STATESVILLE, N.C. (Jan. 23) – SMART-X® graphic display board has been introduced by 3A Composites USA as the first heavy-duty foam board available in the Americas that is 100 percent recyclable.
SMART-X is a premium-quality distinctive lightweight foam board consisting of an all-plastic sheet that is uniquely constructed with a moisture-resistant expanded polystyrene core and two layers of UV-resistant solid polystyrene (HIPS). SMART-X can be installed outdoors without experiencing any significant change in color for a period of up to two years. And, as a mono-material composite that is manufactured without adhesives applied between its core and facers, SMART-X cannot delaminate during exterior applications.
(Graphic designers and fabricators are advised to contact 3A Composites USA technical services for exterior recommendations.)
SMART-X produces vibrant color in direct digital printing applications and is easily routed and milled for signs, displays and dramatic in-store lettering. SMART-X also can be used in mounting applications for indoor display.
SMART-X is easy to recycle because it is made from 100 percent polystyrene with no adhesive applied between the core and cover layers. Approximately 95 percent of production waste in the manufacture of SMART-X is collected and recycled on-site. SMART-X is manufactured at the 3A Composites manufacturing facility in Singen, Germany.
“Since SMART-X was introduced by 3A Composites in Europe in late-2012, it has become exceedingly popular with fabricators in a variety of applications,” said Brandon Wyatt, marketing manager, 3A Composites USA. “Not only does SMART-X offer enhanced moisture- and UV-resistance for long-term outdoor displays, its unique composition as an all-plastic mono-material composite allows it easily to be recycled. We wanted to introduce SMART-X to graphic designers in our markets in North America, South America and Central America as an ecologically smart option for creating signs and displays.”
SMART-X graphic display board is available in the 3/16-inch, 3/8-inch, ½-inch and ¾-inch thicknesses in 48-inch by 96-inch sheets. SMART-X products are available with white foam and white facers. The 3/16-inch, 3/8-inch sheets and 1/2-inch sheets feature protective film on one side; the ¾-inch sheets feature protective film on both sides. (These films are designed to protect SMART-X surfaces prior to decoration and should be removed before fabricating.)