Business & Investing

All you need to know about aluminum metal signs(and why they are so successful)

Posted: May 2, 2010 ¬ 10:32 pm. GaijinCoach1 Comment »

Aluminum metal signs have become a standard in the sign industry. Why have they become one of the most practical choices for outdoor signage? Well to start let’s look at the aluminum material itself. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. It is also the third most abundant element. The Earth’s solid surface is about 8% aluminum in weight. The aluminum metal is not something that can be dug up like iron or gold, because it is contained within ore. The primary source for aluminum metal is bauxite ore. Although aluminum salts were used by both the Greeks and Romans, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that the metal aluminum was discovered. Aluminum has all of the elements to make it an outstanding choice when you need a sign for your business. Aluminum metal signs are lightweight and relatively inexpensive, but one of the major reasons that businesses choose aluminum signs is because they don’t like other metal signs.

ï»¿ So why doesn’t the aluminum material rust?

Aluminum is one of the most versatile materials on the planet, and is also a naturally rust resistant metal. That is one reason it is the third most used metal in the world. Only iron and steel are more popular and that is because they are super-strong – enough to be used in the construction of buildings. However iron and steel will rust, as most metals will. Rust forms when metals are exposed to moisture. This is true even of aluminum. Other metals form iron oxide which has an orange color that will create stains. The iron oxide also flakes off, leaving more metal exposed to moisture. On the other hand, aluminum forms a thin, hard coating of aluminum oxide. The aluminum oxide sticks to the metal and protects it from further oxidation. The oxide coating is so thin that it’s transparent, so the aluminum keeps its metallic appearance. As technology advanced they turned their attention to aluminum. It is used for a number of high-tech industries. And in the sign industry, technology has enabled us to extend the life of aluminum metal signs.

Exactly How is technology helping aluminum metal signs to last longer?

Aluminum alone is a wonderful metal. It’s very obtainable, lightweight, and as we all know now,rust resistant. How can they improve on that? Leave it to technology to find a way. These days everyone is trying to make things bigger, better, fancier and. And when it comes to aluminum, it worked! They took a versatile metal and made it even better. How did they do this? By adding one additional feature. The aluminum used in the sign industry is is coated with a baked on enamel finish. The enamel gives the aluminum an absolutely smooth and glossy finish. This adds to the strength of the aluminum as well as gives a surface that is perfect for creating a sign. The smooth surface allows the vinyl letters and graphics to be so smooth they appear to be painted directly to the sign, while having a durability that matches that of the aluminum. Combining technology with nature has given us a material needing only a little bit of creativity to produce a sign that will help your organization to flourish.