There are several reasons why Gravograph is the best source for engraving materials. We have the most experience in the industry, as well as the greatest number of resources to help you meet your material needs. Our educated Customer Solutions Center, 1-800
technical support line, special-order capabilities, and unparalleled QUALITY are the greatest reasons to buy your materials from us.

Quality is a somewhat vague word. Therefore, it is important that we highlight the unique characteristics which make our materials second to none.

RAW MATERIALS – All of our raw materials are 100% prime. This means that we do not use any regrinds. We only use virgin materials. This means consistent thickness and consistent color, which means consistent engraving performance.

CAP CONSISTENCY – Customers who have used both our material and competitive material continually applaud our cap consistency. This didn’t happen by accident. We extrude the cap and core separately, then laminate the layers together days after each layer has cooled and solidified. Each layer is continually monitored with an advanced
“gamma backscatter gauge” during the entire extrusion process. Final samples are manually “gauged” after extrusion. The cheaper way to produce the material is to marry the layers
together while they are in the extrusion process. This is referred to as “coextrusion”.
(See figure A). Problems with this method arise because the products are still in a molten state at this stage. While you can maintain a con -
sistent overall thick ness, the thickness of each individual layer cannot be accurately maintained.

COLOR CONSISTENCY – We only use color concentrates that are controlled to less than 1 E (a variance of 2 E qualifies as a commercial color match). A precise method of metering
the color concentrate is also employed. During extrusion, the opacity is periodically tested with a calibrated densitometer, which gives a numerical value of opacity that is compared to
the master value. Finally, the finished product is compared to color masters (which are classified by color and surface finish), under Macbeth color inspection lights.

Indoor/outdoor - UV Stable - Our versatile indoor/outdoor materials maintain their original color even in the toughest environments since they are UV stabilized. These materials can also be used for indoor facility signs where UV lighting can affect the color integrity, as well as properties of the plastic.

SHEET FLATNESS – Gravograph uses an in-line extrusion process, which means the material has never been in roll form. This process removes the inherent curling tendencies of rolled product. Then, the lamination process is controlled (through even temperature distribution) to produce a final flat sheet. More importantly, all our 2-ply indoor materials are actually 3-ply materials. The problem inherent with 2-ply indoor materials originates from the fact that the cap and core are made of different materials. This is true with all major engraving sheet-stock providers (not just Gravograph). What happens in this situation is that the materials are pressed completely flat during the heated lamination process, but since the two different materials have different expansion/contraction characteristics, the final product tends to curl a little as it cools. To overcome this problem, we actually put a cap on each side of the core. This layering technique balances the “pulling” from each cap, and the result is a sheet that lays flat. Therefore, when you purchase a sheet of red/white Gravoply, the sheet is actually constructed with a red cap, over a white core, over another white cap. (See Figure B) Our outdoor sheet stock (Gravoglas 2-Plex) does not require this triple layer effect, because the cap and the core are actually made of identical modified acrylic.

WHY DO YOU CARE?

We understand the importance of color consistency, but perhaps you’ve never considered cap consistency as a very important trait. Well, how many times have you had to re-run a job because half-way
through completion, the cutter didn’t reach all the way through the cap? It’s especially frustrating after a large matrixed job runs for over an hour, and you return only to find out the job has to be re-run. Trying to engrave deeper to compensate can add wear to your cutter, reduce your productivity, and “bleed” characters together. How much time have you spent trying to make a “bowed” sheet lay flat? When creating raised letter signage, how many times when weeding the profile material from the base material has it snapped into numerous little pieces requiring extra time to clean? It all comes down to the old adage: “time is money”.

It is worth the extra effort to provide a quality product which reduces problem engraving and maximizes your bottom line.