Automatic separation of substrates from spacers within a substrate/spacer stack or laminate for use during a hard disk recording media fabrication process. In one example, a delamination apparatus includes a roller or brush configured to rotate while pressing against a flat surface of a substrate at one end of the laminate to peel the substrate from the laminate to expose an adjacent spacer and to then rotate against a flat surface of the spacer to peel the spacer from the laminate to expose another substrate of the laminate. The apparatus also includes a pusher bar configured to push against the opposite end of the laminate to push the laminate against the roller. The pusher bar may be offset from a central longitudinal axis of the laminate. A bath may be provided for submerging the laminate, the pusher, and the roller in a lubricating liquid. Method embodiments are also described.