-
3M Vehicle Wraps featured at SEMA Show – Las Vegas + Video
Not only does wrapping a vehicle give it a unique look, the vinyl material used to wrap a car or truck helps to protect its painted surfaces. Wrapping a vehicle certainly isn’t new. Everything from city buses to NASCAR racing cars carry advertising messages that are wrapped rather than painted on them. But there’s a growing trend in individual owners wrapping everything from exotic sports cars and customized vehicles to making your own vehicle stand out in a crowded parking lot. Several companies demonstrated their newest vehicle-wrapping products and techniques at the recent SEMA Show Las Vegas and each demonstration seemed to draw shoulder-to-shoulder interest from those attending the annual automotive aftermarket industry and trade gathering.
Two teams from 3M competed to see which could wrap a car more quickly using the company’s Wrap Film Series 1080. When 3M launched its car-wrapping film, it offered six colors. Now it provides not only dozens of colors, but satin, matte, gloss, and two brushed metal finishes. One set of brushed metal finishes has a carbon fiber-style surface while the other has a surface that mimics brushed steel or aluminum, and does so in several colors. And the options for wrapping a vehicle are almost as long as the variety of colors and finishes.
“A lot of the trend right now is to the matte and satin look, because it is different from (a factory) paint (look),” said Doug Blackwell, business development manager for 3M. “People are after a unique look, a personal look,” he explained. “They want anything but ordinary.” Is a wrap like a tattoo for your car? I asked. “It’s a little less painful,”Blackwell joked, “and it’s not permanent. It can be changed out a couple years later and you’re right back to the original finish.” Blackwell noted that many people pick personalized covers for their smart phones or laptops, and some want to make a similar personal statement with their cars. He said customers typically wrap a car in one color and then use a complimentary color or different texture on the hood or for racing stripes. Blackwell said it typically costs a few hundred dollars to wrap a hood and a few thousand to wrap an entire car.
“Our films only look as good as the installation,” he said. When properly installed and maintained, the film wrap can hold up for as long as seven years, according to the FAQ on the 3M website.$this->BBvideo_pass(‘$8’, ‘$4’, ‘$7’)
For more information:
http://www.3mgraphics.com.
-
0 Replies
Sorry, there were no replies found.
Log in to reply.