Oraguard 210 = UV burn

[TXFB.INS]

Pretty typical....pass the blame to the ink, or the vinyl, or the profiles, or the install, or the alignment of the planets on the day it was installed, or.....

yup and this is why I asked originally what laminations (calendared) others were using or suggestions to compare to what we are getting for life expectancy.

all of our prints get a minimum of 24hrs outgassing, and full ink coverage prints are typically left over the weekend.
Our outgassing process is to place the prints on end loosely wound on an elevated rack (milk crates) to allow the heavier solvents to come off.

as it currently stands the unlaminated prints are getting a longer life than the laminated ones.

 

[wesley]

yup and this is why I asked originally what laminations (calendared) others were using or suggestions to compare to what we are getting for life expectancy.

all of our prints get a minimum of 24hrs outgassing, and full ink coverage prints are typically left over the weekend.
Our outgassing process is to place the prints on end loosely wound on an elevated rack (milk crates) to allow the heavier solvents to come off.

as it currently stands the unlaminated prints are getting a longer life than the laminated ones.

So has anyone ever figure out the true culprit on this laminate burn saga? I am having the exact same issues with 210 lam. 3 years ago i switched over to latex ink and havent had it long enough to know yet if that will fix the problem if it truly is outgassing that is causing the burn.

But i can say for sure that alot of the prints i made over 3 years ago with solvent inks are definitely burnt out.

I have switched over to 215 lam and hopefully that takes all the doubt away. But the 215 is almost twice as costly as the 210. So sure would like to find a laminate in the $250 range that i can count on to not burn after a few years....

 

[2B]

you will get a different answer whoever you ask.

for the projects that need more than the basic Cal Lamination, but not a full on cast film
we have had good results with 3M™ Envision 8048G

The other point is if vinyl is compatible with the lamination
We tested some private labels with the 210G Cal laminations and depending on the combination they would show the discolorization sooner than if the vinyl & lamination was from the same company

 

[equippaint]

So has anyone ever figure out the true culprit on this laminate burn saga? I am having the exact same issues with 210 lam. 3 years ago i switched over to latex ink and havent had it long enough to know yet if that will fix the problem if it truly is outgassing that is causing the burn.

But i can say for sure that alot of the prints i made over 3 years ago with solvent inks are definitely burnt out.

I have switched over to 215 lam and hopefully that takes all the doubt away. But the 215 is almost twice as costly as the 210. So sure would like to find a laminate in the $250 range that i can count on to not burn after a few years....

We use 215 and haven't seen anything. Using 210, or any other real cheap lamination is a waste. You might as well send it out with nothing and save the hassle. It'll probably last longer.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

So has anyone ever figure out the true culprit on this laminate burn saga? I am having the exact same issues with 210 lam. 3 years ago i switched over to latex ink and havent had it long enough to know yet if that will fix the problem if it truly is outgassing that is causing the burn.

But i can say for sure that alot of the prints i made over 3 years ago with solvent inks are definitely burnt out.

I have switched over to 215 lam and hopefully that takes all the doubt away. But the 215 is almost twice as costly as the 210. So sure would like to find a laminate in the $250 range that i can count on to not burn after a few years....

3M 8048 Non-PVC Lam for the win there!

 

[TimToad]

I'll repeat myself...It's a cheap laminate and this is what happens when you use cheap materials.

I am perplexed by these kind of posts
"I used cheap and it's not working"

Here is a thought.
Why not separate yourself from everyone else.
Use the best materials available,charge for it,make more money and justify your prices because your signs are a better quality than the guy around the corner.

While in full agreement on using better materials, what ends up happening in many cases is the average customer is so risk averse and cost conscious that they reflexively choose the lower bid and embrace the assurances of the salesperson telling them that they only use the best materials whether they are true or not.

We just redid two jobs worth over $2,500 total that we bid on three years ago that were considered permanent signs that we'd have used IJ35 or 40 on that ended up going to our closest competitor who has the words "Low Cost" in their business name. They both started burning, peeling and fading at about year two. I never asked what the clients paid, but I assume it was "lower cost" than our bids. Those two customers essentially have now paid twice for signs in three years time that should have been done right the first time by a more honest vendor.

We also have another nearby competitor who was putting wraps on without lamination and doing other cost cutting measures for several years as the business was sinking. Its no great comfort knowing that we've now picked up multiple new clients from those actions, but we were always perplexed why we didn't win those bids to begin with.

 

[bmt Promotions]

A product should last as long as the manufacturer says it will - that's the issue. I have signs made with cast vinyl out there that look great after 6 years... and those customers willingly paid for the premium materials.