An attractive advantage: How sign shops can leverage the power of magnets

by carly_mchugh | 2 December 2022 9:41 am

By Zigfrid Tijunelis and Michael Althoff

Magnets surround us every day, in our many gadgets and as invisible helpers with our daily tasks. Even our planet has a magnetic field.

Do you use magnets in your sign shop? If we had to guess, we would say about 95 per cent of shops probably have some kind of magnet in their toolbox. Signmakers use them as clamps when manufacturing channel letters. Printers use printable magnetic media to create various signs. Vehicle wrappers use magnets to hold and position vinyl on a vehicle’s body. Even office managers use them to hold up charts and boards.

Indeed, magnets play a significant role in every sign shop’s regular activities. How and when did this all start? 

The initial attraction

About 20 years ago, magnets emerged in the graphics industry as tools to hold and align self-adhesive graphics onto vehicles. The first styles shops used were just simple ferromagnets, but they were discovered to heavily scratch the surfaces of the cars or the graphics. As a result, rubber-coated magnets quickly came into use as an alternative.

However, as most vendors or suppliers of those magnets did not do their proper research, a dangerous mix of toxic rubber with outgassing plasticizers was introduced into the application process.

Once those magnets came into contact with car paint—especially new cars with fresh paint jobs—they caused chemical reactions with the polymers in the paint. In the worst-case scenario, combustion would occur underneath the first layer of paint, resulting in the installer having to repaint the car at their expense.

Now, responsible manufacturers or suppliers of rubber-coated magnets are careful to offer food-graded rubber coats, to avoid getting installers and their customers into any undesirable situations.

Safe handling and storage

When it comes to magnetic power, most think the rule is “the stronger, the better.” However, this is just a half-truth. While there is no doubt the bigger, larger, and heavier the graphic, the more powerful the magnet should be, there are still certain rules to follow.

An industrial-applied magnet must be shortcut, to reduce exposure to its full power. This is to protect the user or other instruments present while working with or storing the magnetic tool. If it is not shortcut properly, pacemakers can be set out of order or credit cards can be destroyed while handling a two-sided exposing magnet. The magnet should be transported either closed with another magnet or “parked” on a good-sized piece of steel, to prevent its magnetic power from affecting other objects.

Ultimately, you should not have any two-sided magnets on you or in your toolbox, unless you shortcut them with steel plates or other magnets to secure them. Installers do not always consider the potential consequences of using these magnets, but it is mandatory to handle them responsibly and with care.

A helping hand

Working with magnets is pretty genius, due to their fast response and power. Since they essentially function as a “third hand,” they are of significant help when working on magnetic surfaces.

However, what if installers want to use magnetic properties on other flat surfaces such as glass, plastic, or aluminum?

Fortunately, smart product designers in Germany have found an interesting way to combine metal plates with compounded micro-suction plastic material. These products are called GeckoPatches, and they adhere to any high-tension gloss or semi-gloss surface, to use the advantages of magnets for graphic installation on non-magnetic surfaces. With this technology, magnets have become useful in many more applications, including aluminum-body vehicles, boats, trailers, and interior and exterior windows.

Flexible rulers with GeckoPatch pads can be used for trimming vinyl, even on ceilings. They stick to the vinyl, so the installer does not have to hold them and can always keep their working hand free.

Beyond applications, magnets can also help you organize the tools at your shop. This is why many new tools have built-in magnets, from vinyl cutters to squeegees, rulers, and heat guns.

Conclusion

As magnets continue to prove useful in a variety of sign applications, it is no surprise they have become a staple in almost every sign shop’s toolbox. Thanks to recent technological developments, these small, but strong helpers can even be integrated with signmaking tools, to assist with non-magnetic surface applications and overall workspace organization.

Based in Calgary, Zigfrid Tijunelis is the founder and CEO of Massive Impact Media Ltd. He is also the founder and marketing director of Sign Maker Tools, a Canadian distributor of Yellotools GmbH products. Tijunelis has 30 years of experience in the signmaking industry, in Canada and Europe. He is a graphic designer, signmaker, car wrapper, preferred 3M and Avery Dennison installer, tool designer, and inventor. Tijunelis also creates content including tool demos and installation technique videos for @signmakertools on Instagram. For more information, visit www.massiveimpact.ca or www.signmakertools.ca.

Michael Althoff is the founder and managing director of Yellotools GmbH, a well-known manufacturer of unique and innovative tools for the signmaking industry. Althoff is located in Windeck, Germany. For more information, visit www.yellotools.com.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/an-attractive-advantage-how-sign-shops-leverage-power-magnets/

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