Ask Ozone

Question

I have bought an Easy Lam II laminator and I’m confused which laminating film to use.

Can you guide me please.

Best Regards

Naim A.

Answer

The EasyLam II Roll Laminator from Banner American is an excellent machine. It’s also a snap to operate. The EasyLam II offers plenty of clearance for lamination film loading. This means no more burnt knuckles when you need to hot-load a roll of film. The EasyLam II also features easy-to-use operator controls. There is a wide variety of laminating films that you can use with this laminator.

You may use 1.5 mil or 3 mil thick film with the EasyLam II. The film most of our customers use is the clear type. In fact, clear is the most common film used today. It is easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. You typically find clear roll lamination film in most copy shops, offices and schools.

Matte film is another popular stye and quite similar to clear lamination film. Matte film has a dull, non-glossy look. This type of film is ideal for eliminating annoying glare. You could also use UV film with your machine. This type of film protects and preserves documents by filtering out UV rays that fade color in photographs and other images. Office Zone carries several other types of laminating films that you can view here.

Question

How reliable is this Mini Pack External clamp sealer an how does it compare to the Foodsaver machines? I butcher 2 cows per year plus many vegetables. What machine would you recommend?

Herb C.

Answer

Food vacuum sealers are amazing tools for preserving and storing food for an extended amount of time. We carry several models that should fit your needs. However, we need some more information before making the most
accurate recommendation.

What’s the largest item you plan to seal? How many bags do you want to seal in a day? Do you plan to vacuum seal products with liquids? Is time a concern? Do you need to process food in a relatively short amount of time?

The model you mentinoed, the Minipack Food Vac External Clamp Vacuum Sealer, is a well-built, reliable model capable of handling most small, home vacuum sealing jobs. It’s also a good choice for select light duties at a restaurant or other similar food environment. We are not familiar with the Foodsaver line, so we would not be able to offer you comparisions with competing models.

Since you plan to process and vacuum pack at least two head of beef this year, we recommend you go with a commercial-grade chamber vacuum sealer. The money savings alone for vacuum bag supplies is reason enough to go in this direction.

Vacuum bags for external vacuum sealers require more of an investment when compared to internal chamber sealer supplies. Be sure to contact Office Zone to determine the best food vacuum sealer for your needs.

Question

I’ve been asked to price out a replacements for our current RENZ ECL 360 & our RHIN-O-TUFF HD7700 ULTIMA as we hope to find replacements that are no larger than 19-1/2″ deep in order to fit on the counter space of our shrinking/smaller work area.

Please email me a very SIMPLE list of your machines roughly comparable to each with measurements/dimensions, and very basic specifications, and pricing.  My boss asked that we get this before end of business Friday if at all possible.

Send along what you can and hopefully we can find smaller replacement machines. I am looking forward to hearing from you and seeing what our options are.

Thank you,

Clara

Answer

We’ll keep this as simple as possible. We recommend you replace your old Renz ECL 360 wire closer and HD 7700 Heavy Duty Electric Punch with two machines from Akiles: the VersaMac Super Duty Electric Interchangeable Binding Machine and WBM-532 Modular Wire Closer. The VersaMac electric punch actually takes up less counter space than your current machine. It measures 10-1/2 inches high by 18 inches long by 20-1/2 inches wide.

Although Renz makes a durable, professional-grade machine, Akiles is also just as well known in the industry for their high-quality binding machines and accessories. The VersaMac is a durable binding machine capable of punching up to 55 sheets at a time (depending on hole pattern), thanks to its powerful electric motor.

The VersaMac uses interchangeable punch dies. That means you can wire punch, swap out the die, and punch a document for coil binding. Other dies are available including three-hole, comb, and VeloBind. This is a simple-to-use machine designed for high-volume, continuous punching.

You can then complete your punching and wire closing ensemble with the WBM-532 Modular Wire Closer. It can close wire up to 14 inches in length. This durable, all-metal construction wire closer will last you for several years. It is easy to set up and includes several user-friendly features such as a wire diameter size selector and a built-in wire holder. This closer may be used with both 2:1 and 3:1 pitch wire.

Question

Hi,

I am interested in buying a pouch laminating machine and would like your recommendation. I am a bit overwhelmed by all the choices!

I will be using the laminator in my home and will need to laminate about 1000 letter size pages over the next few months. I will probably use 7 or 10mil pouches. I need professional, reliable results. I’m looking to spend between $100 and $200.

I don’t think I’ll need the cold setting but I would like the option of laminating a medium cardstock paper.

Thank you.

Rebecca

Answer

If you absolutely must keep your purchase under $200, then the Fellowes Jupiter JL 125 Office Pouch Laminator is your best option. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot use 10 mil lamination pouches with this particular model. The thickest pouch you can use is 7 mil. But if you’re laminating medium-weight cardstock with 7 mil film, you should have plenty of rigidity with the final product.

The Jupiter JL 125 is especially useful for laminating photos, menus, art projects, covers and more. This is an easy-to-use laminator with many features typically found on more expensive laminators. Some of these features include a reverse button (to back out jammed objects), a variable temperature control, and a cold setting for pressure-sensitive laminating film. This setting is typically used by our customers who want to protect a photograph or laser-jet printed materials and avoid heat damage.

After just four minutes, the JL-125 is fully warmed up and ready to use. The Jupiter JL-125 is a good, all-around economical pouch laminator choice for home and office environments.

Question

Hello:

I’m looking for and industrial sized shrink wrap machine for sealing nuts and candy in small canisters/cylinders. What do you recommend?

Darvin S.

Answer

Based on similar packaging needs with past customers, we recommend the PP1622 (Preferred Pack) Combo Shrink Wrap System by GHL Packaging. This industrial-sized shrink system will package a wide variety of products with speed and extreme precision. The model PP1622 is a Preferred Pack combination system. That means it’s highly adjustable and versatile. You can watch an informative video demo of the PP1622 Combo shrink wrap machine here.

GHL’s Preferred Pack commercial/industrial machines feature a highly reliable micro-knife system. You won’t have to worry about down time from seal wires wearing out or breaking. This is a big advantage in high-production environments where minimal machine down-time is crucial. The strategically located heat tunnel evenly shrinks film around products in a relatively short amount of time. The tunnel comes complete with a re-circulating air chamber and live roller rod conveyor.