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g r a p h i c • a l ™ [ h p ]
h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e
g r a p h i c • a l ™ [ l t ]
l i g h t & t o u g h
g r a p h i c • a l ™ [ d p ]
d i r e c t p r i n t
g r a p h i c • a l ™ [ o r ]
o r i g i n a l
The GRAPHIC•ALs have landed, and the signs are spectacular,
with the most perfect selection of light weight, flat panels for
signage this earth has ever seen! The exceptional workability
and durability of GRAPHIC•AL™ LT offers virtually limitless options
for POP, freestanding displays, kiosks, interior and exterior
signage, billboards and more. The ten-year finish warranty
backing up GRAPHIC•AL™ HP makes it great for canopies, fascia,
signage and more. Lightweight and durable, GRAPHIC•AL™ HP
is also a fabricator’s dream. GRAPHIC•AL™ OR offers excellent
flatness and superior smoothness with the rigidity of an Alu-
minum Composite in a super light weight with thinner aluminum
skins (0.005” thick) and a foamed plastic core. Easily cut with
a saw, substrate cutter or router this unique material delivers
stellar performance over a wide range of applications.
GRAPHIC•AL™ DP delivers the same impressive qualities in a sub-
strate ideal for flatbed printers. Durability and performance are
crucial for all types of signage, and the fact that GRAPHIC•AL™
is by Mitsubishi Plastics, certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.
LT
GRAPHIC-AL™ LT offers exceptional workability, durability
and virtually unlimited options to designers and fabri-
cators of POP, free-standing displays, kiosks, interior
and exterior signage, billboards and more. It is a versatile
and reversible aluminum composite material that offers
an excellent flatness, high rigidity and lightness of
weight in a variety of colors. GRAPHIC-AL™ LT is also
available in a brushed metal finish.
A P P L I C A T I O N S• Indoor signage and displays
• Outdoor signage and displays
• Alternative of coated aluminum sheets
• Painted and brushed colors available
HP
GRAPHIC-AL™ HP is a flat and rigid aluminum composite
material (ACM) coated with a high performance polyester
paint. Combined with this high performance polyester
coating, GRAPHIC-AL™ HP is an ideal ACM for outdoor
canopies and fascia signs for corporate identity
applications and retail shops. GRAPHIC-AL™ HP has a
special 10-year coating warranty.
A P P L I C A T I O N S• Outdoor signage for corporate identity
applications and retail shops, including
canopies, fascia signs, columns and accents.
OR
GRAPHIC-AL™ OR has the rigidity of an aluminum composite
material, in a super light weight with thinner aluminum
skins (0.005”) and a foamed plastic core. It offers
excellent flatness and superior smoothness. Easily
cut with a saw, substrate cutter or router, this
unique material delivers stellar performance over a
wide range of applications.
A P P L I C A T I O N S• Indoor and outdoor signs
• Indoor and outdoor displays
• Alternative of coated aluminum sheet
DP
GRAPHIC-AL™ DP offers the same impressive qualities
as GRAPHIC-AL™ OR, but delivers the added benefit
of a substrate suitable for flatbed printers and UV
curable ink. You’ll get out-of-this-world results with
GRAPHIC-AL™ DP.
A P P L I C A T I O N S• Perfect for direct printing with UV ink
• Indoor graphic signs and displays
• Outdoor graphic signs and displays
P R O C E S S I N G M E T H O DCutting/Saw
All GRAPHIC-AL™ products can be easily
cut using standard woodworking saws
(i.e. circular hand saw or panel saw). A
carbide tip blade made for aluminum and
plastic is the most suitable.
Cutting/Substrate cutter
All GRAPHIC-AL™ products can also be
cut using substrate cutters such as FSC
(Fletcher Substrate Cutter) equipped
with the Aluminum Composite Tool and
Foster’s Keencut SteelTrak equipped
with the Twin Wheel Cutting Head.
Contour cutting
For contour cutting, using a CNC
router can produce a clean cut with
high precision. An 1/8”–1/16” straight
bit is suitable. A Fret saw, hand router
or hand jig saw can also be used for
contour cutting.
Folding after Grooving
To fold GRAPHIC-AL™ LT and HP, make a
groove in the backside of the material.
Then fold with a folding jig. GRAPHIC-AL™
OR and DP are not suitable for folding
after v-grooving because the skins are too
thin for folding properly.
Curving
GRAPHIC-AL™ LT and HP can be curved
by means of roller benders and press
brakes. GRAPHIC-AL™ OR and DP are not
suitable for curving with press brakes
or roller benders, because the foamed
core does not accommodate the pressure.
Joining
When threaded fasteners or rivets
are used for joining GRAPHIC-AL™, use
those made of aluminum or stainless
steel. Proper consideration should be
given to the thermal expansion charac-
teristics.
Adhesion/Adhesive, sealant and
double-faced tape
Various types of adhesives can be used,
including Epoxy (Araldite), Chloroprene
(Contact Cement), etc. But some adhe-
sives may corrode aluminum and may not
work well with GRAPHIC-AL™ products.
FABRICATION
LT
OR D P LT H P
OR D P LT H P
OR D P LT H P
LT H P
LT H P
OR D P LT H P
For example, vinyl acetate which is widely
used for timber and styrene foam corrodes
aluminum and is not suitable. Adhering
GRAPHIC-AL™ to a dissimilar material may
cause a deflection on the panel due to
thermal expansion. Some adhesives may
cause a distortion on the panel due to
hardening. Check these potential problems
by pre-testing before use. Various types of
sealant can be used, including Silicone,
Modified Silicone, Polysulfide and Polyure-
thane. Double-faced tape can also be used
for GRAPHIC-AL™ OR or DP.
Screen printing
Screen printing can be done with an epoxy
base or urethane base two-part type ink.
After drying at 175°F for 30 min and
curing at room temperature for 24 hrs,
these inks will show a normal adhesion.
Keep the temperature on or under 175°F
and hold the GRAPHIC-AL™ panel
horizontally.
UV direct printing
Basically all GRAPHIC-AL™ products are
compatible with UV direct printing. But our
tests with GRAPHIC-AL™ OR, LT and HP
show that some printers’ ink adhesion does
not work as well as others’. Check the ink
adhesion by pre-testing. For perfect ink
adhesion, we recommend GRAPHIC-AL™ DP.
I N S T R U C T I O N F O R U S EProtective film
All GRAPHIC-AL™ products come with factory
applied transparent protective films.
GRAPHIC-AL™ OR and LT have films on both
sides. GRAPHIC-AL™ DP and HP only have it on
the front side. Remove them after fabrication.
Coating direction
In metallic and brushed colors, a slight color
difference will be noticeable between the panels
arranged in different directions. Arrange
panels in the same direction.
Prevention from edge corrosion
In outdoor use or when using the panel in a
humid environment, design the panel to allow
its edge to be kept dry, in order to prevent
edge corrosion and ensure long-term
durability. If the edges will be exposed to
stagnant water, make a drain hole to remove
the water.
Note: UV direct print example, produced by
Gandinnovations’ jetti UV flatbed printer
P r o d u c t O u t l i n e *
t o ta l t h i c k n e ss
c o m p o s i t i o n :
– a l u m i n u m
t h i c k n e ss
– c o r e
pa n e l w e i g h t
pa n e l s i z e
f i n i s h e s
f l a m m a b i l i t y
c h a ra c t e r i s t i c s
Fa b r i c a t i o n O u t l i n e *
c u tt i n g / s a w
c u tt i n g / s u bs t rat e
c u tt e r
c o n t o u r c u tt i n g
f o l d i n g a f t e r
g r o o v i n g
c u rv i n g / b e n d e r
s c r e e n p r i n t i n g
u v d i r e c t
p r i n t i n g
•
•
•
•
••
l i g h t & t o u g h h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e
– i ndoor & outdoor
s i gnage and d i s p lays
– a lt ernat i v e o f
coated a l um inum
sheet
– outdoor canopy
and fasc i a s i gns
f or corporate
i d ent i t y and
r e ta i l shops
•
•
•
•
••
2 , 3 , 4 m m 3 m m
0 . 0 1 0 ”
p o ly e t h y l e n e
2 m m 0 . 5 7 p s f3 m m 0 . 7 6 p s f4 m m 0 . 9 5 p s f
4 8 ” x 9 6 ”
w h i t e / w h i t eb l a c k / w h i t e
s i lv e r / b r o n z er e d / y e l l o wg r e e n / b l u e
b r u s h e d s e r i e s
0 . 0 1 0 ”
p o ly e t h y l e n e
3 m m 0 . 7 6 p s f
5 1 ” x 1 2 2 ”
w h i t eb e i g eb l a c kb l u e s
r e d
u l 9 4 v - 0 a n d u l 8 7 9 a p p r o v e d c l a s s 1 o r c l a s s a
f i r e r a t e d
n o t a p p l i c a b l e
d i r e c t p r i n t
•
•
•
•
•
3 m m
0 . 0 0 5 ”
f o a m e d p o ly e t h y l e n e
3 m m 0 . 5 1 p s f
4 8 ” x 9 6 ”
w h i t e
– p er f ect for
d i r ec t pr i n t i ng
w i th uv i n k
– Indoor & outdoor
graph ic s igns and
d isplays
* n o t e : f o r d e ta i l s , s e e “ p r o d u c t i n f o r m at i o n ” f o r e a c h p r o d u c t
* n o t e : f o r d e ta i l s , s e e “ fa b r i c at i o n n o t e ” f o r e a c h p r o d u c t
s u g g e s tp r e - t e s t i n g
s u g g e s tp r e - t e s t i n g
o r i g i n a l
•
•
•
•
3 m m
0 . 0 0 5 ”
f o a m e d p o ly e t h y l e n e
3 m m 0 . 5 1 p s f
4 8 ” x 9 6 ”
w h i t e / w h i t eb l a c k / w h i t e
s i lv e r / s i lv e r
– indoor & outdoor
signage and
displays
– alternative of
coated aluminum
sheet
s u g g e s tp r e - t e s t i n g
DISTRIBUTED BY:
for more information call1.800.422.7270
401 Volvo Parkway Chesapeake, VA 23320
©2011 Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Graphical™ is a registered trademark of Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc.
LITAP1027 Rev. 3
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