Showing your strength
Producing a signage application is one thing, but ensuring it remains in place and stands the test of time is a whole other consideration. After all, what is the point of creating a beautiful piece of work if it is to become unstuck and fall to the ground just a few weeks after being installed?
When it comes to selecting tapes and adhesive products for signage work, sign-makers need to ensure they are making the right choice and that the solution they are working with is suited to the job at hand.
For example, some adhesives are not suitable for use outside, whereas others cannot be used in environments with extreme temperatures.
Here, we cast an eye over some of the latest launches from manufacturers and suppliers in this market and find out how these products can help ensure the success of signage jobs of all shapes and sizes.
Making the Right Choice
First up, we begin with the recent news that Eurobond Adhesives, a major name within this market, was acquired by another leading supplier of adhesives, silicones, tapes, and lubricants in the form of Techsil (Diploma).
Eurobond is now trading under the Techsil brand, but the well-known products in its range will retain the Eurobond name, including its popular Penloc structural adhesive solution.
O Factoid: Eurobond is now trading under the Techsil brand following the acquisition deal, but the well-known products in its range will retain the Eurobond name O
Kevin Henry, technical sales manager at Techsil, spoke out about the importance of using only high-quality products, explaining that as with all adhesive products, it can be a minefield finding the right product that is best suited for your intended application.
“Here at Techsil, we specialise in both liquid- and tape-based adhesive products, and we understand that it’s not just about sticking A to B, although compatibility is clearly important,” Henry says.
“There is also consideration for performance safety margins, longevity, environmental conditions, assembly requirements/constraints, correct appliable surface preparation and cost-effectiveness. These considerations are needed when making the right product choice, all of which can be answered with a simple phone call or a site visit.”
Henry goes on to say that lack of surface preparation and inappropriate choice of product can lead to poor performance, product failure, and even substrate failure. As such, he says surface preparation is time well spent.
“Accepting that life on the shop floor can get busy, failure to spend time preparing the surfaces for bonding can and commonly will compromise the product's performance,” Henry explains.
“Do not automatically assume that because a product has worked well in one application, that same product is best suited for all applications. We have a range of products for a good reason, even the ability to reduce costs where non-critical bonding is perhaps required. To borrow the old saying, don't use a sledgehammer to crack a nut!”
As to how sign-makers can identify a quality tape or adhesive product, Henry says the consistent quality of a product is highly important, not to just meet the strength requirements but also the longevity of performance needed.
He also says technical support and customer service are a consideration when choosing a product or supplier, explaining that Techsil works closely with customers to ensure their requirements are being met with confidence.
With this, he draws attention to some of the latest and most popular offerings from Techsil. These include the 6000 (Grey) and 4000 (Clear), series foamed acrylic adhesive tapes, which he says are widely used and popular as a sign-making tape. Both products offer high bonds both internally and externally.
Also available from Techsil is RapidFix MS75 Black, a new addition adhesive and sealant that joins the company’s existing ClearFix and QuickFix products, offering not only high strength but exceptional weathering properties.
In addition, the Penloc range of two-part structural adhesives, which offer high-strength and fast assembly across a wide range of projects, remain popular with customers in the signage sector.
Evolving Market
Elsewhere, another leading provider of solutions in this market is Industrial Adhesive Solutions (Indasol), which offers a wide range of tape and adhesive options. Martin Sadler, director of Indasol, says as materials continue to evolve, end customers continue to demand slick, faceless fixing projects, the bonding systems need to evolve as well.
“As with a lot of hidden materials, they can get left to the last minute in terms of consideration,” Sadler explains, continuing: “As such there are instances where an approach of ‘anything will do’ can happen.
“In such instances, it can be detrimental to the overall product performance. Selecting a quality, proven, and correct bonding product is as important as, if not more important than, the look of the end sign.
“Indasol prides itself on understanding not just the bond being made, but the materials being used, the environments the sign will be exposed to, and all other influencing aspects.”
Failure to take these factors onboard when considering the bonding solution, Sadler says, could be the difference between a successful project to a complete failure.
In the case of a failure, Sadler says the bonding solution is always the first place people look to, but in reality it is normally wrong product selection, and poor preparation or the wrong system for the overall project.
“Indasol aims to be involved in new projects or materials as early as possible to ensure we can offer the correct bonding solution for the materials being used and at the right price,” Sadler says.
As to what sign-makers are looking for in quality products across tapes and adhesives, Sadler says “tried and tested” is normally a good start when considering a type of bonding solution. However, he also said it is good to be open minded to new technology.
Adhesive solutions from Indasol can bond with a wide range of surfaces and materials
“It’s not always that the most expensive is the best; compatibility and ‘right for the job’ are of course key,” Sadler says, adding: “Many tapes and adhesives will give an instant bond, or appear super tacky to the touch, but this doesn’t mean they will work for your project.
"Long-term bond strength, temperature performance, flexibility, chemical resistance, and UV stability are just some of the criteria needed to be considered when selecting the type of product to use.
“Indasol offers free-of-charge, on-site technical support to ensure the right type of product – tape or adhesive – and then the right product itself is used. We provide free samples to help facilitate this.”
Sadler goes on to pick out some of the most popular products available at Indasol, beginning with the company’s range of UHB structural bonding tapes and ‘2-Part’ structural adhesive, which have been in service for almost 20 years. As the technology behind them has been around for a lot longer, Sadler says sign-makers can put complete faith in the products, providing they have been selected correctly and applied by following the preparation and application guidelines.
Indasol’s range of UHB structural bonding tapes and 2-Part structural adhesive have been in service for almost 20 years”
To complement the extensive range, Sadler says Indasol is always looking at the materials the sign-maker is working with and as such over recent years has added products to work on new and emerging materials.
“Such products are our UHBSF18XT which is a channel fixing tape where cost is a key consideration,” Sadler says, adding: “Or there is our 930LX 2 Part Structural Adhesive which offers excellent high strength bonding with very low read through on ACM, DIBOND, BCP, and more.
Indasol’s range of UHB structural bonding tapes and 2-Part structural adhesive have been
in service for almost 20 years
“Through to our Indasol NCFR476, which is a revolutionary dichloromethane free contact adhesive for joinery work that also carries BS476 FR rating.”
Planet Friendly
Meanwhile, another supplier with its finger in a number of pies within the signage market is Avery Dennison.
Offering a wide range of solutions to the industry, the company counts tape and adhesives among its collection of products, with one of the most recent additions to its portfolio being iA Tech, a new, solvent-free adhesive.
According to Natascia Oprandi, product manager for signage in EMENA at Avery Dennison, the solution not only improves performance but reduces the environmental impact of the whole project.
With sustainability now a key consideration for both sign-makers and their customers, Oprandi says this could offer a major advantage to users.
“This innovation uses state-of-the-art Patented Advanced Acrylic Adhesive Technology (PAAAT) to eliminate solvents completely – a long-standing goal, with big benefits for brand owners and graphics users,” Oprandi says, adding: “It’s the latest addition to our growing sustainable graphics solutions portfolio.”
Avery Dennison 777 Cast Film and Mactac MACal 9300 PRO are now available with this new solvent-free adhesive. According to Avery Dennison, both products offer longer dimensional stability, along with best-in-class weeding, while the adhesion is equivalent to solvent-based products.
In addition, the manufacturer says the improved stability of iA Tech reduces the potential for ooze, so it allows more time between cutting and weeding.
Avery Dennison 777 Cast Film and Mactac MACal 9300 PRO are now available with the new iA Tech solvent-free adhesive
“We are especially pleased to have achieved not only a less environmentally impactful product, eliminating solvent use, but also one with so many extended benefits for applicators and brand owners,” Oprandi says.
“We expect many users to switch to the new technology for a range of different applications including corporate branding, vehicle markings, and window graphics.
"In the near future, we will also be offering the new adhesive in a wider range of products.”
Mark Gower, research principal at Avery Dennison who led the project team for this new innovative adhesive, adds: “This more reliable water-dispersed adhesive now gives users much better flexibility, with more time to manage projects. There are several improvements to conventional emulsion adhesives, such as temperature resistance, transparency, and whitening properties that match solvent-based alternatives.
“Cohesion, durability, and resistance to plasticiser migration are even better than products with solvent adhesive.”
To put it simply, if you do not get it right when it comes to selecting tapes and adhesives for sign-making applications, then you could be putting the whole job in jeopardy. To follow the advice of the experts featured here, you should pay careful attention to the attributes and features of each product before selecting a tape or adhesive for the job in hand.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution in this market, and something that may have worked well on one project may not be suitable for the next. Do your research, speak with your supplier, and identify the product that will work best for you.
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