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Keeping an open mind
By Jim Hingst
Because technology continually evolves, don't allow your first impressions to be lasting ones. Unfortunately, I haven't always heeded my own advice. Regarding calendered vinyls, some prejudices have prevented me from embracing this film technology's advances.
A recent tour of American Renolit Corp. (La Porte, IN), a modern plant that manufactures calendered vinyl, has altered some of my existing beliefs. Thus, I'll discuss the calendered-film manufacturing process and amend some of my previous disparaging comments. Also, I'd like to thank John Gooch, American Renolit's vice president of sales and marketing, for helping me prepare this month's article.
It was 20 years ago today...
Twenty years ago, calendered films were classified as either monomeric or polymeric. Today, a broader selection of resin grades and plasticizers has expanded that range. The new list includes: monomeric calendered (3.0 mil thick), blends (3.0 to 3.2 mil thick), standard polymeric calendered (3.0 to 3.2 mil thick) and high-performance polymeric calendered (2.4 mil thick).
Monomeric calendered vinyl is a low-cost alternative (keep in mind, you get what you pay for). Because the film uses a lower, molecular-weight monomeric plasticizer, this formulation is more suitable for indoor and short-term, outdoor applications.
Standard polymeric calendered vinyl utilizes a higher molecular-weight polymeric plasticizer system, which makes the film suitable for outdoor applications.
Next, there's high-performance calendered vinyl. The combination of a thinner gauge (2.4 mil), and a polymeric plasticizer system, provides an excellent product that's conformable enough for applying over demanding surfaces -- such as rivets -- in outdoor applications.
I'm sure some industry purists think "high-performance calendered vinyl" is an oxymoron. However, cast vinyl isn't the only high-performance film available.
Indeed, high-performance calendered material isn't the same as cast vinyl. However, its performance is similar. Plus, measuring at 2.4 mil thin, the new generation of calendered films is nearly as thin as cast material. Many of these films also have an exceptional gloss level.
Although the differences among the various categories can be confusing, high-performance, calendered-film usage as a cost-effective alternative to cast vinyl films has grown. For a wide range of signage applications, high-performance calendered films can satisfy a signmaker's needs.
Finally, "blends" -- cost-effective vinyl that provides good outdoor durability for general applications -- result from the combination of the two previously mentioned, main plasticizer systems.
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