Description
Nikkalite 48000 Series Flexible Engineering Grade (ELG) retroreflective 48006 Blue 15″ X 50 Yds.
Nikkalite Brand 48000 Series Flexible Engineering Grade (ELG) retro-reflective sheeting is a product manufactured for use as fleet markings, vehicle markings, stickers, decals, etc. which can be screened with multi-colored inks that will adhere very well to this sheeting. Coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive protected with an easily removable liner, this sheeting is easy to handle because of its great flexibility and is capable of giving high retroreflectivity.
Best results are obtained when applied to flat surfaces, but it can be applied successfully to corrugated surfaces. It is also used on commercial signs and various labels and highly resistant against the extremes of hot, cold, dry, and humid weathering conditions.
Flexible Engineering Grade
APPLICATION PROCESS
Since Nikkalite 48000 Series retro-reflective sheeting often is applied to vehicles outdoors, special care must be taken to clean the application surface immediately prior to application of the sheeting. Use neutral detergent solution or mild solvents to remove oil, stain and other similar types of petroleum-based contaminants. This ELG sheeting can be applied successfully to the substrate, if the ambient temperature is between 15°C to 25°C (59ºF to 77ºF).
A. APPLICATION TO FLAT SURFACES
Nikkalite 48000 Series retro-reflective sheeting can be applied using a hand roller in the case of small signs, cutout letters, and legends, and can be applied on substrates through the use of a hand or motor-driven roller applicator. If air bubbles form under the sheeting, puncture the sheeting with a pin and squeeze out the air through the perforations.
B. APPLICATION TO IRREGULAR SURFACES
The application of 48000 Series sheeting to bodies of vehicles often requires application to a combination of flat, corrugated and riveted surfaces. In such cases the following steps are recommended:
When applying ELG sheeting on the irregular surface, first, apply application tape on the ELG sheeting entirely.
Position the entire sheet of ELG over the application surface without removing the protective liner and holding it in place with pre-masking tapes.
After satisfactory positioning, hold the sheeting in place with pre-masking along the edge of the sheeting only. Then peel off the protective liner little by little, pressing the sheeting against the vehicle body with a hand squeegee or a stiff-haired brush as the adhesive becomes exposed.
After the entire sheet has been applied, remove the pre-mask and application tape along the sheeting surface at a 180° angle and squeegee the sheeting again. Squeegee out the air trapped under the sheeting through pin-hole perforations, especially around the heads of the rivets. A stiff-haired brush placed over the rivet heads and stroked with circular motions will facilitate this task. As necessary, a heat-gun should be used to warm the sheeting in such areas to give the sheeting greater flexibility, stretching, and adhesion.
CLEANING
During its lifetime the ELG marking may require cleaning at some stage. The ELG marking will probably have sand/grit stuck on the surface, therefore it is recommended that a low-pressure flow of water is used to help remove this loose dirt and sand/grit from the ELG marking first. Never use a strong jet of water. Rubbing the sand/grit into the ELG marking during the cleaning procedure may cause irreparable damage to the sheeting. Therefore, care must be taken during the cleaning process. A small solution of a mild detergent in clean warm water is recommended for cleaning the material surface. The detergent and cloth must be non-abrasive, free of any strong aromatic solvents or alcohols and is chemically neutral. Rinse the whole area thoroughly after washing and allow drying naturally or using a lint free cloth.
lexible Engineering Grade
Technical Data
PROPERTIES
TEST METHOD
RESULTS
Average Thickness (without liner) Micrometer 158 ?m
Average Gloss Gloss-meter 87 at 60°
Shrinkage Sheet size: 225mm X 225mm Condition: 23°C (74°F), 60% RH 0.52mm/MD, 0.30mm/TD after 10 min 0.24mm/MD, 0.12mm/TD after 24 hrs.
Adhesion* 90° peeling with 800g weight for 5 min. Aluminum: 0.2mm Overlap: 19.2mm
Tensile strength Instron Tester 26.4 N/25mm width
Elongation at break Instron Tester 169%
Solvent resistance after applied on the treated aluminum plate Toluene 1 min.
Methanol 1 min. No evidence dissolving, puckering, blistering
Minimum application temperature Flat and smooth surface 15°C (59°F)
Maximum application temperature Corrugated surface 25°C (77°F)
Service temperature range After applied on the treated aluminum -30° to 80° (-22°F to 176°F)
DURABILITY
Nikkalite 48000 series retro-reflective sheeting processed and applied to Nippon Carbide Industries approved substrates in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, shall have a performance life of 7 years when exposed vertically. The ELG retro-reflective sheeting shall be considered as performing satisfactorily if the sign has not deteriorated, due to natural causes, to the extent that the sign is ineffective for its intended purpose when viewed from the vehicle.
COLOR MATCHING
When it is necessary to use more than one sheet of Nikkalite Brand sheeting on one sign, care should be taken to use sheeting cut from the same roll. If, however, sheeting from different rolls is used, care must be taken to ensure that the daytime and nighttime colors of the sheeting used are matched. Color matching should be done in daytime away from colored walls or other objects that can affect the color of the sheeting.
To match night color, examine the sheeting in a dark room or area with a light directed on the surface. The light source (flashlight, spotlight, etc.) should be held at eye level and observation should take place from behind the light, as far away from the sheeting as practical. Every other piece of material should be rotated by 180º, so the same roll edges come together. Color matching is the responsibility of the sign manufacturer.
CUTTING and GRAPHIC CUTTING
Several sheets of ELG may be stacked for cutting at the same time with a guillotine cutter; however, the sheets must be cut individually when knife-cut or die-cut. Friction or sprocket driven rotary plotters, flat bed plotters or craft type cutting knives are all suitable for cutting 48000 Series materials. The material must be allowed to condition, out of its box and correctly supported, ideally in a room with an ambient temperature of 18°C to 25°C (64ºF to 77ºF).
SCREEN PRINTING
ELG 48000 Series sheeting can be screened using the two component inks of the Nikkalite N3600 Series and N3800 Series. These two-component inks have good transparency and durability, and provide high reflectivity even after printing; also it excels in adhesion, anti-scratch and solvent resistance.
Use inks (two-component) within 5 hours after mixing. Mix sufficient ink for a half-day use in the morning and prepare another new lot for the afternoon work. Both the N3600 and N3800 series can also be used as one-component inks without the addition of hardener, however, solvent resistance will be weaker than the usage of with hardener a little bit. Normally, Nikkalite ink does not require dilution with thinner due to its pre-adjusted viscosity. However, when it is necessary, use only Nikkalite thinner.
Clear coating or edge sealing is not normally required for either ink, however, if it is specified use the appropriate N3612 or N3812 clear toner to the relevant series ink being used. For screen printing sign boards, labels, stickers, etc. a 62T-77T/cm mesh (157-180/in. mesh) polyester mono-filament plain weave mesh is recommended to achieve the correct depth of color and durability required. When screen printing with other manufacturers ink, thinner, etc. onto Nikkalite sheeting, the users should take full responsibility themselves.
Available ink, Mixing Ratio and Time
COLOR
N3600 SERIES
N3800 SERIES
Black (Opaque)
N3603
N3803
Yellow
N3604
N3804
Traffic Sign Red
N3625
N3825
Blue
N3606
N3806
Orange
N3607
N3807
Green
N3608
N3808
Brown
N3609
N3809
Toner
N3612
N3812
Hardener
N3631
N3830
Thinner
N3611
Dihydroturpenyl acetate
Mixing ratio
N3600 Ink: 100 parts by weight
N3612 Ink: 7-8 parts by weight
N3800 Ink: 100 parts by weight
N3830 Ink: 14 parts by weight
Mixing time by putty knife
3 minutes
3 minutes
Mixing time by motorized mixer
1 minute
1 minute
DRYING
The drying space or room should always be kept clean and free from dust. Drying can be accomplished with natural drying, air blast drying or heat-oven drying. When natural drying, allow good ventilation through the drying racks. For air blast drying, set the fans at 1.5 to 2 meters apart from the drying racks and let it blow slightly downward towards all the surfaces of the screened sheets. When using a heat-oven dryer, we recommend an oven dryer with controls for temperature, velocity and volume of wind for both inhale and exhale, and drying temperature is up to 70°C (158ºF). After heat-oven drying, printed sheets must be cooled to room temperature before stacking to prevent blocking due to post heating. Before stack printed sheets after drying, confirm dryness by placing two printed faces, face to face, and press firmly together by hand and place near your ear and then begin to pull them apart. If no sound is heard then they are dry enough for stacking up to 50 pieces high. It is recommended that each printed sheet be provided with a slip sheet on the printed side.
SUBSTRATE TREATMENT
Nikkalite 48000 Series retro-reflective sheeting is provided with a strong pressure-sensitive adhesive with good durability and it can be laminated on a flat substrate and corrugated surface. When laminating on coated steel or plastic substrates, particularly on new type of substrates, confirm there is no trouble in adhesion, peel-off, swelling, discoloration and reflectivity degradation of sheeting, before starting mass production. Although the adhesion of any substrate material can be expected to be improved by wiping with solvents or sanding, confirm it by testing in advance.
Available Colors
Technical Data
Reflectivity Performance
Application
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
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