Enough is enough already............................

[Gino]

I'm gonna start with a little background.

Been making magnetic signs for a lo-o-o-o-ng time without any failures. Always use Magnum from the same distributor for a lo-o-o-o-o-ng time. Switched distributors maybe 5 or 6 years ago, but still getting the same stuff without a single problem.
So, we used to hand paint them, then die-cut vinyl, then digitally printed on RA vinyl and now flatbed print them, unless some fancy colors are needed. Laminated the printed vinyl.

Recently, we've gotten quite a few back where the edges are kinda wrinkled and won't lay flat. The edges become distorted to the point, they look ugly. A customer brought some back a few weeks ago, my wife's SUV did it after a few weeks of being on and today another guy brought some in we did about three months ago. No heavy coloring [not saturated with ink], light color vehicles and taken care of maintenance-wise.

I can't figure out why all of the sudden bad ones ?? In fact, I had someone call a few months back and I told him in all my years, we've never had this happen, he must've been the problem. Now I feel bad for him. I don't remember who it was or I'd call him and tell him to bring them in and we'll replace them.

Is ANYONE else experiencing this same predicament ?? If so, what have you found to be the common denominator ?? So far, it seems to point to the magnetic itself, cause it's done it to vinyl and flatbed printing with or without lamination.

in advance and I'll be watching this thread closely........... Gino
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[John Butto]

Stick with it Gino, with your magnetic personality you will figure it out.

 

[Pat Whatley]

I'm having the same problem with Magnum Magnetic. The magnetics from the last couple of rolls begin to curl on the edges within days. It doesn't matter if it's cut vinyl or digital prints I get the same reaction. They feel like they always have and the stick the first time like normal, they're just shrinking. I'm wondering if the failure is in the white vinyl the magnetic material comes covered with.

 

[nashvillesigns]

same thing

i also am having the same problem. 8"x56" long mags for big trucks. the edges are lifting bad. i have replaced three of the in the past six months. not really happy about this crap. Magnum used to be good. now i think otherwise. i don't even know where to get better quality since it seems "magnum means made in China"

 

[Gino]

Yes. It is the .030.

I am not bashing Magnum, but it's the only common denominator at this point. I need to get to the bottom of this....... and fast.

I don't know if there are any Magnum representatives on this site, but I figured I'd start here to see if I'm the only one and I see it's pretty much the same all around.

I didn't notice it with die-cuts, cause we've been printing vinyl or flatbed most everything. I was wondering if it happened to dark surfaces, with dark backgrounds or dark backgrounds and light magnetics. For us, it's mostly all light backgrounds and light vehicles. Heck, my wife's car is white. In fact, a member on this site saw them and shook his head when he examined them.

 

[PRS Bryan]

I don't make a ton of magnets, but the last ones I did had a problem with .030 Mercury Magnetic stock.

Fortunately the client was as curious as I was and ran a few tests for me.

The conclusion was odd in that the magnets would stick to the majority of the tucks but the front doors of one F-250 wouldn't hold any of the magnets I had made (printed Vinyl applied to the magnet).

Strangely, they did stick to the back doors of the F-250, so the client just put them on the back doors.

I am a bit mystified, but I am certainly wary of the remainder of the roll of magnetic stock.

 

[nashvillesigns]

it seems either vehicles have less metal in them, or the magnet has less "stick" to them. i was sticking mine to a escalade, GMC van (older), taurus, and a fusion. they are all printed with oracal vinyl and laminated. the background color to all the mags is black...

 

[d fleming]

Cut a piece off the roll, stick it to your vehicle with nothing done to it and see if it still shrinks or curls. If so it's the stock.

 

[fresh]

I had problems this past winter

http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?103810-Problems-with-ProMag-Magnetic-Sheeting

Magnum saw this thread, did a little deducing who my supplier was based on my location, and called them about it. A rep even stopped by my shop (but I don't know where his card is right now.)

I think they take these failures seriously, you should call them directly. They will want samples to test, its possible that their lamination process is screwing up, causing too much tension between the white sheeting and the actual magnet, which causes the curls and failures.

Good luck.

 

[Marie]

Maybe once a year, we'll have someone say their magnet blew off. BUT last month, I had four magnetic signs fail. We definitely think it is the magnum magnetic. We have a metal table and pulled out about a foot of magnet, and it barely clung to the table laying horizontally. After we pulled out another 3 - 4 foot, the magnetic attraction felt stronger. We thought we just had a bad spot near the middle of this latest roll. Once we cut off that weak feeling magnet, we haven't had anymore problems - so far. I didn't know this was wide spread until I was this thread! I hope more bad magnets aren't in our future.

 

[Mosh]

Had this problem a few times in the last couple years...all were printed and laminated. My thoughts is the print and the white laminate on the magnetic material were shrinking at different speeds, one getting smaller faster than the other...Mostly use cal media on magnetics as I view them as temp signs.

 

[jayhawksigns]

We had some issues with Magnum products a while back. Pull the media off of the roll and it was immediately not laying flat, had several complaints about people losing magnets. Our supplier sent in another roll and it was the same way. We had used Magnum since we started doing magnets and never had a problem till recently.

 

[John Butto]

on their website

read...

 

[skyhigh]

Hey Magnum

THANK YOU GINO!!!!!!!!

We are dealing with this today, as we speak. Did 24 magnets for a company last month, and they are reporting the same edge distortion / non sticking problem. Magnum 30m is the product used.

Mr. Customer stopped in yesterday to show me the problem.

 

[MikeD]

Can you please explain the issue in more detail? Is the film delaminating from the magnetic base, or is the entire finished product curling off of the vehicle?
We run several palettes a month of Magnum's product, and haven't had anyone complain, but I would like to be ready for it.

I think the base material is generally the same from manufacturer to manufacturer, but Arnold has a product called EZ-Coat that has a printing face that is coated on rather than a mounted white film. That may help if the problem is the vinyl peeling up from the mag, but as I said; I don't have a clear idea of the problem.


Mike.

 

[Gino]

Can you please explain the issue in more detail? Is the film delaminating from the magnetic base, or is the entire finished product curling off of the vehicle?
We run several palettes a month of Magnum's product, and haven't had anyone complain, but I would like to be ready for it.

I think the base material is generally the same from manufacturer to manufacturer, but Arnold has a product called EZ-Coat that has a printing face that is coated on rather than a mounted white film. That may help if the problem is the vinyl peeling up from the mag, but as I said; I don't have a clear idea of the problem.


Mike.

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[Dovette]

Was the magnetic rolled with the magnet side out?
If it was then that can lead to air pockets and bubbles that can weaken it's holding strength and give you those curled corners.

 

[Dovette]

I don't make a ton of magnets, but the last ones I did had a problem with .030 Mercury Magnetic stock.

Fortunately the client was as curious as I was and ran a few tests for me.

The conclusion was odd in that the magnets would stick to the majority of the tucks but the front doors of one F-250 wouldn't hold any of the magnets I had made (printed Vinyl applied to the magnet).

Strangely, they did stick to the back doors of the F-250, so the client just put them on the back doors.

I am a bit mystified, but I am certainly wary of the remainder of the roll of magnetic stock.

If the front doors were made out of aluminum the magnetic wouldn't stick. Maybe this was what happened with this one...?

 

[MikeD]

Thanks for posting the pictures.

I haven't had this problem, but we print directly to the mag- no laminating aside from protective layer of liquid lam. Could the problem be originating from the printed material that's getting mounted to the magnet? Does the curled portion of the final product still have magnetic pull?

 

[PRS Bryan]

If the front doors were made out of aluminum the magnetic wouldn't stick. Maybe this was what happened with this one...?

This had occurred to me, but the magnetic material would stick to the door just not hold past 30 mph, an alloy maybe?

Also the client had more than one F-250, only one had the problem.

Regardless, from a practical point of view, I simply need a material that works on all common trucks. I am not going keep track of specific make and models and the composition of the doors.

I had assumed it was just a fluke until the people who use it regularly started to notice a problem. I just don't make enough door magnets to be anything beyond anecdotal evidence.

Many things are possible, but I don't like putting money on the line to figure it out.

 

[Gino]

Thanks for posting the pictures.

I haven't had this problem, but we print directly to the mag- no laminating aside from protective layer of liquid lam. Could the problem be originating from the printed material that's getting mounted to the magnet? Does the curled portion of the final product still have magnetic pull?

It seems it still has magnetic pull, however, I don't think it has anything to do with any particular vinyl or method. It has happened to us... and others when applying just plain die-cut vinyl. It has also happened to some of the flatbed printed signs with no vinyl added at all. The only thing remaining constant is the magnetic seems to be failing regardless of what you put on it.