Question Oracal vinyl problems

[Jeff]

Hello, I have not posted on here for quite some time. For those that don't know or remember I have been in the sign business for almost 40 years and have been cutting vinyl for a long time. I had major problems with the Avery vinyl failure of 2004.

I have been a long time Oracal user before and after the Avery event.

I use 651 for short term stuff, older used vehicles and such. Mostly 751 and some 951 on long term stuff and new vehicles.

I will say I have seen what I think is premature failure (cracking on the inside corners) on ALL Oracal series for a long time, but it seems to be getting out of control.

Today I spotted a 651 vehicle job that is less than a year old that is cracking badly.

Is anyone else seeing this?

I'm ready to get away from Oracal. During the 2004 Avery mess I tried switching to 3M but just didn't like it for many reasons. I'm not giddy about going back to Avery.

What are you using and having good luck with?

 

[Gino]

I take it, we're talking die-cut and not digital based upon those numbers.

Use a lotta Oracal here. Some 3M also. Perhaps, make sure your cutter isn't cutting too deep into your inside corners creating bad cuts to begin with. Are you using the same software and cutters as you were 20 and 30 years ago ?? Might be time to have them calibrated/adjusted or maybe new ones.

 

[unclebun]

We've stuck with Avery and really haven't experienced the problems that people seem so afraid of. Although we use 3M cast equally as much as Avery cast, for calendared I much prefer Avery 750 over 3M. My problem with Oracal goes way, way back, to the mid 1990's when we had problems with it.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I've actually got 651 on my truck and aside from paint drips and overspray, it's looking fine after just over 1 year. Havn't come across and 651 prematurely failing

 

[SheBeau]

Just curious... with the -20F winter, do you think the extreme weather conditions had anything to do with it?

 

[3Dsigns]

Hello, I have not posted on here for quite some time. For those that don't know or remember I have been in the sign business for almost 40 years and have been cutting vinyl for a long time. I had major problems with the Avery vinyl failure of 2004.

I have been a long time Oracal user before and after the Avery event.

I use 651 for short term stuff, older used vehicles and such. Mostly 751 and some 951 on long term stuff and new vehicles.

I will say I have seen what I think is premature failure (cracking on the inside corners) on ALL Oracal series for a long time, but it seems to be getting out of control.

Today I spotted a 651 vehicle job that is less than a year old that is cracking badly.

Is anyone else seeing this?

I'm ready to get away from Oracal. During the 2004 Avery mess I tried switching to 3M but just didn't like it for many reasons. I'm not giddy about going back to Avery.

What are you using and having good luck with?

Had a large job done in "high performance" 751 which faded, cracked all over within 18 months and Oracal would not make it right. I use 3M now.

 

[MikePro]

if you're exploring your options, HUGE fan of Arlon vinyls.
that being said, I also use Oracal vinyls and I'm in the same region..... haven't had a failure yet. Although I don't use any of their calendared products.

 

[Jeff]

Weather, temps and the products that they put on our roads for snow and ice these days could certainly play a part I would think. We do have extreme temp changes here from winter to summer sometimes day to day. I try to keep vehicles inside my heated shop for at least several hours to a day after application in the winter.

My software is as up to date as can be (Signlab 10) and my plotter is not out of date and seems to cut fine.

I almost always round the inside and outside corners on everything I cut .01" - .02" depending on the size of the letter or graphic.

I almost always setup the cut of the plotter. In other words I dictate where the plotter starts cutting on each letter . . . never on an inside corner.

I clean everything with Rapid products (prep and Tac) I even clean with Tac on each layer before applying the next. Always apply dry . . . never wet.

Just yesterday I spotted a 3.5 year old 3M 5100 series reflective job applied over 951 that is severely cracked on all the inside corners. Is this just the norm . . . not holding up anywhere close to the factory "expected" life . . . I realize they ALL manufactures state "up to" in regard to warranty.

I have several jobs with 651 and a few 751 prematurely cracking (different colors)

Does anyone else see this premature cracking on any of their cut vinyl work ?

 

[Jeff]

if you're exploring your options, HUGE fan of Arlon vinyls.
that being said, I also use Oracal vinyls and I'm in the same region..... haven't had a failure yet. Although I don't use any of their calendared products.

if you're exploring your options, HUGE fan of Arlon vinyls.
that being said, I also use Oracal vinyls and I'm in the same region..... haven't had a failure yet. Although I don't use any of their calendared products.

Thanks for the input. I am exploring my options.

 

[Gino]

Okay, so there's evidently, no equipment failure possibly causing this, so there could be some other factors.

• Is there any particular area that is failing, like sides vs. hoods ??
• You mentioned various colors.... are the colors light or dark ??
• What color are the vehicles ?? Light or dark ??
• And we are talking about vehicles you lettered, not someone else in a neighboring town or whatnot ??

 

[bannertime]

We use the Briteline Cut Vinyls for a majority of our cut vinyl work and have never seen cracking before the 5 year mark. Been using it since 2010ish. I've got an exterior south facing sign that's been up since 2012 and after wiping it down, it looks new. No cracking. Very odd actually.

 

[woolly]

Had a large job done in "high performance" 751 which faded, cracked all over within 18 months and Oracal would not make it right. I use 3M now.

had exactly the same in the uk but only the metallics 751 silver gray gold the higher up the side the worse it was bonnet and boot disasters, had more luck talking to the garage door than oracal, the thing i put it down to was very poor UV resistance (uk weather remember not Florida) some of it went bad after 10 mts...
over the many years been let down by avery arlon oracal non with a satisfactory outcome.