Walsall College, in conjunction with Roland DG’s Academy and Metamark, recently showcased their vehicle wrapping skills expertise to a global audience, when the UK hosted the world’s greatest skills competition, WorldSkills London 2011.

The WorldSkills London 2011 Competition took place over four days, from 5 – 8 October.  It is one of the biggest events ever to be held at ExCeL London, and saw over 1,000 of the most skilled young people from all corners of the globe battling it out in 46 different skills, competing to be crowned the best of the best in their chosen skill. Showcase colleges and training providers were present to inspire the audience and help them to look at the endless possibilities for their future jobs and careers.  So popular and high profile is the event that David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Vince Cable all took time to come along and visit.

During the event, Metamark MD-7 was being used to wrap a Honda ACCORD car, using the skills of students trained within the Roland DG Academy at Walsall College who are on the level 2 and 3 sign making apprenticeship programme with the college.

The Roland DG Academy offers a wide range of hands-on, practical training courses and workshops for the sign and graphic arts industries, with the courses on offer ranging from vehicle wrap, to software training such as PhotoShop and SignLab, plus hands-on vinyl application skills workshops.

Gillian Montanaro, Head of Marketing for Roland DG, stated: “The Roland DG Academy is our hidden gem.  Roland DG is known for manufacturing high quality wide format printers, but also offers this fantastic training facility for sign-makers, graphics producers and beyond, with a range of high quality and affordable courses tailored specifically for those working in wide format digital print.”

Andrew Evans, Commercial Academy Manager at Walsall College said: “To be part of an event which recognises skills at the very highest level is truly aspirational and our students rose to the occasion to put on a truly spectacular show.  We are thrilled that our students had the opportunity to showcase their talents at WorldSkills London 2011. It’s fantastic for them to be part of such prestigious event and gain recognition for all their hard work”.

3M is the exclusive sponsor for live Sunday night broadcasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup racing on Premier Sports, including the Talladega 500 race, screened on Sunday 23 October in Free-view.

Diversified technology company 3M has announced a sponsorship arrangement which promotes 3M Commercial Graphics vehicle wrapping solutions during Premier Sports’ UK coverage of the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Sprint Cup Series. As a result of the 3M sponsorship, the crucial Sprint Cup race will be screened free-view on Sunday 23 October, and every pre-race show will also be free.

Premier Sports is the only UK channel showing complete races from start to finish live from the US. 3M advertising throughout the programme covers its vehicle wrapping solutions detailed on the wrapyourcurves.co.uk website, together with its car care products available through 3Mcarcare.co.uk.

The Sprint Cup series is screened on Sunday nights and the sponsorship agreement lasts until 20 November. Richard Webb from Premier Sports commented, “We are very excited to have entered into partnership with 3M in the UK, who are one of the main sponsors of NASCAR in America. Making the crucial Sprint Cup race at Talladega free-view to every Sky platform home is a way of celebrating this relationship and bringing the wonderful spectacle of NASCAR to as many people as possible.”

“Motorsports fans should note that every pre-race show this season is also brought to you in Free-view by 3M to allow viewers to soak up the atmosphere before going encrypted during the race,” added Webb. NASCAR is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States and NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries worldwide. Big events such as the Talladega Sprint Cup race typically draw UK audiences numbered in hundreds of thousands. 3M auto-industry customers and trade partners have a natural affinity with these events.

TV advertising will especially support those involved in vehicle graphics, body refinishing and repair. 3M’s involvement extends further than just sponsorship: most NASCAR Sprint Cup cars use Controltac Graphic Film Series 180 from 3M. This is favoured for its light weight, reliable performance, expert finish and speed to apply; core characteristics mirrored by the NASCAR racing team and its award winning pit crew known as the Pitbulls. In the UK, the recently-revamped wrapyourcurves.co.uk website provides a key industry source for vehicle wrapping to support commercial and consumer branding needs.

The professional vehicle wrapping site has been built to ensure 3M can be found quickly and easily and includes clear, precise search tools for finding car and van wrapping support services at a local as well as national level. It also offers upgraded web-marketing tools for members, opportunities for wrappers to showcase their work to customers and an improved user experience inviting customer enquiries.

Developed for manufacturers and automotive professionals, 3M’s car care products offer the latest innovations for cleaning and protecting vehicle paintwork, interiors, wheels and tyres, and restoring scratched surfaces. As well as trade sales, the products are also available to consumers online at 3Mcarcare.co.uk.

MACtac Graphic Products will showcase innovative installation techniques and products to help graphics installers conquer their application challenges at the Professional Decal Application Alliance (PDAA) Graphics Application Zone during the 2011 SGIA Expo in New Orleans, La., from Oct. 19-21.

The PDAA Graphics Application Zone has been a major highlight of the SGIA Expo and serves as an educational hub for installers to gain insights on the latest installation techniques and expertise from industry professionals. The event, now in its fifth year, is designed to educate and demonstrate new graphic applications to end users, installers and sign shop owners.

“MACtac is invested in installer education and our participation in and sponsorship of the PDAA Graphics Application Zone further demonstrates our commitment to sharing our expertise and knowledge with graphics installers,” said Jason Yard, marketing specialist, MACtac Graphic Products. “We are excited for another opportunity at the show to bring the latest industry products, innovations and techniques to installers and to help them create new revenue streams for their businesses.”

The PDAA Application Zone was created in 2007 as the PDAA Wrap Quest and has since grown to place more emphasis on education. The event has also expanded to cater to the inexperienced installer and end user to give them added confidence in their offerings. 

The cost to attend the Expo is $315 for SGIA members and $395 for non-members who register by Sept. 3. Attendees registering after Sept. 3 will pay $360 for members and $465 for non-members, including a $35 exposition entry fee.

3M Commercial Graphics played an important role in the recent 3M Championship Golf Tournament, creating and installing a custom-designed wrap for an EZ-Go RXV golf cart that was the prize in a sweepstakes.

The golf cart wrap was designed and printed by Vomela and featured the 12 Post-it® Products Greats of Golf. The wrap was created using Controltac brand wrap film with Comply brand v3 adhesive IJ380Cv3 and Scotchcal brand gloss overlaminate 8580, all from 3M. The cart was signed by 10 of the Post-it® Products Greats of Golf on hand for the tournament, including Gene Littler, Andy North, Dave Stockton, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Lee Trevino, David Graham, Al Geiberger, Don January, Miller Barber and Arnold Palmer.

Palmer drew the name of the winner on the 18th hole at the tournament, selecting Ham Lake, Minn., resident Chuck Forare. The win was especially lucky for Forare, who spends winters in Green Valley, Ariz., where golf carts are street legal.

“They did an awesome job on the wrap,” said Forare. “It’s beautiful.”

This year was the 19th anniversary of the tournament, which was held in August at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn. The tournament expects to donate $1.3 million this year to charity, and has raised over $17.5 million since 1993.

For more information about Controltac brand wrap film with Comply brand v3 adhesive IJ380Cv3 and Scotchcal brand gloss overlaminate 8580 from 3M, visit http://bit.ly/r4Yem5 or http://bit.ly/qOrwKX.

Avery Dennison recently announced the launch of CarWraps.net, an easy-to-use website that makes it convenient for small business owners and consumers to get information on branding or personalizing their car with vinyl graphic media. CarWraps.net also includes an easily searchable database so that individuals can locate a pre-screened and certified installer near them and request a quotation on a vehicle wrap.

“Many small- and medium-sized businesses are exploring the idea of having cut or printed graphics applied to their vehicles or fleets as an excellent way to gain exposure for their brands,” said Kathleen Hall, North American vice president and general manager for Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Solutions. “Carwraps.net is designed to make this process straightforward and accessible for them as well as for consumers who want to customize their vehicles with their own style.  Our website also helps them execute their ideas by providing easy access to qualified wrap installation professionals.”

Full-service wrap companies and installers that have been certified by Avery Dennison or the Professional Decal Application Alliance (PDAA), an independent, industry-leading organization dedicated to raising the reliability and professionalism of the graphics installation industry, are listed on the website.  Avery Dennison and PDAA Master Certified Installers are experienced with all types of graphic installations, including walls and flat surfaces, glass, curved surfaces, and complex curved surfaces including vehicle wraps.

CarWraps.net has exceptional search engine rankings. It is typically listed in the number one or two position for Google searches of “car wrap” or “car wraps,” which are highly used search terms. The website complements the efforts of converters and wrap companies to promote themselves and creates a new lead generation tool for potential customers.

Avery MPI 1005 Supercast digital wrap films and DOL Series overlaminates are the combination of choice for both wrap shops and installers. Supercast films give installers an edge by conforming to compound curves, corrugations and rivets easily.  In addition, the Easy Apply RS feature allows the film to slide across the substrate while being properly positioned and reduces the formation of air bubbles.  Customers love the printability of the film, which makes brands and promotional messages stand out on the vehicle.

Adventurer and billionaire Sir Richard Branson announced on April 5 that he will pilot a one-man submarine to the deepest parts of the ocean and into regions no human has ever seen. The mission of the submarine is to expand the reach of human exploration of our planet. So, you ask, how is Avery Dennison involved in this groundbreaking mission? Read on to find out.

This story shows that if you’re in the wrap business, it pays to wrap your personal and business vehicles with your shop’s graphics and contact information. Rod Voegele is President of GatorWraps and has been in the wrap industry for several years. His Cadillac Escalade, decked out in GatorWraps graphics and contact information, helped him gain his most unique and possibly most important client ever.

A couple months ago, Rod received a call from Chris Welsh, an explorer and the chief pilot of Virgin Oceanic, with the opportunity to wrap the Virgin Oceanic submarine and its docking station – a 125 foot long racing catamaran, Cheyenne, that was owned by adventurer Steve Fossett. Welsh had seen Rod’s wrapped Escalade around Newport Beach – the city where they both live. The project was top secret until it was unveiled on April 5 at a packed press conference at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

More than 1,200 square feet of Avery MPI 1005 Supercast Easy Apply RS was printed and used for a full wrap on the custom-designed submarine and catamaran, which has a 13 foot Virgin logo and 50 foot stern graphic featuring the Virgin Oceanic website. DOL 1360 Gloss overlaminate was used to protect the graphics.

“This was an amazing project to be able to participate in and called for top of the line materials. The Avery Supercast and DOL overlaminate films were the perfect materials for the catamaran’s graphics and the submarine wrap,” said Voegele. “The films adhered superbly to the surfaces and easily conformed to the curves of both vessels.”

Welsh and Branson will pilot the one-man submarine into the five deepest trenches in the ocean. Welsh is expected to make the first descent later this year into the Mariana in the Pacific, a depth of 36,000 feet and deeper than anyone has ever gone. More details on the mission and exploration of Virgin Oceanic are available at http://www.virginoceanic.com.

3M Commercial Graphics is proud to announce its Scotchprint brand Wrap Film Series 1080 has been awarded the title of “Coolest New Product of 2011.”  The award was given at the New Product Showcase competition during the ISA International Sign Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The New Product Showcase highlighted 14 of the sign industry’s most innovative products that were introduced into the marketplace within the last year. Attendees experienced firsthand the features and benefits of cutting edge new products and technology. After listening to brief presentations of each product, they were asked to cast their vote.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a leader in the graphic film industry,” said Doug Blackwell, 3M business development manager. “Scotchprint film 1080 has proven to be anything but ordinary.  Its distinctive look, available in a growing number of colors and textures, offers our customers a chance to stand out in the crowd.  It really is cool.”

Scotchprint wrap film series 1080 is a dual cast film specifically designed to provide dimensional stability and durability without the need for an overlaminate. The pressure-activated adhesive allows you to slide and reposition the film until you apply firm pressure. The non-visible air release channels assure a fast, easy and virtually bubble-free installation. A 60-inch film width makes it possible to wrap almost any section of a vehicle without creating seams.