Factory sign sheet material recomendations please?

[Martyn Heath]

Composite is the material for the job. 3mm is more than suitable

[Suzie Davison]

Hi Martin, thanks for replying!

Is composite OK for the client to drill holes in the sign for him to attach to his warehouse? It’s a kind of corrugated metal wall. I imagine he’ll be fixing it with screws, hopefully this is enough to hold it in place.

Does it need something to seal the edges? My supplier is going to cut it to the right size and I’m only applying vinyl letters, not wrapping vinyl over the whole sign.

Sorry to say thanks with more questions 🙂😬

[Martyn Heath]

Yes its easy for the customer to drill with a standard metal drill piece. No need to seal the edges.

Also for future reference composite can be cut with a stanley knife, just a few cuts to the centre core then snap it back on itself.

[Suzie Davison]

You’re a star, thanks Martyn🙂🙂

[Graham Scanlan]

Hi Suzie

Just so your aware, Composite panel expands under heat, it varies with the thickness of the Aluminium skin and fixings should be chosen appropriately.

Thermal deflection of aluminium is 2.4mm/m/100oc

So a sheet that is exposed to 100oc that is 2440mm long will expand 5.86mm making the sheet 2445.86 long. If the fixings are too tight and have no room to expand and contract warping of the sheet can happen and also de lamination of the Aluminium from the core.

You can pro rata down the temperature vs expansion vs size

It’s worth keeping this in mind on acm and Foam PVC especially on a black facia that is south facing

Most of the complaints is see from my customers are down to wrong fixings and dark colours / south facing. And the answer I usually get back is “ive been doing this for years”

[Suzie Davison]

Thanks Graham, that’s useful to know!