Over the past several months we have reviewed in detail several causes for wrinkles in overlamination:

• Gauge variation of the web
• Uneven roll tension (wind) from core to outer wrap
• Variations in temperature and humidity
• Roller misalignment and/or imbalance
• Long, unsupported web lengths
• Machine vibration

Hopefully it has become apparent how wrinkles can form during any web handling process (e.g. film manufacture, coating, converting, lamination). This makes preventing or identifying the root cause of a wrinkle issue a complex task, frequently necessitating a partnership between the owners of all processes involved in order to properly remedy the issue.

If you encounter wrinkles in your process, here are a few takeaways from our five part series you should highlight for future reference:

A web will always seek to align itself to be perpendicular to the roll it’s going over.

Lateral movement of the web will generate wrinkles.

Observing the orientation of the wrinkle is the first step towards identifying its root cause.

I certainly hope this information has given you a better understanding of the many causes of wrinkles in overlamination and which areas to review in your process if you encounter wrinkle issues during production. If you have any questions or require clarification on the content, please contact us at acpo ltd. We are happy to help you.