Carbon fibre wrapping and vinyl types explained

Here we are going to talk about Carbon Wrapping and the different types of vinyls on the market including the different material makeup and manufacturing processes.

The possibilities with vinyl wrapping are endless.  There are 100's of different types of wrap films on the market, including 3D carbon fibre effect pictured above.  Here is a case study of the application and finished results of carbon fibre door mirror wraps, handle wraps and fuel filler cap wrap.    Wrapping can be done using a pre coloured vinyl, or a full colour wrap can also be produced using a full colour print process.  Full colour vehicle wraps are produced by starting with a standard white cast film. A design will be produced to a customers specification and then printed onto the vinyl using a high resolution solvent printer.  Once the wrap vinyl has been printed the vinyl is stood for up to 48 hours to let the solvent gasses evaporate, after which a matching clear uv-protecting over-laminate is installed over the finished printed vinyl.

In this case study we are using a high quality 'Cast' 3D effect carbon fibre vinyl. (We will explain the different vinyl types below).    The carbon vinyl looks really realistic and once installed is very effective and with a 3D texture really adds to the visual impact.  'Cast' is a term used for the highest quality vinyl films on the market.  'Cast' relates to the way the vinyl film is produced on the production line.  A 'Cast' film is a top of the range vinyl and is very time consuming and difficult to produce hence the cost for producing a 'Cast' film is sometimes more than 4 times the cost of a standard vinyl film.


Different vinyl types:

Calendared vinyls:

Calendared vinyl are produced by being 'extruded' and formed with heat and pressure through rollers. Calendared vinyls are less stable than cast films as these films have been formed and have a 'memory'.  This memory means that if you try and mould or heat/stretch into a recess, over a short period of time the vinyl will shrink and try and move back to its original shape.




Different calendared types:

Monomeric:  Monomeric film is an entry level vinyl.  This film uses plasticisers with short molecule size.  The shorter molecule chains make this vinyl less conformable (less Stretchy) and in time a monomeric can become brittle. Suitable for application to flat surfaces only.  This vinyl will not conform to curves.  Over time a monomeric will shrink slighly which can be seen when applied to a sign panel.  Over time a white line around the signage panel will be visible.

Monomeric adhesives: Generally on these low cost films the adhesive will be water based, a few and more expensive monomeric films will use a solvent adhesive.  A water based solvent can cause problems which trying to remove the vinyl once applied.  Over a period of months the water based glue breaks down and when you start to peel the vinyl from say a vehicle most of the glue will be left behind on the vehicle. This means a lot of elbow grease and chemicals will need to be used to break down the glue and remove it from the surface which can be difficult and time consuming.

Standard external life expectancy of a monomeric vinyl  is between 2-4 years.

Polymeric:  Featuring more high quality plasticisers and large molecule chains this vinyl, a polymeric, will tackle slight contours and curves so is slightly conformable to shapes.  A good polymeric film should have over 50% less shrinkage than a monomeric film.   If applied properly a good quality polymeric vinyl is more stable than a monomeric film and is less likely to pull back out of recesses over time.

Polymeric adhesives:  Polymeric adhesive is nearly all solvent based.  This means that the glue has a longer life expectancy and even if a polymeric has been applied to a vehicle for over 5 years, using a little heat the vinyl should remove leaving no glue or residue,

 Standard external life expectancy is between 5-8 years.


Cast vinyls for use on vehicle wraps:

Cast vinyls are mostly used for producing vehicle wraps or when a premium film is needed.
Cast or 'casting' refers to the manufacturing process.  Cast films are highly stable and conformable and can stretch upto 50% larger than the original size.  Cast films and generally softer and more malleable than a calendared vinyl and in most cases are upto 50% thinner than a calendared film.  A cast vinyl is generally more more shiny and glossy compared to its calendared underdogs.

The liquified plastic resin is sprayed onto a high quality silicon coated backing paper.  Rather than being pulled and stretched through rollers the cast is then left to settle on the paper and form naturally.  This is why when you hold a piece of cast vinyl up to a light there is a slight randomness to the texture and thickness which can be seem under close examination.   Due to the lack of mechanical or thermal force used to create a cast film means that the film has no memory.  This means that when pushing into a deep recess the vinyl should stay.  Once the vinyl is in the recess we then 'bake' or 'superheat' the vinyl setting the memory on the vehicle.

Adhesive:  Adhesives used are always solvent-based and of the highest quality.

Standard external life expectancy is normally 8-10+ years.

In this picture we are carefully trimming away the excess cast vinyl once we are happy with the application to the surface.

Installation of the carbon fibre cast is not recommended by a novice.  These vinyls are expensive costing upwards of £45 per square metre.  Installation by an experienced wrap technician is essential to make the finished job not just look good once applied, but that it stays looking good for years to come.   Most signage companies are used to installing standard type vinyl decals to vehicles.  Even though a wrap film is still vinyl, the installation is completely different.  Most novice signmakers make the mistake of over stretching the wrap vinyl.  Even though once installed the vinyl does stay in a recess over time - if stretched too much the vinyl will start to bubble of peel away from the vehicle.

'Superheating' or 'baking' is essential once the vinyl installed.  Here we are setting the memory of the film to stop the vinyl popping out of the recess

For more information on Vehicle Graphics and Vehicle Wrapping, give the experts a visit at:

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Call now, 01253 851 106

Full colour wrap for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

We were recently commissioned to do a full colour exterior and interior wrap of a double decker bus for the Royal Zooloigcal Society of Scotland (RZSS for short) Phew! say that after a couple down the local!

We have wrapped various large vehicles over the years including double decker buses.  This one though was much more tricky as they required a large amount of the vinyl to be applied to the interior featuring a very impressive (if we do say so ourselves) waterfall staircase.

Stage 1.  Create scaled drawing of the exterior of the bus.  Normally a standard wrap on a normal vehicle ie a car or van is generally easy as we have access to 1000's of templates already on our system.  This one however was much more challenging.  We first had to take many measurements,  going so far as to take dimensions of window rubber thicknesses, grills, lights, etc etc.....  Then we had to put all this information into the computer and create a workable scaled technical drawing.
 

Stage 2.  If stage 1 wasn't hard enough we then had to create drawings of all the dash board, staircases, doors, ceilings.  Bearing in mind that these are all 3d objects which would have to all join together to make one seamless image.  From recollection the staircase was made up of over 40 sections including returns, ceilings and many parts that cannot be shown on the pictures due to the camera angle (See image below of finished staircase)

 

Stage 3.  We had to send all created templates over to the RZSS artwork derpartment for them to create the artworks to our precise specification.

Stage 4.  Once we had received all the artwork we then started cropping and tiling the graphics, breaking them up into sections or as we call tiles.  Sending each part to the printer all labelled up and print outs produced which enabled the installation team to work out what part goes where and in which position.

Stage 5.  Once all files were printed (which took almost 2 days of constant printing) it was time to laminate the graphics.  Lamination occurs approximately 48 hours after printing, leaving enough time for the solvent print gasses to settle and disperse.

Stage 6.  External Installation.  It took a team of  2 of our expert fitters 5 days to complete the external wrap.  Most wraps on buses are on for only a short time but as this was a promotional vehicle which would be used for years to come the finish had to be more precise which adds more time to the installation.

Stage 7.  Internal installation.  As the external installation, this was a slow process and took the 2 man team 5 days to install.  The internal graphics were much more tricky to fit and this reflects in the time taken.

Here are some facts and stats about the job:

Fact a: The complete job from start to finish took 215 man hours to produce. (Excluding Graphic design by a third party)

Fact b: Print time was 17 hours

Fact c: Square metre of vinyl = 231sq m

Fact d:  Length of vinyl 180m or 590feet  (to put into perspective, Blackpool Tower is 518feet)

Fact e: Material Weight including vinyl, laminate and ink = 180kg  (approx weight of a modern 1000cc sports bike)

Fact f:  Total ink usage 5.42 litres

Blackpool Signs and Graphics Ltd.

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Unit 5 Brookside Centre

Red Marsh Industrial Estate

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire FY5 4HD

Tel: 01253 851 106

Full Colour Banner Printing

We can produce full colour digitally printed banners at any size.  Here's one we have printed for a regular customer at size 7.5m x 1.2m.

Being a full colour digitally printed banner product, we can print images and any effect you would like.

Our colour banners are printed onto a premium heavy duty PVC Banner material and come fully hemmed and eyeletted ready for use.

We can produce banners with pole pockets (think lamp post or scaffolding banners) and even with spaces for changeable information such as dates or prices.

Vehicle Wrap - Supra Twin Turbo for Blackpool Wraps

Check out one of our recent jobs - a Toyota Supra full colour wrap.

Here's the vehicle before we worked our magic...

We wanted to create an eye-catching and traffic-stopping example of our wrapping skills.

This project used approximately 21 square metres of cast vinyl wrap and took 3 days to complete including cleaning, preparation and installation.

Stage 1: Design

Graphic design of the artwork to the MD's demanding brief and production of visuals.

Stage 2: Artwork Pre-Press

Final measurements of the vehicle and adjustment of the printed sections.

Stage 3: Graphics Production

High quality printing at 1440dpi on premium cast wrap vinyl, left to 'outgas' for 48 hours, then laminated with matching premium clear cast for UV, scratch and chemical protection.

Stage 4: Vehicle Cleaning

Deep clean of all vehicle bodywork using jetwash and Traffic Film Remover - to remove all dirt, grime, wax, oils, silicone and general age-related build-up.

Treatment and cleaning of all exposed surfaces with methylated spirits, including wheel arches, door rims, gaps, fuel cap - in fact anywhere that the wrap will need to adhere to.

Final deep clean using isopropanol alcohol of all surfaces.

Stage 5: De-trimming

Removal of all external trims, including window rubbers, door mirrors, washer jets, head and tail lights, indicators, bumpers, spoilers, arch trims, decals and badges.

Stage 6: Tea Break

Kettle on, feet up. Beverages prepared and consumed by the thirsty team.

Stage 7: Wrap Installation

This is where the hard work begins. Application of wrap system section by section, using heat guns, squeegees, elbow grease and years of experience. Check the video below.

Stage 8: Trim Re-fitting

Re-fitting of all vehicle trim and parts

 

We hope you enjoy our timelapse video below...

For more information on Vehicle Graphics and Vehicle Wrapping, give the experts a visit at:

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Call now, 01253 851 106

The Changing Face of Vehicle Graphics

Only 20 years ago, when I started in the signs & graphics business, vehicle graphics were very very different from what they are today.

Traditional signwriters were still earning a good living with brush and paint - mostly highly trained artists with years of training. But, the revolution in vinyl cut graphics was already well under way.

Vinyl graphics lasted longer and were easily removed once the vehicle was sold. Vinyl cut lettering and logos could also be produced by almost anybody with the right equipment. Traditional signwriters almost all moved with the times and invested in computers and vinyl cutting plotters.

Over the last 20 years the market for vinyl cut vehicle lettering and logos has become saturated - set-up equipment can now be purchased for under £1000. In many areas of the UK sign companies are competing intensively, often quoting as little as £100 or less for producing and fitting vehicle graphics.

Over the last 10 years a new revolution in 'vehicle wrapping' has hit the market. A 'wrap' usually covers the entire vehicle and is made from very high performance cast printed vinyl. The effects are stunning, head-turning and eye-catching.

Successful wraps require clever graphic design, high quality consumables, high quality vinyl printing equipment and  - most importantly - experience, skill and expertise in fitting.

In a way, the industry has come full circle. What was once the domain of qualified, experienced and trained craftsmen - traditional signwriters - is now returning to a domain of qualified, experienced and trained craftsmen - wrap printers and fitters.

Years ago fleet managers would purchase vehicles already sprayed in a corporate colour (think yellow British Telecom vans or red Post Office vans), and then have them signwritten or have vinyl lettering and logos applied.

Resale value after several years would suffer from two reasons, 1) Scratches and stone chips on the bodywork and 2) Vehicles were often a non-standard colour.

Wrapping a vehicle changes this completely. Vehicles can now be purchased as white, then fully wrapped in corporate livery. A good quality wrap will resist scratches, scrapes and chips and moreover can be completely removed prior to resale - leaving pristine 'fresh from the factory' bodywork to impress potential buyers.

For more information on Vehicle Graphics and Vehicle Wrapping, give the experts a visit at:

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Call now, 01253 851 106