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Where can I buy Grade 1 Reflective Vinyl
Think that is what it’s called? the honeycomb stuff? does anybody know a UK supplier. I have a customer that needs 4" Rolls in Yellow.
Found this site but they are a bit far away…. 🙂
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21 Replies
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William Smith do it in various lifespans & classes.
http://www.williamsmith.co.uk/index.cfm … tentID=231
Reflectives are near the bottom.
Dave
Not sure if the supply pre-slit at 4" – but worth asking.
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Cheers David 😎
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If it has to be the honeycomb (triangles forming ‘six sided units’) then I’m afraid William Smith do not do it Brian.. there’s is sort of rounded squares…. same grade though just different manufacturer.
Ian :lol1:
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Hexis also do it and a daybright material that doesnt need edge sealing
Peter
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Grafityp have it too…….
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Thanks Peter, Ian & Graeme. Will give those all a try too. 😉
Peter didn’t hear back the other day from you? assume you got whatever it was sorted?
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Brian, I didnt get it sorted, but found a work around,
I hope you enjoyed your lunch!Peter
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It was liquid mostly. :lol1:
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quote Ian Muir:If it has to be the honeycomb (triangles forming ‘six sided units’) then I’m afraid William Smith do not do it Brian.. there’s is sort of rounded squares…. same grade though just different manufacturer.Ian :lol1:
Ian the Honeycomb stuff is manufactured by 3M and WmSmith is an official distributor of this type of Reflective in the UK.
Brian, there are various brands of Conspicuity reflectives, as shown in attachment. As long as it is Class One Grade your customer will be fine.
However, i dont use it often but when i do i buy it from WmSmith by the Small narrow rolls you speak of. wide rolls for flood coating road signs to the Vehicle Chevron Kits like you get on the rear of Police cars.here is a demo i did a while back using a chevron kit we created the cut path file ourself and wm smith cut, sealed and supplied it.
I did some price comparisons as i was recomended to another supplier but in the end Smiths where half the price of their quote and they were giving me Reflexlite and not 3M Diamond Grade.
https://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=17866.
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Rob, sorry for confusion, but I did mention triangles within a hexagonal, thought that must be ‘honeycomb’, didn’t realise there was actual stuff called ‘honeycomb’ (if it hasn’t been discontinued).
The stuff I meant is shown in bottom right, Wm Smith carry 3m diamond grade (the rounded square pattern) + others maybe … recently spent 1/2 day with Rob at Wm Smith so know that is correct cos was looking for bottom right pattern which they don’t have.Fully agree, Wm Smith are a long established company with both traditional and modern values, prices good and service and friendlines excellent, cannot praise them enough from my experience.
Ian :lol1:
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I dont know what it is actually called Ian, thats if it actually has a name to match its cells, or even if it has been discontinued and replaced by the Diamond grade conspicuity. i have only ever used the diamond grade shown in the samples and demo.
The Reflexite triangles one you mention is sold by "Preview Vehicle Livery – PVLUK" but as mentioned, i found Smiths prices much more competitive.
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The 3M Grade 1 is excellent. Sticks to whatsit to a blanket though. No second chances….. 😕
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I’m not sure what we are talking about here. 😳
Is it grade 1, or class 1? Or are they the same thing? If the same, the material doesn’t have to be a honeycomb, diamond, or any other pattern. It can be plain.
The 5R from Allprint Supplies conforms to Class 1 BS EN 12899-1:2001 (previously known as Class 2 under BS873).
It also has the advantage of being flexible and will conform to all but the most severe of bends. This eliminates, in a lot of cases, the need to go through the rigmarole of making up jigsaws. It’s also brilliant in narrow widths for doing the 25mm strips down the inside edges of doors (Chapter 8) because you can just stretch it to follow the contours of the door, giving a nice continuous curved strip, instead of a jumble of straight lines. Looks much more professional.
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quote John Childs:I’m not sure what we are talking about here. 😳
Is it grade 1, or class 1? Or are they the same thing? If the same, the material doesn’t have to be a honeycomb, diamond, or any other pattern. It can be plain.
The 5R from Allprint Supplies conforms to Class 1 BS EN 12899-1:2001 (previously known as Class 2 under BS873).
It also has the advantage of being flexible and will conform to all but the most severe of bends. This eliminates, in a lot of cases, the need to go through the rigmarole of making up jigsaws. It’s also brilliant in narrow widths for doing the 25mm strips down the inside edges of doors (Chapter 8) because you can just stretch it to follow the contours of the door, giving a nice continuous curved strip, instead of a jumble of straight lines. Looks much more professional.
That’s interesting John. Class 1 or Grade 1 is the same here, but the alternative you describe (plain reflective) is Class 2 here.
The class is determined by the angle and degree of reflection. The octagonal reflectors, whatever shape, reflects light from a far greater angle giving it class 1 (engineer grade) definition. The plain stuff only reflects back in the direction of the light source, thus being a class 2 reflective. It will not reflect light from an angle any greater than a direct beam.
Your rules over there are clearly different to ours here.
Class one will bend in the narrow strips, but I wouldn’t attempt curves with it. Class 2 is like normal vinyl in that it will go around most normal curves with ease.
(I define the difference only for our newer members that don’t understand the rating system, I don’t mean to assume you didn’t know the definition 😳 )
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John I don’t know enough about this line/type of vinyl as i don’t often use it, but have always called it "Class 1" but referring to the type/make i call it Diamond Grade. 😀
I know of the type of reflective you are referring to, Europoint now do a similar series, it is NEW line of reflective that i have been told "it too" is now regarded as being suitable for Highway vehicle markings etc and can be cut and applied as normal. but i "think" there is a bit more too it than it can just be used now and that’s that. i think there is stipulations of where/how it can be used. Until i know for sure exactly how and where it can be used i will play it safe.
as i said i know very little about the whole make-up and laws behind reflective vinyl but my take on it is that the regular lower costing reflective we all use in our normal cutting plotters has a couple of viewing angles. by that i mean they will reflect but only when lights hit or are viewed at certain angles.
Class One reflective can be viewed/reflect at any angle due to the little pockets/cells catching the light and bouncing the light it back.I am sure someone will give a better explanation on this because im pretty useless at explaining things even when i do know what i am talking about. 😕 :lol1:
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quote Robert Lambie:by that i mean they will reflect but only when lights hit or are viewed at certain angles.
Class One reflective can be viewed/reflect at any angle due to the little pockets/cells catching the light and bouncing the light it back.
isn’t that what I said? :lol1:
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shane im sorry mate… i swear to god i never even seen your reply. :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
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quote Robert Lambie:shane im sorry mate… i swear to god i never even seen your reply. :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:
Been married over 25 years Rob, takes more than a post like that to upset me mate 😉
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Well, perhaps some of the confusion (in Europe anyway, I don’t know about Australia) is that what was Class 2 under the old BS 873 is now Class 1 under the new standard of BS EN 12899-1:2001.
BS EN 12899 has been in operation for eight years now. It certainly pre-dates the current Chapter 8, and therefore it is only reasonable to assume that the Flexi-Lite 5R series is perfectly ok to use. Why wouldn’t it be?
Rob, despite the above, I think you may be wise to play safe. This week we had a customer’s vehicle thrown off site by a Highways Agency inspector. He thought that because the vinyl had no pattern then it didn’t comply. After we explained the error of his ways, and he had made a couple of calls to his head office in Bristol, it was all sorted out, but the fact remains that an over zealous inspector cost my customer a day’s work.
Shane, I don’t know for sure, but I think classification is to do with brightness and angle of view. In the old days that could only be achieved with diamond grade (or equivalent) but materials are constantly improving and if a plain vinyl complies, then it complies.
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Thanks John, your rules are clearly different to ours then.
3M have just bought out a new class 1 film here to comply to the WPH&S criteria in Oz, and they have still maintained the hexagonal and octagonal designs, albeit a lot thinner than the previous materials.
3M680cr is class 2 and removeable.
Avery have a very good class 2 here too, that is really soft and conformable.
I always thought our rules were based on the European Standards, perhaps they are based on the USA standards instead….. not sure now.
Our emergency services has gone to Reflective Fluorescent material. Costs over $3000 per roll, but its still got the reflective pattern in the material.
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Just to confuse more class 1 honeycomb is now class 2 apparently?????
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