Speed up wrap installation

[HulkSmash]

4 Of us use to do 80ft by 11 ft transit trains in 4 hrs. 2 a day.

 

[ColoPrinthead]

Ya know, I see these trucks all the time. It's been about 4 or 5 years and they still look great. No tenting or lifting or anything wrong I can see. For this particular customer, we tend to do the majority of their interior work and another company does their exterior work and this truck work came from someone else. In fact, they aren't from around here at all. They come in for a week or so, do a buncha trucks, then onto their next job. They're in a different city/town almost every week. No home life to speak of, according to them. And they do post heat the whole thing. Not to mention, they did it outside, under a huge tent or canopy.

Sounds like a circus to me

 

[CL Visual]

average time for 2 sides and rear of a 26' box is 6 hours once cleaned. With 2 good installers keeping each other motivated, they can get at least 3 a day done.

 

[Patrick Klein]

Getting more into fleet graphics and wanting to cut down on installation time. Specifically, large trailers and box trucks. I'd like to share our procedure and hope to hear what others are doing and gain some efficiency. For the example, you have (20) 27' box trucks sitting in your lot, they all get the same graphics, you have 1 install bay that you can get all the way around the trailer with plenty of space, 2 installers. (in our situation, 1 installer isn't as proficient as the other)

Our procedure:
Both installers start cleaning, prepping. Once enough of 1 side has been prepped to allow 2 panels to be installed, both installers align the graphics on first panel, double check measurements and squareness (we print alignment marks in the bleed area to help speed this up). Once aligned, lead installer starts laying vinyl as other installer continues cleaning. Lead installer is able to continue on wrapping, when other installer is finished cleaning, he then follows the lead installer doing rivets and trimming. Lead installer will finish laying down all the vinyl before the rivets and trimming is done, so now both installers rivet and trim until finished.

Other info: Wraps are printed on oracal 3751RA/ 290 laminate, we do not tape our panels. We use 4" geek wrap and similar squeegees (would like to try the bill collector 7"). We use a rolling scafold, rolling staircase and ladders(considering the purchase of scissor lift(s)). For rivets we leave a channel, torch and rolle pro.

For reference a 27' box truck takes us 10-12 hours with 2 people, 20-24 total hours. I'd like to get this cut down to 16 total hours or less so we can bang 1 out a day, I think it's reasonable.

Anybody see any time savings, tips, better tools, etc?? How does your procedure differ?

We do a lot of box truck graphics. There are 2 of us, both professional installers. I am a 3M preferred installer. Each of us do a side at a time. We use rivet brushes for rivets. I use a 16' plank and ladders so we don't have to move for 4 panels. Takes us 4 hours to complete a unit.

 

[HulkSmash]

average time for 2 sides and rear of a 26' box is 6 hours once cleaned. With 2 good installers keeping each other motivated, they can get at least 3 a day done.

damn your 2 guys working 18 hrs a day? lol

 

[equippaint]

damn your 2 guys working 18 hrs a day? lol

I would assume he meant 1 guy 6 hours, 2 guys 3 hours

 

[HulkSmash]

nah he said 2 per unit

 

[signman315]

I don't know about anybody else but I'm no good for an 18 hour day every day lol. Maybe once in awhile under a pinch but not year round, year after year! Cheers to all and good weekend to all!

 

[equippaint]

nah he said 2 per unit

No, theres a period and then they say with 2 good installers. "average time for 2 sides and rear of a 26' box is 6 hours once cleaned. With 2 good installers keeping each other motivated, they can get at least 3 a day done."
we can argue this all day. With 3 people, it ill take half a day.

 

[HulkSmash]

so it's 2 guys. Per unit. got it.

 

[Gino]

So, if there were 3 guys, would it be done in 2 hours or an hour and a half ?? If you got 6 guys who were all good, you could knock it out an hour ?? How does this new math work ?? How can you justify spending all that money, if it's in after breakfast and done before lunch ?? Sheesh..... now I hafta get my abacus out, to figure all this nonsense out.

 

[Annette Asberg]

Getting more into fleet graphics and wanting to cut down on installation time. Specifically, large trailers and box trucks. I'd like to share our procedure and hope to hear what others are doing and gain some efficiency. For the example, you have (20) 27' box trucks sitting in your lot, they all get the same graphics, you have 1 install bay that you can get all the way around the trailer with plenty of space, 2 installers. (in our situation, 1 installer isn't as proficient as the other)

Our procedure:
Both installers start cleaning, prepping. Once enough of 1 side has been prepped to allow 2 panels to be installed, both installers align the graphics on first panel, double check measurements and squareness (we print alignment marks in the bleed area to help speed this up). Once aligned, lead installer starts laying vinyl as other installer continues cleaning. Lead installer is able to continue on wrapping, when other installer is finished cleaning, he then follows the lead installer doing rivets and trimming. Lead installer will finish laying down all the vinyl before the rivets and trimming is done, so now both installers rivet and trim until finished.

Other info: Wraps are printed on oracal 3751RA/ 290 laminate, we do not tape our panels. We use 4" geek wrap and similar squeegees (would like to try the bill collector 7"). We use a rolling scafold, rolling staircase and ladders(considering the purchase of scissor lift(s)). For rivets we leave a channel, torch and rolle pro.

For reference a 27' box truck takes us 10-12 hours with 2 people, 20-24 total hours. I'd like to get this cut down to 16 total hours or less so we can bang 1 out a day, I think it's reasonable.

Anybody see any time savings, tips, better tools, etc?? How does your procedure differ?

Hi Signed Out
Just wonder how you do Alignment Marks in the bleed to match them up? Is it possible to send a picture of that so I can see how you do it?
Does not the marks show?

 

[Signed Out]

Hi Signed Out
Just wonder how you do Alignment Marks in the bleed to match them up? Is it possible to send a picture of that so I can see how you do it?
Does not the marks show?

Marks would go in the bleed area which gets trimmed off top and bottom. It's not perfect because those areas don't remain perfectly flat. And the material stretches some as you apply it, so the next panel usually appears a little short upon alignment. Was suggested to us recently to trim the top of your panels so there is no bleed, and just hang them flush with the top of the aluminum on the trailers and align visually from there. Going to give this a try.

 

[CL Visual]

damn your 2 guys working 18 hrs a day? lol

one guy, 6 hours on a truck.