The core logic of high-temperature hot lamination lies in “hot-melt adhesion”. During operation, the heating roller of the laminator precisely controls the temperature within the range of 80-120℃. When the film material pre-coated with hot-melt adhesive passes through the heating roller, the adhesive layer melts upon heating. Subsequently, under the action of the pressure roller, the film material is tightly bonded to the printed substrate, and a stable bonding layer is formed after cooling.
Low-temperature cold lamination relies entirely on “physical pressing” and requires no heating process. The film material used for it has a built-in pressure-sensitive adhesive. Through the external force applied by the high-pressure roller group of the laminator, the adhesive layer fully contacts the surface of the printed substrate and generates adhesiveness, with the entire process completed at room temperature.
From the perspective of substrate characteristics, high-temperature hot lamination is more suitable for materials with strong temperature resistance and large thickness, such as carton packaging, hardcover albums, and outdoor billboard substrates.
The cold lamination process is particularly suitable for products that require long-term transportation or outdoor use. In the field of advertising production, products like light box fabrics, vehicle wraps, photo posters, and wedding photos almost all rely on low-temperature cold lamination.
In terms of production efficiency: Due to the need for preheating and cooling, the processing time for a single sheet of high-temperature hot lamination is approximately 20%-30% longer than that of low-temperature cold lamination. However, when processing thick materials in batches, high-temperature hot lamination offers better stability and is less prone to batch quality fluctuations. For low-temperature cold lamination, if it is necessary to frequently replace substrates of different materials, the pressure parameters need to be adjusted repeatedly, which will affect efficiency.
High-temperature hot laminators are usually 30%-50% more expensive than low-temperature cold laminators of the same specification, as they are equipped with a heating system, temperature sensors, and temperature control modules.
The unit price of pre-coated films used for high-temperature hot lamination is slightly lower than that of pressure-sensitive adhesive films for low-temperature cold lamination. However, high-temperature films have higher requirements for thickness (usually 50-80μm), while thin-specification low-temperature films (30-50μm) can be used.
The heating roller of a high-temperature hot laminator is a wearing part. Long-term use at high temperatures will cause aging and adhesive sticking on the roller surface. It needs to be cleaned and calibrated every 3-6 months, and replacing a heating roller costs approximately 1,500-2,000 yuan.
The core component of a low-temperature cold laminator is the pressure roller. As long as scratches by foreign objects are avoided, its service life can reach 3-5 years. Maintenance only requires regular cleaning of the roller surface, and the cost is much lower than that of high-temperature models.
- Temperature Resistance of Substrates: If the material is heat-sensitive and thin, low-temperature cold lamination is preferred; if the material is temperature-resistant and has high hardness, high-temperature hot lamination can be considered.
- Product Application Scenarios: If the product needs to be used outdoors for a long time and requires wear resistance, high-temperature hot lamination has an advantage in durability; if the product emphasizes image precision and color reproduction, low-temperature cold lamination can avoid damage to the image caused by high temperatures.
- Production Scale and Product Category: For small-batch and multi-category orders, low-temperature cold laminators (which allow flexible parameter adjustment) are suitable; for large-batch processing of a single type of thick material, the stability of high-temperature hot laminators can better improve efficiency.
It is worth noting that “dual-purpose (hot and cold)” laminators have emerged on the market, which can be adapted to different processes by switching modes.LeFu company focus on Flatbed Applicator, Automatic Laminating Machine, Hot and Cold Laminator and Spare Parts more than 17 years.According to your needs, choose the right laminating machine to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement, look forward to cooperating with you.
