What laminator should I buy?

[CC-CMYK]

I’ll soon be in the market for a new laminator. We’re still using the original US Tech model we started our business with over 10 years ago. Since we do a lot of wall graphics, we typically run full rolls of material through the machine.

I’m looking for something more reliable and less finicky, ideally with heat assist and the capability to handle 60” rolls. I’ve been considering options from GFP, CWT, Mimaki, and Seal.

My budget tops out at around $10,000.
Does anyone have experience with these machines or recommendations based on similar use cases?

 

[MarkSnelling]

I've sold laminators since I was in college. Don't skimp. For a little bit more, you can get a Kala or a Seal Base and those laminators, if taken care of, will last 10-20 years with little to no issues. A new Kala Mistral (top heat assist up to 140 degrees) is an awesome machine as it is the only laminator which has a self leveling nip....so if you see your material start to wrinkle on one side after X feet, you can simply press two buttons and the machine will automatically align the rollers so you can run 150 feet perfectly straight. These machines are around $13K. I'll happily quote you on one.

The Seal Base is a really good unit in the same price range. Available in 54" and 60".

In the used market, I've got a customer in Chicago with a STUNNING Seal 600D. This is a dual heat laminator but he kept it in pristine shape...no cuts in the rollers and it runs flawlessly. he is looking for $7K.

 

[Boudica]

+1 for Kala Mistral. We upgraded to it several years ago and I still love it.
Ours doesn't have that auto alignment feature though.... That sounds pretty neat.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

We love our GFP 663TH far better than the Kala Mistral we had. But the Kala is more forgiving due to all its safety features.

 

[jcskikus]

I use a Kala Mistral at my 6-4 and a Seal 65 EL at home. If I knew about the Mistral before getting the Seal, I would have shelled out the extra money for it. The Seal doesn't stay true for more than a few feet, veering to the left then the right, which becomes frustrating when trying to laminate a panel that only has ½" on either side. Been like that since I bought it 5 years ago.

 

[TheLaminationStation]

Thanks for all the great input! Sounds like the Kala Mistral is a solid step up in reliability and ease, especially with that self-leveling nip feature huge for long runs. I’ll also take a closer look at the GFP 663TH and see how it stacks up for our workflow. Appreciate the insight! If anyone in the market for premium laminating films or print finishing supplies, check out The Lamination Station we offer top-quality products perfect for wide-format jobs and professional finishing.

 

[jharler]

I have two GFP laminators. While I don't use the heat very often, I'm putting 3-4 rolls per week through each and any lamination problems I have are user error. The laminators have performed flawlessly. It did take a while to figure out procedures for loading and switching laminates between panels (I print mainly stickers and it's common to run out of laminate partially through a printed roll), but once I got that down, it's been nearly flawless unless I screw up.

 

[MarkSnelling]

+1 for Kala Mistral. We upgraded to it several years ago and I still love it.
Ours doesn't have that auto alignment feature though.... That sounds pretty neat.

If it is a Mistral, then you have it. Turn the power off on the front (the LED lights should still be on), make sure nothing is in between the rollers, and then press the "M" and "foot pedal" buttons at the same time...the screen will say "CAL" and the rollers will very slowly go all the way down to the zero point. I've been selling Kala machines for over a decade now and I've never seen one without this feature. Feel free to call me if you want to talk it through. 2169038313