Applications of photo-luminescent signage expanded
UK marine sign maker Maritime Progress has announced that it is now able to apply the same photo-luminescent technology used for its safety-related signs but at lower cost, allowing it to extend the range to include general-purpose and custom-made signage.
The new Vynalast engraved signs are designed to be aesthetically pleasing and versatile, combining the attributes of standard engraved signs with the added quality of high luminosity when the ambient light is low or non existent. The company says that photo-luminescent (PL) signs, by their ability to absorb ambient light and to release it slowly when the light source is removed, can now have an extended range of applications. New manufacturing techniques enable these signs to have a broader capability than the regulatory environment for which they were originally designed.
Although their light-emitting qualities are valued as part of safety way-finding and escape route systems, these properties have not been adopted by interior designers and naval architects for other purposes and so their use has therefore been limited to requirement rather than choice. The company suggests that entertainment and shopping-related applications on passenger vessels are one area to which the PL signs would be well suited.
The Vynalast material is a tough rigid PVC product originally designed for technical applications of engraved signage. With good dimensional stability, high tensile strength and high impact toughness, Vynalast PVC is available in a variety of colour combinations with either a polished or satin finish. It is a thermoplastic material, which can be readily shaped and formed after engraving. The PVC substrate has excellent UV properties and is durable and resistant to salt water, which makes it suited to marine applications - the PL material meets DINB-67510-4, surpassing PSPA Class B.
