Stick 'em up
Every now and then, in the trade press of the sign industry, we have to report on unfortunate events. On stories of accidents and injuries, of unsuspecting pedestrians hit by falling signs, and of the ensuing court cases that arise. While these may make for sensational headlines, such stories are of course unpleasant and unhelpful for the industry.
They are also avoidable. If the correct procedures are followed and quality products used, no sign should unexpectedly come apart. This is the message from some of the key manufacturers and suppliers to the sign market: avoid the (potentially) cheaper, lower-quality alternatives from outside the industry, and instead invest in specialist dedicated technology.
Stick it to them
One of the largest and most established players in the tapes and adhesives market is, of course, 3M. Senior marketing executive Jennie Gould explains that the firm takes pride in developing new and innovative products, based on a close analysis of what is happening in the market: “We don’t just offer tapes or adhesives; we have the whole bonding continuum available to our customers. It is a wide range that suits the signage market perfectly, and, as such, we can offer the best solution based on the specific needs of the customer.
She continues: “It is the guidance and support we provide that really sets us apart from the competition. We work with many of our customers from the earliest design stages, so we can fully understand their needs, start to finish, and support them in suggesting the right product for the right application.”
One such product that 3M has recently introduced is, what the firm calls, the next generation of 3M VHB tapes. Carmel Saville, marketing executive at First Stop Packaging, comments on the subject: “Regardless of weight, size, and shape, signage has one specific thing in common—its structural integrity is always top priority.
3M recently launched the latest addition to the 3M VHB range, the GPH series, which it describes as the next generation of VHB tapes
“Reliability, durability, and strength are crucial. The use of technical tapes throughout the sign industry is a well-known and accepted practice and thanks to tapes such as 3M VHB (very high bond tape), the most complex of designs are now achievable.”
Saville claims the range provides a strong alternative to mechanical fasteners such as rivets, bolts, screws, and welding, due to its high strength, shock absorbing abilities, and its ability to distribute stress evenly.
She continues: “Last year, 3M launched the latest addition to the 3M VHB family, the GPH series. The next generation VHB tapes have been designed for bonding product parts with precision, ease, reliability, and strength.”
Commenting on the capabilities of this recent launch, Steven Michaels, technical manager, says: “3M GPH has quite simply become a runaway success, its high initial grab and multi-material bonding capability makes it stand out from the crowd. The ability to bond metals with ease and then go through a powder coating operation are pretty unique, it solves a lot of problems for our customers.”
Yet the people from 3M are keen to make clear that it is the support and guidance they offer, as much as the products, that provides value to customers.
A helping hand
This support seems to be a key feature of the tapes and adhesive market. Martin Sadler, director of INDASOL is similarly insistent of its importance. He comments: “At INDASOL we offer a free of charge on-site service to all of the sign industry. We will look at their applications and advise on the best bonding methods and products completely free of charge.
Martin Sadler of INDASOL says the company offers a free of charge on-site service to all of the sign industry
“We slit all of our products in-house, so can tailor our tapes, foams, and UHB’s to suit the application. It is our goal to ensure all of our customers have the products they need and not just a shelf full of tapes and adhesives they don’t understand. We provide workshops, training, and also application guides to help our customers, but we are always there to offer assistance either over the phone or face to face.”
It is this targeted, bespoke support that you do not get if you buy tapes and adhesives online, from non-sign industry specialists. In contrast, Sadler claims the INDASOL range of tapes and adhesives have been specially designed to offer sign-making professionals a single source for all bonding applications.
INDASOL claims its extensive product range can cater for general purpose, lightweight signs or a large metal installation
He continues: “Whether it be a general purpose, lightweight sign or a large metal installation that needs to pass through powder coat, we have a product within the range. We offer very high performance products that are designed to get the job done right first time and have spent a lot of time testing our products in all signage related environments and applications.
We offer very high performance products that are designed to get the job done right first time ”
“Our main products (banner hemming tape, foamex bonding tape, locator bonding adhesive, channel fixing UHB tape, and more) are all exterior grade, UV resistant, and capable of lasting many years. The latest pre-powder coating UHB and 2-Part adhesives, can pass through powder coat to eliminate welding and the need for dressing off screw heads prior to stoving. We also have products such as 2100 and 3600 which are dichloromethane free versions of Tensol, fast and slow setting 2-part adhesives and a complete range of foams from peelable to permanent.”
Sadler goes on to explain that, when selecting a tape or adhesive for any job, it is important to look at a few key elements. What are the substrates, where is the sign going, what will it be exposed to, how large is the bond, and how much does the bond have to support?
He comments: “We take all of these elements into account when advising our customers to ensure the best product is used each time. It may well be a general purpose product would be perfect for your application, however it may also be that you need a structural bond (UHB or 2-Parts). Where we would help is in instances where for example, dissimilar materials are being bonded (ACM-Steel say). Here a 2-part would not be advised as expansion and contraction differences between the materials would mean a UHB tape would be best suited. Other examples are where a primer may be required, or foam tape for undulating surfaces.
“Our products have been tailored to offer the best bond on the substrates you use in the environments they are placed. We have also tried to make our products multi-task, so you don’t end with a store room full of tapes and adhesives.”
Perfecting the product
While there is no doubt the support and guidance offered to sign-makers is an extremely valuable commodity, at the end of the day the product has to be right before anything else can be considered.
When Innova Solutions entered the market 15 years ago, providing the best possible product was forefront of their mind, as sales director Spencer Kelly explains: “Back then one or two players occupied most of the business in the sign industry. So we thought How can we be better than them, in terms of product performance? Part of this was to ensure our products all used solvent-free technology: our tapes are cured by UV, instead of solvent extraction, which is key from an ecological perspective.
Innova’s Spencer Kelly with strongman Mark Felix, in a marketing campaign for the firm
“But the biggest factor was the independent testing we undertook, using the whole range of sign-making substrates. We bonded all the various configurations of substrates with our tapes and compared them to the competition. Our products proved to be better in over 70 percent of the tests.”
In terms of innovation, Kelly claims that the most significant development has been the firm’s range of two part structural adhesives. He continues: “At the moment we are working on a revolutionary adhesive for built-up letters, which will dramatically improve the time in which our customers can make and ship built-up letters, which is a key issue in the industry.
“Being a member of the BSGA, our products are developed in conjunction with the leading sign companies in the industry. This means we are listening to what the industry needs and wants, and we produce bespoke products specially for them. Aesthetically, everyone wants to produce the sign that looks better and more unique: our products particularly allow for better clarity when illuminated by LEDs. In terms of speed of production, we have easy release liners on the tapes, which is extremely important as all sign-makers will know. Ultimately, we have solutions to fit every application in the industry.”
Another firm proud of its product range is Eurobond Adhesives. Simon Dearing, managing director, claims the Penloc range of high-strength, two-part structural adhesives are “unrivalled in performance, and have been proven in the most demanding of industrial applications for over three decades.”
He continues: “They are simple to use and very cost-effective, trusted by tens of thousands of sign-makers throughout Europe. Penloc will bond just about any material combination and is available in a number of different grades, designed to suit almost any sign-making application.
Dearing of Eurobond says the Penloc range of high-strength, two-part structural adhesives are unrivalled in performance
“Penloc 1:1 is our standard (pink and green) adhesive that will bond just about any material combination to handling strength in three to five minutes, allowing you to get on with your next job. It is fully cured in just one hour. There are many fake and inferior ‘pink and green’ adhesives on the market, but if it doesn’t have Penloc on the label, it’s not Penloc inside.”
While identifying the issue of inferior, unbranded products in the marketplace, Dearing also claims Eurobond’s products can match up to some of the biggest brands out there.
He comments: “Eurobond Adhesives also offer a broad range of specialist ‘VHB style’ acrylic adhesive tapes that rival or surpass the performance of the more famous brands of VHB tape, and of course our pricing is much more competitive. EB6110G is a very high strength grey flexible acrylic adhesive tape designed to bond almost any material. It has been proven in the very demanding automotive industry over many years and lends itself very well to many different sign-making applications.”
He continues: “We get it right, because we do our homework. Every product is tested to destruction to ensure it performs to its optimum specification. We have spent decades working with sign-makers understanding the demands put on them, testing new materials as they come on the market to ensure we have the right bonding solution to meet their exacting needs.
O Factoid: Every year falling signage causes injuries to the British public. In 2013 a man was killed when hit by a William Hill metal shop-front sign. O
“Our technical team are on hand to visit you, to look at your specific application and put forward the best bonding solution. We can help improve the quality of your work and hopefully save you money too.”
The message from the industry is clear: invest in quality tapes and adhesives from knowledgeable, specialist suppliers, and the results will show in your work. Each of the companies featured here have impressed their willingness to assist and advise in finding the perfect product for every application. With any luck, this should keep you out of the courts.
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