Vehicle Wrapping
With sustainability, training, and quality all factors to consider,
David Osgar asks: “How much can the vehicle wrapping sector
expand, and how can companies take advantage of this?”
Shining a spotlight on the industry
Sunday, 24 Jul 2022 20:14 GMT
Gill Harrison, Training and application manager, William Smith
Going for green
I think we’ll find that the sustainability of the motor industry will demand our industry evolves more.
Electric vehicles are already becoming commonplace. We already have PVC free digital and solvent free inks; so, the industry will have to evolve naturally to bring these elements together. PVC will still be around for many, many years to come so it would be great for someone to find the holy grail of recycling our products. If we combine these elements together, the vehicle wrap industry will get even stronger.
Look no further than Tesla, they only offer a tiny amount of colours, but most people want individuality. Tesla’s are sustainable therefore wrapping in PVC could be considered counterproductive, so it’ll be interesting to see who resolves that one first.
Let’s not forget that our service stations will alter, along with more and more charging points, it would be crazy for these all to be wrapped in PVC.
Tesla’s are sustainable therefore wrapping in PVC could be considered counterproductive, so it’ll be interesting to see who resolves that one first”
Globally, governments are insisting that the products used are sustainable and manufactured in a kinder way to the environment and our industry is no different. This was originally most noticeable with HP’s Latex inks, making their flow agent mostly water based rather than with solvents. This had a great impact as it reduced outgassing times.
Next came PVC free digital products, still not biodegradable but cradle to grave kinder to the environment. Other industries have also been adapting their products and processes in response to government/global demand and we’ve seen vehicle lacquers change from solvent based to water based. This meant suddenly our adhesives didn’t want to stick.
Due to this we needed to adapt our installation methods along with the manufacturers who are ever improving their materials and adhesives to suit.
The work speaks for itself
Nick Broom, Chief executive officer, PVL
We have grown to be market leaders in the emergency service sector with our reflective livery kits and have been wrapping vehicles for over 15 years. We have invested heavily in the vehicle wrapping market and wrap, or part- wrap hundreds of vehicles a year nationwide.
As a multi award winning company, fully accredited by all our major material supply partners, we work hard on our partnerships to drive up standards for ourselves and the industry as a whole.
The biggest challenge the wrap industry faces is poor-quality workmanship which can lead to poor reputation of the wrap process itself. We are passionate about what we do and offer a one stop shop from initial design and concept stage, through to print and application. Wrapping and vehicle livery manufacturing, combined with a key understanding of the requirements of fleet operation has enabled us to grow in the markets we operate.
The biggest challenge the wrap industry faces is poor-quality workmanship which can lead to poor reputation of the wrap process itself”
The market is growing year on year, and there are opportunities for organisations of all sizes, from one-off custom vehicle colour change to fleet-wide branding and advertising. The range of materials is also growing and special finishes like pearlescent and metallic give new and exciting product finishes for end users.
Using eco-friendly products are becoming more favourable in an increasingly green aware environment. Taking time to choose products that help save the planet are a must for any supplier. There are an increasing range of more ecologically friendly products available, and print technology has become greener and continues to improve.
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