High-speed in-line cold laminating unit

A high-speed cold laminating system comprising:

• a lamination unit configured for inline use connected with a paper feeder, the lamination unit having an entrance configured to receive a plurality of individual paper sheets provided in a continuous stream from the paper feeder at a page rate of at least 30 pages per minute, the lamination unit further including an exit, a set of unheated laminating pressure rollers along a laminating path between the entrance and the exit, and a cutter provided between the set of laminating pressure rollers and the exit;
• a motor connected to drive rotation of the set of laminating pressure rollers;
• a diverter gate operable between a first position that passes sheets of the plurality of individual paper sheets to the laminating path, and a second position that passes sheets of the plurality of individual paper sheets to the exit without passing along the laminating path;
• and
• a controller operably connected to control the motor, the diverter gate, and a plurality of functions of the lamination unit,
• wherein the controller is programmed to control the motor to pause the set of pressure rollers with a leading sheet of the plurality of individual paper sheets therein while a subsequent sheet of the plurality of individual paper sheets is conveyed along the laminating path toward the set of laminating pressure rollers so that a laminated spacing distance between a trailing edge of the leading sheet and a leading edge of the subsequent sheet is equal to a prescribed spacing distance.