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Does DiBond warp in sun light?
We had some experience with large black DiBond panels warping in strong sun light over the course of a few months, and wondered if any one has any ideas about the expansion properties of these composite sheets.
We propose to join two red DiBond panels 3m x 1.5m to create a single 3m x 3m panel, which is to be secured within an existing steel frame by bolts along the top and side edges.
I’ve got concerns over whether these panels are going to buckel if they are red, and if so would we be able to overcome the problem by advising the customer that we should use white panels instead?
Any ideas…….. 😕
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11 Replies
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Neil,i think the DI-bond website has all the technical info there
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Strong sunlight over the last couple of months? Where do you live??? I’m moving – got any vacancies??
Like all substrates, Dibond needs room to move within a frame – although not nearly as much as acrylic, foamex, etc. Your best bet is not to bolt it in all round but hang it from the top of the panel by the bolts but drill clearance holes bigger than the shank of the bolt and don’t do the nuts up too tight so the panel can expand & contract at it’s leisure. If you’re worried about it coming out of the frame in high winds, then you need a bigger profile on the frame – something like Panatrim Major…
Martin 😎 -
quote MARTIN MANLEY:Strong sunlight over the last couple of months? Where do you live??? I’m moving – got any vacancies??😕
Martin is right if it is fixed by the panel it is liable to warp, depends which way the sign is facing as to how bad it will go.
although it has little expansion rate it still warps.I had a nightmare with some black panels which I glued and screwed to a fascia, I have never seen a panel bow out so much 🙁
btw, is Oz working with you Neil? your co name sounds familiar. If so tell him I said hello 🙂
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cant remember which brand we get better results with… maybe Reynobond… we had some warping issues in the past
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I may have 2x 4 metre long panatrim framed dibond signs to do soon, both black.
One will be in sunlight all day long as its by the seafront, so I suppose I’d better pay attention to this thread.Incidentally which is the firm that does the 4m sheets?
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If it buckles, tell them it’s global warming and tell them there is a tax to pay if they want it replacing….that’s the norm isn’t it :lol1:
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Actually I should be more worried about the sign filling with rain and falling off the wall I suppose with our famous summers.
We have so much rain aluminium rusts.
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Thanks for the comments so far……….
Unfortunately we are fixing new panels into an existing steel frame
with welded lugs along the top and side edges, so without making
to many changes to what’s already there, we need to fix the panels
with bolt fixings.Incidentally, the existing panel is white aluminum which has stood the test
of time, but I really want to use the red DiBond panel because we’ve come up with a great design and I am reluctant to talk the customer back in to keeping with the standard white panel 😕ps Martin ………… yes Oz is working with us
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Neil,
I’d retro-fit Panatrim Major or similar to the existing frame, and sleep (reasonably) soundly at night…
P.S. I’m pretty sure Cox Plastics do the big Dibond sheets, and yes, the Coloured Dibonds do look great – especially the gloss black! -
I am not kidding you I have probably bought 500 or more 8 x 4 sheets of Alupanel over the last 3 years, if it warps i am knackered, i have thousands of signs up In Avon docks in direct sunlight, I can honestly say it does not warp in sunlight.
Only tried diebond once but I find far to difficult to cut with a stanley knife it was more like a glass/plastic centre than the soft rubber they use in Alupanel.
Recently bought a Keencut Excalibur, wish I had the money to buy it years, it makes life so much easier.
conclusion Alupanel does not warp and even comes with a 5 year guarantee, not to do so.
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How about rightbond?
From rightons anyone know about that?
Ifr it did warp I could just take it back I suppose.
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