See all, bind all
We are constantly hearing about the latest speed advancements in the wide-format sector, or the environmental capabilities of LED signage, meaning the humble adhesive can sometimes be overlooked. However, without high performance adhesive tapes and technology in sign-making, there can be adverse consequences.
Each element of signage has a range of adhesive technology designed for a specific purpose in order to produce a successful and safe end product. Often sign structures that are not fit for purpose are not so because of adhesives being used incorrectly. In terms of design, adhesives can also be easily removed without leaving any residue, giving people more flexibility to change up the look of a space.
So, how can these sign failures be avoided, what products are currently on the market, and how is the market driving the development of the products in this sector? We find out by talking to some of the market leaders in adhesive tapes and technology.
Finding the solution
Providing sign-makers with a one-stop-shop for all of their bonding, sealing, and fixing demands is INDASOL, which has ten years of experience in supplying these products to the sign industry.
(Above & below) INDASOL encourages all its customers using UHB tapes to ensure surfaces are clean, dry, and dust free
“The range includes single and two component structural adhesives designed for heavy duty fabrication and fixing, high tack tapes, and foams for general purpose sign making and mounting through to UHB technology designed to replace rivets, welds and screws,” explains Martin Sadler, director of INDASOL.
He notes that UHB tapes are ‘particular exciting’ as they can cope with extreme temperatures and can carry a large amount of weight. The company has also recently launched an environmentally-friendly alternative to Dichloromethane-based products such as Tensol, and has become a distributor for Simple Fix locators. Sadler adds: “From general purpose sign fixing through to more complex fabrication work, we have a product to suit.”
INDASOL has a range of adhesive glues and tapes for sign-makers, ranging from low tack which are removable through to high adhesion for long term bonds
Another company leading the way in the market for adhesives is Innova Solutions, which is constantly expanding its product portfolio. Managing director, Glenn Dunleavey, says: “We’ve recently added two brands to our product range, Alumigraphics and G-Floor, these products offer incredible durability and allow for a number of creative uses. Anything can be printed directly onto them and they eliminate the complexity of needing to be over-laminated, it means you get incredible picture quality with longevity. We’ve seen clients use these for all sorts of situations, suitable for indoor and outdoor use.”
He adds that they create products specifically to solve customers’ problems: “Our range of low surface energy tapes were created after speaking to our clients and finding that bonding materials with low surface energy were often problematic. We found in some situations it wasn’t always possible to abrade the surface so we created Nova-Bond LSE 110B, it provides superior adhesion to irregular substrates.”
Expanding the possibilities available to sign-makers, Doro Tape provides a range of adhesive products. Managing director, James Carpenter, says: “We supply products from manufacturers such as the German company Aslan who have a great expertise in adhesive technologies and produce specialist vinyl films with a variety of different adhesives. This allows printable films to be applied direct to surfaces such brick, concrete, decorated walls and carpet. In turn our customers can then offer their clients a much wider choice of marketing and promotional possibilities.”
This decorative wood vinyl from Doro Tape transforms the walls into a natural looking wood surface
Do the prep
As mentioned above, the incorrect use of adhesives can have seriously damaging effects. In order to overcome this, INDASOL communicate clearly with its customers. Sadler says: “To ensure the best possible performance from our products for each application, we take great care in listening to what our customers are trying to achieve by asking key questions such as what are the substrates? What environment is the sign being exposed to? Are you fabricating in house or on site? And so on.”
To ensure the best possible performance from our products for each application, we take great care in listening to what our customers are trying to achieve by asking key questions”
He goes on to say that preparation is key, such as cleaning the surfaces and using a primer to enhance the bond. He adds: “The fabrication and fixing is sometimes the last thought when designing an installation and we see on many occasions customers desperate for a quick solution. In most cases our experience and knowledge means we can meet these demands, but we do so with care to ensure the correct product is supplied and advice given for optimum performance.”
Dunleavey of Innova Solutions outlines three reasons why bonds fail. Firstly, due to a lack of surface preparation such as abrading and cleaning. Secondly, due to a lack of pressure that is needed to effect a good initial bond, and thirdly, due to using the wrong product. Dunleavey says: “We offer free advice and application surveys in order to prevent problems. We have seen failures where the product used could not possibly be fit-for-purpose and this can result in tapes and adhesive getting a bad name, when it is really operator ignorance or error.”
O Factoid: UHB tapes are used in high performance applications such as outdoor or transport where it can come into contact with moisture, UV, and different temperatures; they are made from an acrylic polymer material. O
He adds: “Today’s adhesive technology is so advanced and can be very surface specific meaning that you cannot take shortcuts if you expect peak performance. Getting the right advice and product and following the application guidelines will provide a consistent and reliable result. It’s not rocket science and we really pride ourselves in making our customer’s life easy.”
Similarly, Doro Tapes’ Carpenter stresses the importance of asking the supplier for advice: “We are here to help the customer make the right decision and offer solutions to finding the right media or tape for the job. Once you have the correct product, follow the application instructions to the letter and always make sure the substrate onto which the application is to be made is clean and dry.”
Doro Tape’s portfolio of sign and display vinyl includes vehicle wrap vinyl, colour change films, and etch glass vinyl
Changing market
INDASOL’s Sadler believes digital print has a large part to play in the development of adhesives tapes and technology. He comments: “Over recent years the sign industry has changed dramatically. Digital print has taken hold, there is now global access to a wider range of substrates and techniques, and the end-consumer is becoming more demanding in the finish, appearance and build quality of their display. This lead to us continually redeveloping some of our products to meet these needs.”
Sadler continues: “For example ACM has been used for a number of years, however over recent years the product has reduced in thickness, the inner core material has changed and the resulting effect is that traditional two-part adhesives for locator bonding create too much heat and can cause distortion. To this end we developed two products that overcome this issue. Another example is quick up and down promotions where a store will have a flash sale that is only in place for a matter of weeks. This requires a completely different technology, so we developed Perm/Peel Tapes. This means an image can be adhered to a wall or window and then removed easily without leaving residue.”
Dunleavey of Innova Solutions has seen demand rocket for more cost-effective, lighter, and thinner gauge substrates. He says: “Adhesives, and tapes in particular, are better suited to bonding thinner materials—as they amortise the bond strength around the taped area and allow differential expansion and contraction—whereas mechanical fasteners focus this on stress points where the substrates are fixed.”
Innova Solutions has added the G-Floor brand to its product range, a clear and flexible PVC product that can be reverse printed
He has also noticed more demand for recycled materials, which has given sign-makers more choice in the substrates they use. Innova has responded to this with the introduction of tapes and adhesives that are solvent-free and do not require GHS hazardous symbols on the labelling.
Carpenter of Doro Tape believes market trends are driven from the ‘bottom up rather than the top down’ as the end user is not aware what is available—whereas the printers are looking at how to maximise output.
“This has definitely been the case with digital print wallpapers for instance,” says Carpenter, who adds: “Once offered to the general public on the internet it has been very popular for bespoke wall decorations. Using digital print to offer bespoke designs for decoration in retail and home will be an increasing trend.”
Using digital print to offer bespoke designs for decoration in retail and home will be an increasing trend”
There are many suppliers in the adhesive sector providing outstanding service and
high performance products, most of which are continually developing to give sign-makers the best products possible. Sadler of Indasol says: “We pride ourselves on high quality products, sensible pricing, technical ability (free on site visits) and understanding the needs of the sign professional.
“We take time to learn about new materials, have relationships with material manufacturers to test them with our products and ultimately provide solutions designed to work in challenging applications. I am pleased and proud to say that our approach is to deliver a sound, economic bonding solution to our customers, providing them with the confidence to win more business.”
Offering guidance and practical advice, Innova Solutions says its mission is to see a project through ‘from inception to completion’. Dunleavey says: “At the core of our ethos is the partnership with the customer. In these modern times of social media and e-mail, we will actually talk to the customer. Avant garde, I know, but actual human interaction is embraced at Innova. The more we understand the customer, and that can be their mission and values down to the person at the other end of the phone, the more we can deliver them a total service package that will delight them and keep them coming back.”
“Today’s adhesive technology is so advanced and can be very surface specific meaning that you cannot take shortcuts if you expect peak performance,” says Innova Solutions, managing director, Glenn Dunleavey
On top of going the extra mile and giving great service, Carpenter from Doro Tape says the company’s stand out feature is its range of specialist films that complement standard coloured films and digital print media. Carpenter adds: “Plus we have the expert product knowledge to assist our customers in their choice of materials.”
Innova Solutions, managing director, Glenn Dunleavey argues that, “getting the right advice and product and following the application guidelines will provide a consistent and reliable result.”
So, after talking to experts in the sector, it is clear that there are logical steps to avoiding sign failures such as ensuring the substrate is dry, clean, and primed. There are a range of innovative products on the market such as floor graphics and vinyls that can be used in more creative ways than ever before, and factors such as digital media and the environment are continuously driving the sector forward. What will be interesting now is to see how this sector will evolve over the next ten years and beyond.
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