Differences Between Engineer Grade, High Intensity Prismatic and Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting
What is the difference between standard (engineering grade or type I) and high intensity (type III) and diamond grade (type XI) reflective marking material?
engineer degree
Engineer Grade Reflective Sheeting It typically meets ASTM D4956 Type 1 standards and is a closed lens or film using glass bead or prismatic optical technology.
This material is specified for use on non-critical street and traffic signs, such as parking signs or wayfinding signs. It has less reflectivity than the other types mentioned in the original question. Standard colors are white, yellow, red, blue, green and brown.
Engineering grade reflective sheeting is also often used for reflective stickers and decals as it can be printed using both digital and screen printing methods. It can also be cut on a table with a die cutter or vinyl plotter, making it useful for creating reflective decals that are cut to a specific shape.
Technical grade reflective vinyl uses an aggressive acrylic adhesive that makes it difficult to remove. Using heat from a heat gun or hair dryer will help remove EG reflective sheeting, but often the vinyl will separate from the adhesive and it will be necessary to use a glue remover to soften and remove the adhesive.
Most EG reflective films carry a 5-7 year outdoor durability warranty and are not considered a “long term wear” material.
High Intensity Prismatic Grade
High Intensity Prismatic Sheeting (HIP) Meets ASTM requirements standards for D4956-09 Type III and Type IV as well as ASTM 4956-07 Type X. It is a non-metallized microprismatic lens reflective sheeting primarily used for reflective traffic and road signs, barricades or other roads. construction zone devices and traffic delineators such as cones or barrels.
HIP sheets are highly reflective and their durable topcoat protects signs and other traffic control devices from scratches and abrasion. It is not only highly reflective at night, but also catches the eye during the day.
HIP Reflective Sheeting is used for more permanent traffic signs, work zone devices, etc., and comes in white, yellow, red, orange, blue, green, and brown.
The HIP sheeting manufacturing process is also considered more “green” as it produces 97% less VOC emissions than engineered reflective sheeting and 72% less energy to manufacture. However, the reflectivity value alone is a better reason to use HIP.
Finally, HIP reflective sign materials will outlast their EG reflective film counterpart. This material is considered to have mid to long range durability and will typically last around 10 years.
diamond grade
Finally, Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting (DG3) is a full cube prismatic reflective sheeting that returns almost 60% of the available light to vehicle drivers, which is about twice as much as reflected by HIP reflective sheeting. DG3 reflective sheeting meets the specifications of the ASTM Type XI standard.
With pending legislation in the US, this material will likely be needed to replace many existing signs. Currently, all new “critical” traffic control signs (such as stop signs, speed limit signs, etc.) must use this sheeting.
Like the other two sheets mentioned above, Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting has a pressure sensitive adhesive and is (typically) applied to anodized or alodized aluminum sheeting with either a hand roller or a roller laminator/applicator. mechanic.
This material can be decorated with screen printing or with a transparent film that comes in various road sign colors.
DG3 foil was designed to reflect newer headlights on late model cars as well as help older drivers (like me) with higher luminescence as well as truck drivers whose lights can detect signals using DG3 better and with greater distances
Colors available from stock include white, yellow, orange, red, green, blue and brown. Another color, fluorescent greenish yellow, is also available and is used primarily in school zones and has superior luminescence both day and night.
LAST UPDATE ON: July 30, 2018