|
Should I use Aluminum
signs?
Aluminium safety
signs outlast competitors.Electromark's aluminium signs are baked
directly onto aluminium at 800F for one minute and then 450F for
another three minutes. These signs last outdoors in the weather
and have an expected life of over 15 years.
Compare our
aluminium signs with one competitor's version. Note that the competitor
sign is only a label stuck onto the surface. The label can be easily
picked off and the message defaced.
Aluminium signs
are both lightweight and durable. They are non-rusting and are by
far the most common safet sign material.
In purchasing
and aluminium sign, look at these signs of quality:
- Signs that
are truly baked. Most aluminium signs are merely air dried after
printing or sent through a low temperature oven for just a minute
or two. The difference between the quality of the ink and, ultimately,
the durability of the sign depends hugely on the cure process.
Our signs are baked at 800F. They are tested in our QUV labs.
When compared to other "baked enamel" or "powder coated" signs,
our signs are getting at least twice the outdoor life. Thermal
printed and laminated signs are even less durable.
- Burr-free
edges
- Coating on
the back of the sign. Although aluminium signs do not rust, aluminium
does, strangely enough, combine with salt and will, through time
wash off thereby making the sign thinner. A back coating greatly
reduces this risk.
- Check the
thickness. A 20 mils thick sign near the sea coast will tend to
pit and lose strength over the first 10 years. 40 to 80 mils thick
signs are best here.
- Holes. They
should be at least 1/4" in diameter.
- Rounded corners.
Although a bit less costly, square corners can become a hazard.
- Avoid laminations.
Thermal printed labels just do last as long as directly printed
signs. The label can be pulled off. Dirt gets under the adhesive.
Red thermal print is notoriously fugitive.
When it usually
costs more to order and install a sign than the sign itself, it only
makes financial sense to pay for a durable sign.
 
Sign - Frequently Asked Questions
Materials - Frequently
Asked Questions
What
are the most durable sign materials?
Aluminium
Signs
|
