Hexis films

Discussion in 'Materials' started by michael pierzga, Sep 28, 2013.

  1. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Hexis vinyl films, marine aplication. Does anyone have any experience ?

    Im presently looking at an Oyster 80 sailing yacht hauled at the yard. This yachts topsides are not painted, they are covered with Hexis film. Flag blue.

    The boat look good. Three year old, high milage, well used. Impossible to tell that it is filmed and not painted

    These films are typically used on automobiles.

    http://www.hexis-graphics.com/en/fichesposes/index?idcategory=72
     
  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    These are vinyl films and have been around a long time. The latest stuff is better UV stabilized and "wraps" are performed on everything from, buildings and aircraft, to race cars and yep, even boats. It's not as tough as paint, nor does it last as long, but it can be cheaper to apply, come time to do so. It also has the advantage of being available in colors that just can't be duplicated in paint. Justin Bieber, has an electric Fisker, that is chrome plate look wrapped.

    [​IMG]

    City buses and other mass transit platforms have been doing this for decades.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I don't know how well it'll hold up under the LWL, but above the boot stripe, it should do fairly well. Complex graphics and photos can be incorporated into the film, so you end up with an impressive visual impact, without an airbrush artist taking a month to do a 40' yacht, in a grand cannon scene.

    With modern paints being as durable as they are and getting better, I don't see this as a big industry change, though advertisers are (and have) taking off with it as cheap and affordably changed venues. These wraps are usually showing UV damage signs within a year or two.
     
  3. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member

    The issue is cost and downtime.

    An 80 footer tented and awlgriped is about 55 thousand and takes about two months haul till launch.

    I understand the film on that 80 ft oyster was applied by a gang of four over three days.

    This is a substantial cost time savings.

    Even if the film wont achieve the 5 to 7 years shine that awlgrip delivers this film wrap looks interesting.
     
  4. DCockey
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    DCockey Senior Member

  5. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    It works, I've applied it a few times, but with the above mentioned drawbacks. It's doesn't shine like a sprayed LPU, but the options of photos, graduations in color, line crispness and colors offsets this to a degree. If you boat is a 50'er visually, this is a way to go, but if you have higher standards, you have to paint.
     

  6. michael pierzga
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    michael pierzga Senior Member


    I had the Yachtrap techical rep down this morning for an estimate and explanation. The estimate is 25 percent of a re spray. One week turnaround.

    he walked me around a few projects that he has completed over the past few years.
    I detect no uv damage. It is true that the shine is not as intense as fresh. Awlgrip. The shine is that of a high quality yacht enamel. Perfectly acceptable for high use working yachts.

    Film repairs look eqaual or better than awlgrip patchs.

    He mentioned that the vinyl wrap is well suited to fiberglass topsides that show print thri in the gelcoat. After filming no print thru
     
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