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First Modular Wrap
I’ve loved the concept of Modular Wraps since I first heard of them, despite my best efforts I’ve no managed to do one of my own until this week.
I know the die hard wrappers will pipe up “it’s not a proper wrap” which I never claim it to be, but there are many advantages.
1) Cost – If I was to print this as a conventional wrap, like I have done previously for the same customer, I would have required another roll of cast laminate – The cost of the modular kit supplied, was cheaper than buying the laminate alone.
2) Installation time – Far quicker than a wrap, I suspect the van was probably in excess of £40k, so last thing I really wanted to be doing was ripping it apart removed trims, door stops, lights etc. As soon as I received it I started installing, and had both sides and bonnet completed in ~5 hrs.
Time savings from not having to remove elements of the van, no requirement for the extremely thorough cleaning, behind door edges, recesses, and all the other nooks and crannys where a conventional wrap is prone to failure.
The greatest saving for myself, is not having to go around trimming the wrap – A task I hate.
Thoughts?
I do love the modular wrap concept, the vinyl was an air release polymeric, and really nice to install.
Installation wasn’t without it’s quirks. The gaps between each of the panels is quite small. Testament to the quality and accuracy of the scan and template produced from it.
The smaller gaps work well making them less noticeable, but does make installing a little trickier, as it only takes a small margin of error for the gap to look skewed, or even for the vinyl to run off the panel a mm or two. Some kits do have larger gaps, and I would imagine are much easier to install, but the compromise is the gaps are more visible.
It’s not a complaint, but something I didn’t consider.
Being my own worst critic there are a few bits that nark me, but that’s probably me being overly critical, and there’s little that can be done to overcome this. For example where there are mastic seams, that are narrower than the gap at the top of the door, to me it stands out, but that’s how the vehicle is manufactured. The gap around the wheel arch opens up, but again speaking to the supplier, there’s little that can be done about that with the step being so deep.
Installing in midst of a heat wave, saw some of the narrower strips stretch too. not a massive issue nothing the couldn’t be trimmed.
I was fortunate enough to have a couple of visitors whilst the van’s with me, some who had done modular wraps themselves, or seen others, and they were happy with the installation, and it seems to be part of modular wrap.
My approach to the installation was to start with the recesses, as they were large and fitted well, and working out, using the edge of the panels to align the vinyl to keep it consistent across the van.
The customer is happy, they’ve saved a noticeable amount of money for their branding, and I’m happy having not had to faff around as much.
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10 Replies
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The van looks good, David, and it’s also good to see you turning your hand to yet more different aspects. As you have said before, and it is a fact, it keeps things interesting and work no longer becomes a chore when you see what you can create!
Thanks for taking the time to post your work.My view on Modular Wrap Kits…
The concept of modular wraps is really good, and there is a 100% requirement in the market for this type of thing. However, it is not new… anyone who creates good in-house “chevron kit templates” has probably made a digital modular type wrap at some point, I know I have, and many times!
What is new is the method of generating the templates using 3D scanners. These are less time-consuming and far more accurate, once you know what you are doing, that is! (another topic/post required to cover this part alone)
The problem, just like what happened with wraps or even digital printing back in the day. Is that all of a sudden everyone is creating and selling half-arsed kits that are badly fitted, and screaming to the world they are “the specialists!” If they put as much effort into their skill set as they do their TikTok or FB videos, then maybe ide be impressed.
The short of it is, 8/10 companies creating these are not worth buying from, and I believe they are already doing more damage than good to the “modular wraps” concept, in the way the cowboy wrappers did to wraps!
David, closing up the gaps very closely, by the kit creators have done, is not advisable. So if you can maintain a nice, consistent gap, I think the overall look is much better and will be less problematic long term.
The key to these modular kits working is primarily accurate templates that “work”. Scanning and tracing are not all that needs to be taken into account. Again… (another topic/post required to cover this part alone)
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I agree on the gaps.
I’ve chatted to a kit producer, and whilst technology has advanced, I wouldn’t say it is ‘easy’.
I looked into the scanner & software to produce this, and the MINIMUM investment is around £15,000, and around £10,000 of that is the software to transform a 3d scan into a 2d pattern.
It’s not quick, and it can take hours, if not days to accurately template the vehicle. For me this was the turn off, not the financial investment (although it would take years to pay off), it’s the time spent templating.
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Just tried messaging you.
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Not received anything?
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I went through the 3D scanner sourcing scenario around 7-8 years ago. back then they were around £20-£25k and upwards. I dont think the software was anywhere as good as it is today, but they are steadily coming down in price.
You are correct, £12,000-£15,000 for the correct type of scanner and software. But you still have to have a powerful laptop to work from, so you could be another £2k there if you dont already have one.Yes there is a steep learning curve, but it isnt rocket sceince and if you are good at on-screen digitising, that will help a lot, its really just familurising yourself with the process.
The one i looked at, they gave a one on one training course at their premises somewhere in England. Afterwards, your refresher courses were done via zoom calls or similar screen sharing software.
Additional caution when buying in modular kits, that isnt being spoken about, or even considered for that matter. You lose control of the manufacturing process because you are subbing the kit and printing.
Buying in replacement tiles/moduals/sections leaves you wide open to inconsistancy of…- Colour matching damage repairs.
- Possible outgassing issues of prints.
- Speed of replacements of small moduals.
- Different material will cause colour match issues.
- Different laminate will cause gloss finish differences.
Of course, I am nit-picking for issues here, but these are realistic problematic things that must be considered when choosing your source of supplying these modual wrap kits. And thats not to mention my previous gripes on accurate templates.
When you get a modular kit, make sure you note,
- the vinyl brand and series.
- laminate and series.
- Solvent, UV, Latex printed.
If nothing else, it allows you to make sure you have the correct information at hand should you need a repeat van or a damage repair section.
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Yes they are legitimate concerns about outsourcing.
On thing that deterred me from investing £15k, was that I can see the market becoming saturated, and it becoming devalued over the next few years.
Companies no longer needing printers and equipment and just buying in the kits and installing, I can see some not even offering installation.
In typical fashion I can see the prices being driven down, people using inferior materials to keep prices lower.
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good topic!
i have seen these online and can see the attraction in this type of wrap. but having read this post i think i am more reluctant to offer my customer the option.
some valid points made about outsourcing them and several things i hadnt considered about the quality or accuracy of them.-
I think provided you use a reputable supplier for the kits, and ensure your customers expectations are realistic, you can’t go far wrong.
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I have made my own chevron kits and similar, going back around 18 years.
Periodically, a brand new vehicle arrives that we do not have a template for, and the customer is in a rush, so we buy it in from 2-3 sources, depending on who has the template. (all reputable and many years in the industry) However, we recently purchased two new chevron kits and they were being installed by one of our lads and i actually walked up behind him saying, “where the f**k did we get that from?!”
It was miles out, not even close. Had we had the time, I would have done the template by hand with knifeless tape, rather than use what we had just purchased from the “reputable” supplier.
I won’t name their name, because they ARE a very good supplier, and I put this down to the member of staff creating the template. But it will make me very apprehensive about buying another chevron kit from them. 🤨Now that’s “Chevron Kits” if the Modular Wrap concept is to take off, the kits MUST be accurate, just as the starting point, because much more has to be taken into consideration when printing, lamination, colour matching and replacement parts come into play.
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Unfortunately the same is true for many trade suppliers, where you’re reliant on someone else producing something for you. I’m thinking longer terms as more companies have a go at making modular wraps, the quality of some will drop, even down to quality of material.
I had a chevron kit from a different, reputable supplier, and it came without and markings to overlay the reflective. I queried it with them, and told that’s how they do it. Took longer than anticipated to install.
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