Flexible Engineering Grade - Type 1
Technical Data

DURABILITY

Nikkalite^® 48000 series retro-reflective sheeting processed and applied to Nippon Carbide Industries’ approved substrates in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, shall have a performance life of 7 years when exposed vertically. The ELG retro-reflective sheeting shall be considered as performing satisfactorily if the sign has not deteriorated, due to natural causes, to the extent that the sign is ineffective for its intended purpose when viewed from the vehicle.

COLOR MATCHING

When it is necessary to use more than one sheet of Nikkalite^® Brand sheeting on one sign, care should be taken to use sheeting cut from the same roll. If, however, sheeting from different rolls is used, care must be taken to ensure that the daytime and nighttime colors of the sheeting used are matched. Color matching should be done in daytime away from colored walls or other objects that can affect the color of the sheeting.

To match night color, examine the sheeting in a dark room or area with a light directed on the surface. The light source (flashlight, spotlight, etc.) should be held at eye level and observation should take place from behind the light, as far away from the sheeting as practical. Every other piece of material should be rotated by 180^º, so the same roll edges come together. Color matching is the responsibility of the sign manufacturer.

CUTTING and GRAPHIC CUTTING

Several sheets of ELG may be stacked for cutting at the same time with a guillotine cutter; however, the sheets must be cut individually when knife-cut or die-cut. Friction or sprocket driven rotary plotters, flat bed plotters or craft type cutting knives are all suitable for cutting 48000 Series materials. The material must be allowed to condition, out of its box and correctly supported, ideally in a room with an ambient temperature of 18°C to 25°C (64ºF to 77ºF).

SCREEN PRINTING

ELG 48000 Series sheeting can be screened using the two component inks of the Nikkalite^® N3600 Series and N3800 Series. These two-component inks have good transparency and durability, and provide high reflectivity even after printing; also it excels in adhesion, anti-scratch and solvent resistance.

Use inks (two-component) within 5 hours after mixing. Mix sufficient ink for a half-day use in the morning and prepare another new lot for the afternoon work. Both the N3600 and N3800 series can also be used as one-component inks without the addition of hardener, however, solvent resistance will be weaker than the usage of with hardener a little bit. Normally, Nikkalite^® ink does not require dilution with thinner due to its pre-adjusted viscosity. However, when it is necessary, use only Nikkalite^® thinner.

Clear coating or edge sealing is not normally required for either ink, however, if it is specified use the appropriate N3612 or N3812 clear toner to the relevant series ink being used. For screen printing sign boards, labels, stickers, etc. a 62T-77T/cm mesh (157-180/in. mesh) polyester mono-filament plain weave mesh is recommended to achieve the correct depth of color and durability required. When screen printing with other manufacturer’s ink, thinner, etc. onto Nikkalite^® sheeting, the users should take full responsibility themselves.

Available ink, Mixing Ratio and Time

DRYING

The drying space or room should always be kept clean and free from dust. Drying can be accomplished with natural drying, air blast drying or heat-oven drying. When natural drying, allow good ventilation through the drying racks. For air blast drying, set the fans at 1.5 to 2 meters apart from the drying racks and let it blow slightly downward towards all the surfaces of the screened sheets. When using a heat-oven dryer, we recommend an oven dryer with controls for temperature, velocity and volume of wind for both inhale and exhale, and drying temperature is up to 70°C (158^ºF). After heat-oven drying, printed sheets must be cooled to room temperature before stacking to prevent blocking due to post heating. Before stack printed sheets after drying, confirm dryness by placing two printed faces, face to face, and press firmly together by hand and place near your ear and then begin to pull them apart. If no sound is heard then they are dry enough for stacking up to 50 pieces high. It is recommended that each printed sheet be provided with a slip sheet on the printed side.

SUBSTRATE TREATMENT

Nikkalite^® 48000 Series retro-reflective sheeting is provided with a strong pressure-sensitive adhesive with good durability and it can be laminated on a flat substrate and corrugated surface. When laminating on coated steel or plastic substrates, particularly on new type of substrates, confirm there is no trouble in adhesion, peel-off, swelling, discoloration and reflectivity degradation of sheeting, before starting mass production. Although the adhesion of any substrate material can be expected to be improved by wiping with solvents or sanding, confirm it by testing in advance.