It's Not a Soda Can, An Aluminum Metal Sign is Tough
Everyone has seen it on television or in a movie; some person insists on smashing an aluminum drink container against his head (ouch!) and the material crunches from five inches down to 2 in one swift blow. This kind of scene often leads people to believe aluminum is not as sturdy as it truly is. But it's all about the grade of thickness - and drink cans are certainly not that heavy and resilient, but an aluminum metal sign is!
Just what exactly does "grade of thickness" mean?
Well for example, a single, small real estate sign you often see on display in yards is made of a single metal sheet which has a .040" grade of thickness.
While quite light weight, this grade offers the same quality as thicker grades in durability, weather resistance and design capabilities. Plus, you can easily pick your sign up and position it into another yard with out straining your back. If you do not need to move your sign around frequently or plan on mounting it, a thicker grade of aluminum would be much better to use in for your .
The next step up is just a few "grades" away!
Bigger metal signs typically call for a thicker gauge of aluminum. These larger signs typically are not built to stand alone but to be mounted on flat areas along the lines of an inside wall in your organization or outdoors in an area with little traffic. Most sign shops offer aluminum grades up to .083". Though this is still comparatively thin, your metal sign will not flex, warp or be crushed by with your head!
Is there something more robust than a .083" grade metal sign?
Certainly there is! For bigger customized aluminum signs that are going to be hung in between two standing posts or even mounted on the top of your company building, we recommend one of the following aluminum-based sign materials.
* ARMOUR-Wood: This is the strongest aluminum-based metal sign material on the market today, and the name says it all. ARMOUR-Wood is a 1/2" piece of plywood sandwiched and sealed between two aluminum panels. Now that is one durable sign!
* Alumalite: This is an aluminum composite material (aluminum alloy composition) which falls right behind ARMOUR-Wood in terms of strength. It is nearly as thick, lighter in weight, and terrific for durability.
* Dibond: Although the least strong of these possibilities, Dibond is ten times the thickness and strength of a sole panel of aluminum. A perfect choice for flexibility and strength when you need a bit more than the .083" grade aluminum.
These kinds of signs demand little or no maintenance and are made to last. You're able to totally customize any of these choices to fit your business needs. Not quite certain if you need one of the thicker grades of aluminum or not? No problem! One of our highly skilled sign specialists would be more than happy to walk you through the selection process and help you select the suitable grade for your
Whether it's a metal real estate sign or an ARMOUR-Wood billboard to mount on top of your business, you can be confident knowing that your aluminum based signs are tough, robust and there for the long haul. And we wouldn't advise even attempting to smash one of these signs against your head...you'd end up with quite the awful headache if you did!