Milk Truck Lettering

[Stacey K]

Hello, I'm working on a quote for a couple milk trucks - new account. I've applied vinyl in the past to stainless steel without troubles - but not to milk trucks. This company currently has lettering on their trucks and have been having issues with the vinyl peeling off the stainless tanks. From the looks of the job, I'm going to say their previous sign installer did not prep the surface correctly. I say this because there are vinyl letters over seams so that the back of the letters over seams are not even sticking to anything...just waiting to crack and peel. I know that these milk trucks get washed daily and the stainless has an oily finish when new, any tips, material suggestions, etc. would be appreciated. There is no printed vinyl, just solid colored cut vinyl. Thank you!

 

[Cory Marcin]

We use Scotchcal 220 for this application.
Motomark is a pretty serious adhesive if you need something stronger.

 

[The Sign Goddess]

I've never had an issue with it peeling and have done several for a local company over the years. In fact, removal is tough as it seems to bond really well to the smooth surface. We use scotchcal 220 as well.
We have a very thorough cleaning process before installation.

 

[TrustMoore_TN]

Former Dairy Farmer here... Those trucks are not just washed with industrial soaps... They get washed with very high temperature/ high pressure water, detergents and sanitizers. Its not unusual for the chemicals used to wash the inside of the tanks to be splashed or sprayed onto the outside surfaces as well. In the dairy itself, we used smaller holding tanks for the milk until the tankers transported it to the processing plant. The chemicals we used were corrosive as hell. I kinda doubt that there would be any oily finish on the tankers even if they are recently new. Its the corrosive chemicals used to clean as well as the high temperature/high pressure washes that they go through. I feel like you're going have a hard time finding a vinyl/laminate combination that will work. Especially over the seams because those chemicals will get behind the vinyl.

I found this link for guidelines on cleaning the tankers... it's $8.50, but that's a small price to pay to know what you're dealing with. It should list recommended chemicals to use.
https://www.dairypc.org/catalog/gui...ning-sanitation-bulk-pickup-transport-tankers

Also- here is a document that list the chemicals that are used to clean dairy equipment...
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jestft/papers/vol8-issue6/Version-3/H08634144.pdf

Good Luck with it...

 

[jfiscus]

I know you mentioned cut vinyl, but we have been using 3M IJ180mC-10SLS which is made specifically for installing on stainless. (8519 laminate) See if your rep can get you a sample roll and do a print/cut.

 

[Stacey K]

Former Dairy Farmer here... Those trucks are not just washed with industrial soaps... They get washed with very high temperature/ high pressure water, detergents and sanitizers. Its not unusual for the chemicals used to wash the inside of the tanks to be splashed or sprayed onto the outside surfaces as well. In the dairy itself, we used smaller holding tanks for the milk until the tankers transported it to the processing plant. The chemicals we used were corrosive as hell. I kinda doubt that there would be any oily finish on the tankers even if they are recently new. Its the corrosive chemicals used to clean as well as the high temperature/high pressure washes that they go through. I feel like you're going have a hard time finding a vinyl/laminate combination that will work. Especially over the seams because those chemicals will get behind the vinyl.

I found this link for guidelines on cleaning the tankers... it's $8.50, but that's a small price to pay to know what you're dealing with. It should list recommended chemicals to use.
https://www.dairypc.org/catalog/gui...ning-sanitation-bulk-pickup-transport-tankers

Also- here is a document that list the chemicals that are used to clean dairy equipment...
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jestft/papers/vol8-issue6/Version-3/H08634144.pdf

Good Luck with it...

This is great! Thank you so much, I really appreciate this!

 

[Stacey K]

I know you mentioned cut vinyl, but we have been using 3M IJ180mC-10SLS which is made specifically for installing on stainless. (8519 laminate) See if your rep can get you a sample roll and do a print/cut.

I will do that! Thank you for the information!

 

[TrustMoore_TN]

This is great! Thank you so much, I really appreciate this!

Anytime!

 

[HandsomeBob]

My Fellers rep came in day before yesterday and showed me a sample of 3M - IJ180-10SLS which is designed for application to stainless steel.

Serendipity like this has got to be investigated.