Mounting prints to aluminium composite... How do you do it?

[TammieH]

If you apply one at a time, set up a jig to hold your panel in place and to quickly align your graphics, temporarily tape into place, hinge and apply

Use scraps of your substrate, normally you just need to sides, bottom and right hand side. you can use small bits of masking tape rolled up beneath
your substrate to keep it from sliding around...sometimes on small signs I will tape transfer tape on the table to hold pieces in place.

When you cut your vinyl, cut a border all around the same size as your substrate so there is no measuring needed, saves a bit of time.

 

[PrintItBig]

I cut small orders of aluminum composite with a utility knife, then depending on what type of a job, I either debur by hand or use a router-table set up to trim to size.

Larger orders we cut on a table saw and trim with the router to remove saw cut marks.

I tried cutting some with a Javelin cutter we have here then snapping and the results were quite good apart from the raised edge on the starting side. How do you get rid of this? It seems like rolling it with a metal roller may work?

 

[TammieH]

a deburring tool, sand, or like I said I have a table router set up to trim the bur

Perhaps a steel heavy roller as you mentioned

http://www.directindustry.com/prod/vargus/manual-deburring-tools-16116-554480.html

http://www.amazon.com/Noga-DB1000-S..._indust_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1G78XZQR5ZMNAHMH765D

 

[Stanton]

When you cut your vinyl, cut a border all around the same size as your substrate so there is no measuring needed, saves a bit of time.

You just saved me a bunch of time typing this response.

(I was going to say corners). :Big Laugh

 

[PrintItBig]

If you apply one at a time, set up a jig to hold your panel in place and to quickly align your graphics, temporarily tape into place, hinge and apply

Use scraps of your substrate, normally you just need to sides, bottom and right hand side. you can use small bits of masking tape rolled up beneath
your substrate to keep it from sliding around...sometimes on small signs I will tape transfer tape on the table to hold pieces in place.

When you cut your vinyl, cut a border all around the same size as your substrate so there is no measuring needed, saves a bit of time.

Thanks for this.

These are actually printed graphics that bleed off the edge of the panels. That said, a variation of this should still work, just means the print will end up mounted to the jig as well. But should be able to run a scalpel around it while it's in place or peal the panel away from the jig and trim. Is this what you mean? Ie feed the jig and panel through the laminator together?

I think I may go down this route or the centre hinge method described above. Would still like to know what "tape in place" means with the centre hinge method and how that's done if the print is bigger than the panel?

Thanks.

 

[phototec]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7XCsmVe6I8

I would cut the sub straight to and install the printed graphics onto the sub straight with a slight bleed then trim to the edge of the sub straight after mounting.

The Tyler ruler is a great tool for aligning the printed graphic to the sub straight, see the video.



[video=youtube;T7XCsmVe6I8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7XCsmVe6I8[/video]

It would be easy to make you own clear guide ruler to match your printed Keyline boarders.