Differences Between Engineer Grade, High Intensity Prismatic, and Diamond Grade Reflective Sheeting

What is the difference between standard reflective material (engineer grade or type I) and high intensity reflective material (type III) and diamond (type XI)?

Engineer degree

Engineer grade reflective sheeting generally meets ASTM D4956 Type 1 standards and is a closed film or lens using glass beads or prismatic optical technology.

This material is specified for use on non-critical street and traffic signs, such as parking signs or road location signs. It has less reflectivity than the other types mentioned in the original question. The standard colors are white, yellow, red, blue, green, and brown.

Engineering grade reflective sheets are also often used for reflective stickers and decals as they can be printed using both digital and screen printing methods. It can also be cut on a table with a die cutter or vinyl scriber, making it useful for creating reflective decals that are cut to a specific shape.

Reflective technical grade 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 a glue remover will need to be used to smooth and remove the adhesive.

Most EG reflective films are guaranteed for outdoor durability of 5-7 years and are not considered a “long-term use” material.

High intensity prismatic grade

High Intensity Prismatic Sheets (HIP) It meets the requirements of ASTM 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 sheet that is mainly used for reflective road and traffic signs, barricades or other roads. construction zone devices and traffic delineators such as cones or barrels.

HIP sheets are highly reflective and their durable top coat protects signs and other traffic control devices from scratches and abrasion. Not only is it highly reflective at night, but it is also eye-catching 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 manufacturing process for HIP sheeting is also considered more “environmentally friendly”, producing 97% less VOC emissions than technical grade reflective sheeting and 72% less manufacturing energy. However, the reflectivity value stands out on its own as a better reason to use HIP.

Finally, HIP reflective signage materials will outlast their EG reflective film counterpart. This material is considered to have medium to long range durability and will typically last about 10 years.

Diamond grade

Finally, Reflective Diamond Grade Sheets (DG3) is a full cube prismatic reflective sheeting that returns nearly 60% of the available light to vehicle drivers, roughly twice what HIP reflective sheeting reflects. DG3 reflective sheeting meets the specifications of the ASTM Type XI standard.

It is likely that with pending legislation in the US, this material will be required to replace many existing signs. Currently, all new “critical” traffic control signs (such as stop signs, speed limit signs, etc.) must use these sheets.

Similarly to the other two sheets mentioned above, the diamond grade reflective sheet has a pressure sensitive adhesive and is applied to (typically) alloyed or anodized aluminum sheets with a hand roller or a squeeze roller laminator / applicator. mechanics.

This material can be decorated with screen printing or a clear film that comes in various road sign colors.

DG3 Sheets were designed to reflect the newer headlights on late model cars, as well as to help older drivers (like me) with increased luminescence, as well as truck drivers whose lights can detect signs using DG3 better and with greater intensity. distances.

Available stock colors 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 during the day and at night.

LAST UPDATE ON: Jul 30, 2018