Monomeric Laminate on Polymeric Vinyl ?? First newbie Error!

[burzek]

Hi Everyone,

I've just started in the sign industry and have done my first mistake laminating a Monomeric Laminate onto Polymeric Vinyl.

I have learnt from Google that monomeric and polymeric behave different hence not to mix the two.

However given I have already done it, and the sign is quite large at 2400mm x 1200mm, I am writing to see if anyone has seen a job with this combination and if so, what will happen and are the effects immediate?
i.e. Will it be good enough to last a few years as it is, or should I throw it out and re-do the job.

The sign is outside in full sun for a few hours each day.

Thank you.

 

[gabagoo]

Oddly enough I have never even thought about this issue regarding laminates...only cast vs calendered

 

[Bly]

Monomeric usually shrinks more than poly so unless you wrap around the edges you might see a dark line of fluff around the edge where the lam shrinks back leaving glue.
It just doesn't have the lifespan either so you may find it just failing totally before the print vinyl.
If it's a permanent sign I'd redo it.

 

[Sign Works]

So you have an economy grade calendered laminate on a high performance calendered vinyl print on a permanent exterior sign. Call me crazy but I only use cast vinyls on long term exterior applications.

 

[player]

I never hear those terms before. Glad to see the new guy is thorough.

 

[FrankW]

With the monomeric laminate, you have reduced the properties of the polymeric vinyl to the properties of the monomeric laminate. according to durability, shrinking, processing and so on now the monomeric laminate is the last link of the chain. And specially when thinking about shrinking, using a media and a laminate who have different shrinking factors can lead to strange effects.

 

[Filmpro]

The monomeric plasticizer will migrate to the polymeric plasticized film. So you will see excessive shrinkage of the monomeric film over time and possibly swelling of the polymeric film. Your adhesive of the laminate will soften and probably that of the base film too. You might see Separation between the two films and possibly cracking of the laminate as result of volume shrinkage. I have seen a lot of examples of people doing it the other way around (polymeric on monomeric), specially in Australia (don't know why, it just happens to be so). In that case the effects show up more dramatic with excessive swelling of the laminate. I don't know where the material will be used but in combination with higher temperatures I would not take the risk.

 

[gabagoo]

None of my distributors of laminates have ever described their products as mono or poly. I will assume I have been using mono for all calendered applications.

 

[AF]

Oracal requires the use of cast lam on polymeric cal.

 

[synergy_jim]

if it's flat, you may be ok.

 

[MikePro]

good stuff on top, makes the crap beneath it better.

crap on top, makes the good stuff beneath it crappier.