How to Remove a Stuck Laminate Sheet From the Laminator Machine
By Melissa King
Your business' laminating machine enables you to coat cards, certificates and other important documents with a sheet of protective plastic. To use a laminator, an item is placed in a special pouch that passes through the pressure of heated rollers. Occasionally, a pouch and its contents may get stuck inside the machine. This typically happens when the contents inside the pouch are placed incorrectly or are too thick. In many cases, it's possible to remove the stuck pouch from the machine yourself.
Press the pouch jam lever, if your machine has one. This will separate the machine's rollers, allowing you to extract the stuck pouch.
Push the "Reverse" button on the machine if you think the pouch is curled up in the rollers. This will force the pouch back out the way you inserted it. Not all machines have a Reverse button.
Pull on the laminator pouch gently if part of it has come through the front of the machine. Pull on the pouch slowly and evenly; do not speed up the rollers. If no part of the pouch has come through, don't try to remove it this way. Doing so may cause damage.
Power off the laminator machine and unplug it if you can't remove the pouch through the front or via the Reverse button.
Open the top of the machine to reveal the rollers, if possible, and carefully pull the pouch out. Not all machines open this way.
Contact the manufacturer of the machine if you cannot remove the pouch. A technician will open the machine and remove the pouch for you.
Tips
To avoid stuck pouches in the future, only laminate items below the machine's maximum width recommendations. Always feed the pouch into the machine straight, not at an angle. If the machine has a carrier, use it to help guide the pouch into the rollers.
Warnings
Opening the laminator machine and attempting to remove the pouch yourself may cause damage to the machine or the material you are trying to laminate.
References
Resources
Writer Bio
Melissa King began writing in 2001. She spent three years writing for her local newspaper, "The Colt," writing editorials, news stories, product reviews and entertainment pieces. She is also the owner and operator of Howbert Freelance Writing. King holds an Associate of Arts in communications from Tarrant County College.