2-50-3430 3M

Engineer Grade Prismatic Reflective Sheeting Series 3430 with Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Product Bulletin 3430-U.S. October 2013 Replaces Product Bulletin 3430 dated July 2009 Description 3M Engineer Grade Prismatic Reflective Sheeting Series 3430 is a non-metalized microprismatic lens retroreflective sheeting designed for production of reflective commercial signs and noncritical traffic control signs that are exposed vertically in service. Series 3430 sheeting can easily be identified by the visible integral EGP marking. When applied to properly prepared sign substrates, Series 3430 sheeting provides long-term reflectivity and durability. Series 3430 sheeting is available in the following colors. Color Product Code White 3430 Yellow 3431 Red 3432 Blue 3435 Green 3437 Brown 3439 Sign Fabrication Application Methods Series 3430 sheeting incorporates a pressure sensitive adhesive and should be applied to the sign substrate at temperature of 65F/18C or higher by any of the following methods: Mechanical squeeze roll applicator Reference Information Folder 1.4. Hand squeeze roll applicator Reference Information Folder 1.6. Hand application is recommended for copy only. See Information Folder 1.5. All direct applied copy and border MUST be cut at all panel seams and squeegeed at the joint. Splices Series 3430 sheeting must be butt spliced when more than one piece of sheeting is used on one piece of substrate. The sheeting pieces should not touch each other. This is to prevent buckling as the sheeting expands when subject to extreme temperature and/or high humidity levels. Double Faced Signs The sheeting on the bottom side of a double faced sign can be damaged if rolled through a squeeze roll applicator with an unprotected steel bottom roller. The use of a semi-soft flat sheet between the steel roller and the applied sign face will provide protection from damage. A material such as a rubber mat, tag board or cardboard is recommended.Substrates For traffic sign use, substrates found to be most reliable and durable are properly prepared aluminum sheets and extrusions. Users are urged to carefully evaluate all other substrates for adhesion and sign durability. Other substrates that may be satisfactory for proper application of sheeting will have the following characteristics: Clean Smooth Flat Rigid Dimensionally stable Weather resistant Non-porous High surface energy (passes water break test) Refer to Information Folder 1.7 for surface preparation recommendations. Substrates with low surface energy may require additional preparation such as flame treatment, mechanical abrasion or use of adhesion promoters prior to sheeting application. Engineer grade prismatic sheeting is designed primarily for applications to flat substrates. Any use that requires a radius of curvature of less than five inches should also be supported by rivets or bolts. Plastic substrates are not recommended where cold shock performance is required. Sign failures caused by the substrate or improper surface preparation are not the responsibility of 3M. Screen Processing Engineer grade prismatic sheeting may be screen processed into traffic signs before or after mounting on a sign substrate, using 3M Process Colors Series 880I or Series 880N. Series 880I or 880N process colors can be screened at 60100F (1638C) at relative humidity of 2050%. A PE 157 screen mesh with a fill pass is recommended. Refer to Information Folder 1.8 for details. Clear coating is not required or recommended. Use of other process colors series is not recommended. Care should be taken to avoid flexing series 3430 sheeting before and especially after screening to eliminate the possibility of cracking from improper handling techniques. For screenprinted areas on white sheeting when processed according to 3M recommendations, the coefficients of retroreflection shall not be less than 70% of the value for the corresponding color in Table A. The color chromaticity and luminance shall conform to Table B. Cutting and Matching Engineer grade prismatic sheeting may be cut into letters and shapes of at least three inches in height and stroke widths of at least one half inch. Smaller sizes are not recommended. Sealing cut edges of Series 3430 sheeting is not required. Plotter Cutting Programmable knife cut (electronic cutting) 1. Flat bed plotters can either die cut or kiss cut and offer the most consistent and reliable performance. 2. Friction fed plotter. Kiss cut only. Success has been achieved using plotters that have 600 grams of down force and a 60 cutting blade. Additional drive wheels may need to be added to improve tracking. An alternative procedure is to cut sheeting from the liner side. Blade force and knife depth must be set to score but not cut through the topfilm. Break apart individual copy or apply premask to retain spacing. Other Cutting Methods Engineer grade prismatic sheeting may be hand cut or die cut one sheet at a time, and band sawed or guillotined in stacks. Cutting equipment such as guillotines and metal shears, which have pressure plates on the sheeting when cutting, may damage the optics. Padding the pressure plate and easing it down onto the sheets being cut will significantly reduce damage. Maximum stack height for cutting series 3430 sheeting is one and a half inch or 50 sheets. Details on cutting can be found in Information Folder 1.10.