What exactly is engineering grade reflective?

[gabagoo]

is it like a cast vinyl or a calendered? not sure which laminate to use

 

[Speedsterbeast]

Engineering grade refers to the reflectivity only. Not the material. I know of Engineer Grade, Hi-Intensity, & Diamond Prismatic Florescent- In that order from low to high- At least that's what it was in Canada when I used to sell construction products including signs.

 

[gabagoo]

Engineering grade refers to the reflectivity only. Not the material. I know of Engineer Grade, Hi-Intensity, & Diamond Prismatic Florescent- In that order from low to high- At least that's what it was in Canada when I used to sell construction products including signs.

OK so if I buy a 15" engineering grade reflective from ND graphics for a 12" x 18" park sign...would it be ok to use a 3ml clear lam on the graphics or do I need to use a cast laminate? I am more concerned with shrinkage rates and not sure if reflective even shrinks at all

 

[Speedsterbeast]

You'd have to look at the specs of the vinyl to determine that. The supplier should be able to recommend the proper lam.

 

[2B]

are the designs full color?
if it is single color why the need for lamination?
Assuming you will be using plotter translucent vinyl.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

It's Engineer Grade not Engineering grade. It will not shrink at all. Cast laminate should be used but you could use calendared depending on the lifetime. We usually don't laminate with a plain cast or calendared we usually use 3M 1160 which is a antiGraffitti lam.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Also each company will differ slightly but here is the 3M version.

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/...er-grade-work-zone-sheeting.pdf?fn=PBCW80.pdf

 

[player]

I thought engineering grade was for flat surfaces. There are different lifespans from 3 years to 7 years. Reflective shrinks, but it cracks all over instead of holding together and shrinking at the edges.

 

[Suz]

Avery T-6500 - Got some of this...

You'd have to look at the specs of the vinyl to determine that. The supplier should be able to recommend the proper lam.

Got a roll of:

Avery Dennison® T-6500Very High Intensity Grade Reflective SheetingPermanent Traffic SignagePressure Sensitive Adhesive for AluminumData Bulletin # T-6500Revised 10/2003PDB # T-6500 —Page 1Answer Line: 800-443-9380Description:Avery Dennison T-6500 Very High Intensity Grade Reflective Sheeting is a high-quality, durable micro-prismaticretroreflective material. Its unique prismatic construction provides an extra high level of reflectivity for demanding trafficcontrol situations. Exceeds applicable requirements for very high intensity grade sheeting applications for Types III andIV retroreflective sheeting as set forth in ASTM D 4956.

Pretty bright stuff!