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Reflective Tape
As is common with many other products, the naming convention for reflective tape seems to have a bit of a marketing spin to it. Specifically, unless you are familiar with the product, the designation “engineer grade tape” may not seem to be particularly informative about the quality of the product. Basically, what you should know about engineer grade reflective tape is that it is the most reasonably priced variation among the high quality tapes.
Engineer grade tape is produced with enclosed glass beads. These glass spheres reflect light back at its source regardless of the angle of approach due the the geometry of the sphere shaped objects. In order to be classified as engineer grade tape, the tape must meet the standards specified in ASTM D4956 type I, which was developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials. ASTM develops internationally recognized standards for quality and safety.
This safety enhancing product is available in a variety of thicknesses, widths, and lengths.
For general purpose use, a 5 mil thick engineer grade reflective tape is recommended by Koffler Sales. It is available in widths from 1″ through 4″ and in 30′ and 150′ roll lengths.
Engineer grade reflective tape is typically suitable for applications that do not require DOT compliance (Department of Transportation). For reference, the following types of reflective tape which offer higher levels of retroreflectivity than engineer grade tape are also available from Koffler Sales. These higher grades of reflective tape are most commonly utilized in transportation applications.
- SUPERBRITE SOLID REFLECTIVE – Meets or exceeds ASTM D-4956-99 Type III.
- NEONBRITE SOLID REFLECTIVE – Meets or exceeds ASTM D-4956 Type VIII.
- CONSPICUITY DOT-C2 – exceeds NHTSA (49 CFR 57) and carries the DOT – C2 legal certification for compliance.
A complete selection of reflective tape is available at Koffler Sales.
Their customer service department is available to assist you with selecting the type of tape that best fits your requirements.