34 Issue 252 - April / May 2024 www.signlink.co.uk UNDER THE HOOD / VIVID EASYMOUNT HYBRID Vivid has come to the market with a new machine in more than one way. It's new hybrid machine is a combination of laminator and applicator which should be of interest to any signmaker or finishing company. Rolled into the Easymount Hybrid are several features all of which hold patents which goes to show Vivid is keen to maintain a leading advantage with this new equipment. At the core of the machine is a reel-toreel laminator which is modular in design to cope with sizes from 1.5m to ‘unlimited lengths’ which Vivid claims means the machine can grow with your company or business. The laminator element of the machine has the capacity to cope with reel-to-reel production meaning the scope of work is limited only by the size of the reels used. The width is up to 1,600mm wide and a speed of six metres per minute. The applicator roller is pneumatically adjusted and can apply an even pressure across the sheet ensuring the applied sheet is free from blemishes and air bubbles. In laminator mode, the pressure roller is locked into position and the laminate is held in a series of rollers stretching over the pressure roller itself. A simple web path means the tension of the laminate or film is maintained to ensure fault-free application regardless of the length of the job. The substrate itself passes under the pressure roller and is tensioned by the use of industrial-sized (77mm) reel bars which keep the substrate moving not only at the correct speed but also under the correct tension, the second factor in the production of fault-free laminated products. One of the clever parts of the hybrid design is the way the machine switches from one function to the other. When in laminator mode the roller assembly is locked into the docking position by the use of an electro-magnet securing it firmly into place to act as the feed roller for the laminating function of the hybrid design. When you wish to use the machine as an applicator, you release the roller assembly from the docking station by pressing a button on the touch screen and the bridge holding the applicator roller can freely run up and down the bed. Whilst all that sounds simple and easy enough, the engineering sitting behind it is anything but. First of all, the bridge that holds the pressure roller needs to be of rigid construction to hold the roller and the mechanism to operate it. But it also needs to be little enough that the whole system is not troublesome to move. With that overcome, moving the whole assembly from one end of the table to the other from just one side of the machine requires more clever engineering. Anyone who has tackled this issue knows the assembly will try to twist rather than move. You need to engineer linear bearings and other alignment systems to ensure when you do move the roller from one extremity to the other, everything moves in one, smooth, vibration-free movement to ensure a smoothly laid product. It is clear from the simple function of the roller that a lot of thought and savvy engineering has gone into this part of the machine and this investment clearly has paid off. Vivid has brought to market a hybrid laminator and applicator that rolls into one machine features you would normally find on two equivalent-sized machines. Brian Sims finds out more Two in One The patented ‘hovering’ roller maintains the perfect height for applying films and ensures damage-free substrates Laminating speed 6m/min Max width 1600mm Mounting thickness (max) 48mm Roller diameter 130mm Statistics
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==