we assumed we would have a failure down the road and just reprint and gas out properly for the redo. Fleet van that had to get out. It was two years ago and they came in for a patch after an accident and the panel looked fine. I would only lam right away in an emergency. Do a test.

 

[2B]

We also run Roland with OEM Eco-Sol MAX, it is NOT ideal but it can be done

when we have to do this, we IMMEDIATELY roll the media (loosely) set on our drying rack and get a fan blowing from the TOP > DOWN
knock on wood, no failures to date

 

[Boudica]

I have a roland rf-640 express and i just ran some 2 strike prints. They came off the roll dry and dont smudge if you drag your finger. If i laminate these right away whats the chance that they'll Delaminate ?

Honestly in this place - it really depends on who you ask.

 

[signheremd]

We like to off gas for two hours. That said, we have been pressed before and what we have done is let the print air out until the position marks are no longer tacky (black, so has heavy ink). Have not had a failure yet.

 

[Mike Paul]

I always wait 24 hour, if the prints are dark I’ll wait 48. We’re not saving lives here, the customer can chill and wait a day.

Yes, sometimes an install gets messed up and a quick reprint is necessary and happens but that’s rarely happens.

I think laminating too soon after printing causes the laminate to shrink on the printed vinyl but that’s my opinion…

 

[Vortex37]

We have a VS-540 and I always laminate the day after I print, even with full coverage. It’s sometimes not even 24 hours and we have a whole bunch of wall murals up at two universities, indoor & outdoor, that have never delaminated after 4+ years.

There are a couple of panels within these murals that I had to print & lam same day and they’re still fine. I don’t know if the media is a factor but we use 180 + 8519 or 8520 indoors and 480 + 8519 on block or brick walls outdoors.

 

[Aaron Hunter]

We used a front side heater that would assist curing before the take up reel. Was 900$ at the time but would reduce cure time by about 10-15 hours. When it comes to post cure times it really depends on the media and how long it takes to recover from the solvent and heat. Calendared vinyl is more forgiving since it’s generally 3-4 mm sometimes more in thickness. Thinner, cast vinyls (typically 2-3 mm) take a bit more to regain structural integrity.

 

[MarkSnelling]

While Im not as hands-on experienced as you guys, I've sold hundreds of Roland's, thousands of laminators, and countless miles of laminate. I've never actually seen a print fail because it wasn't given 24 hours to cure. I have customers who laminate immediately every time with no problems. I've done it myself during trade shows and open houses. I can't scientifically back it up, but if it is dry to the touch, I'm fairly confident you are okay

 

[greysquirrel]

depends on ink levels, media and how much moisture was removed by your heaters. It could be dry to touch but once in the sun...who knows. Curious why a double strike? The RF640 usually drops enough ink.

 

[bob]

If you can lightly drag a fingertip across a print and cannot feel any difference between ink and no ink it's as dry as it's going to get. Generally a few minutes. Solvent, eco or otherwise, dries quickly via evaporation. Once dry, feel free to laminate. 'Out gassing', 'off gassing', or whatever it's called in your village is a myth used to scare small children into going to sleep. Vinyl media is gas permeable so whatever comes off the vinyl goes right through any vinyl laminate. Solvent inks do effect some changes in the vinyl media. It tends to get stretchy and gummy. This will cure over a relatively long time, generally more time than you have. It has no effect worth worrying about on laminate.