Contour marking for rigid trucks and trailers from 3M™ and Orafol® in comparison
3M™ Contour Markings |
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Technology
With modern microprism technology, retroreflection is achieved using optimally calculated small prisms. Light penetrates the prisms, is reflected by the 3 surfaces and then deflected back to the light source. The reflectivity class RA3 ensures very good visibility. The disadvantage of multi-layer materials is that water and dirt can penetrate the cut edges or the film due to stone chips or other damage. This causes the film to peel off slowly or a brownish discolouration in the affected areas.
It is therefore recommended to seal the cut edges of multi-layered materials. The 
3M 943 | and Orafol® VC 104 | have an advantage here, as the single-layer structure means that peeling or discolouration is not to be expected.
Colour Scheme
The 3M 983 | has clearer colours - white and yellow are brighter. With the 3M 943 | and Orafol® VC 104 | have an advantage here, as the single-layer structure means that peeling or discolouration is not to be expected.
the white is more silvery and the yellow almost turns gold. The colouring of the 3M 943 is generally somewhat darker, and the stripes are also more clearly visible. In terms of visibility at night, the films are in no way inferior.
Flexibility
The 3M 983 | is quite stiff and not very flexible on curves and edges. The 3M 943 | and the Orafol® VC 104 | are very flexible.
Processing
The 3M 983 | is easy to apply to the surface due to its rigidity. Edge sealing on the cut edges increases durability. The 3M 943 | and Orafol® VC 104 | are more susceptible to blistering due to the lower material thickness.
Durability
The Orafol® VC 104 | is one step ahead in this respect. With proper care and cleaning, Orafol® guarantees the functionality of the contour markings for 10 years.
Cleaning
The single-layer systems are in the lead in this category. The single-layer outline markings can be processed and cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner without any problems, provided the minimum distance of 1 metre and the blasting angle are observed. With multi-layer systems, direct blasting with a high-pressure cleaner can lead to the film edges opening up and the film layers peeling off. However, this can be prevented with an edge protection film. Orafol® VC 104 | is particularly resistant.
Price/Performance
The 50 metre rolls of contour markings form the basis for the price assessment. The prices are close to each other. The Orafol® VC 104 | is slightly cheaper, so its price-performance ratio is definitely convincing. But even here, the different contour markings are not much different.
Removability
All contour markings are coated with a permanent adhesive. The aim is to achieve a long service life. Removal can be very time-consuming (film eraser, film remover, etc.). If there is only a short-term need for contour markings, the 3M 983 | (1 m) are available as an alternative.
