FAQ

Premax’s plain aluminum products are made of 99% pure aluminum.

Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth’s crust (symbol AL, atomic number = 13). Aluminum is extremely reactive: when exposed to air aluminum rapidly becomes covered with a tough, transparent layer of aluminum oxide that resists further corrosion. Items made of aluminum do not tarnish or rust. A given volume of aluminum weighs less that one-third as much as the same volume of steel. Aluminum has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminum becomes stronger and retains its toughness as it gets colder. Aluminum is highly resistant to corrosion in salt water, hence its widespread use in boat hulls. World production of aluminum is approximately 20 million metric tons per year. Melting point is 660 degrees Centigrade (1,220 degrees F).

Aluminum Oxide (Alumina Al2O3), the layer which coats aluminum when it is exposed to air, is tougher than aluminum itself, and it has a higher melting point (2,000 degrees C; 3,632 degrees F). The precious gems ruby and sapphire are merely crystalline aluminum oxide.

Premax’s aluminum products are tough, lightweight, and highly resistant to the ravages of the weather. As such, they will last outdoors indefinitely, they are economical to ship, and they are environmentally friendly. Waste aluminum is recycled into new products.

Premax’s painted products have a pure aluminum base, hence they begin with all of the good features and benefits of any product made of aluminum.

The base paint on our Crimp-Closed™ tag is a polyester alkyd enamel which is applied by our vendor in clean room conditions. There are no imperfections, and the adhesion is perfect, affording the longest life of this paint.

After embossing our tags, Premax paints the black top plane of each character to provide reading contrast. The paint which we use for this purpose is a proprietary mixture, the result of months of research and development with our paint vendor. This oven baked enamel has over 45% solids, and it contains both a UVA (Ultra-Violet Absorber) and a HALS (Hindered Amine Light Stabilizer). This painted surface will never chip, craze, or crack, and it will not fade or chalk for a period of seven to ten years.

Vinyl is a plastic, and all plastics are organic polymeric materials. This means simply that all plastics are made of linked carbon molecules. The majority of plastics in use today are synthetic, manmade materials. They are engineered to have certain properties in order to serve particular functions.

Often a problem arises in the use of a given plastic for the wrong purpose. Another problem which often occurs in the use of plastics is based on the simple fact that few of us are experts in telling one plastic from another. Thus, it is easy for an unscrupulous or ignorant manufacturer to offer a product which looks good but is totally unsuitable for the purpose intended. When a given plastic is specified for outdoor use, that plastic has to be engineered for that specific purpose because ultraviolet rays (UV) break apart the very cross-linked chains of carbon molecules which make up plastic.

Premax manufactures its labels and decals in light of the purpose they are to serve. If a label is to serve the longest life possible in an outdoor environment, then the vinyl used is a high cost calendered vinyl with specific additives to inhibit UV degradation. If a tag is meant to serve only six months as an inventory tag, then economical paper cardstock will do.

Reflective vinyl sheeting was pioneered by the 3M company here in Minnesota. Their Scotchlite™ line of reflective sheetings are the world’s benchmark when it comes to quality and longevity. Premax is proud to manufacture its Nightview™ line of markers exclusively from 3M Scotchlite™ materials.

Both the polished aluminum and the polished brass characters are presented in the Roman typeface, an aesthetically pleasing serif type font of classic heritage. Both are carefully manufactured and packaged to preserve their incomparable luster.

Unlike the cast brass characters sold at many hardware and Do-It-Yourself outlets, Premax’s polished brass characters have a clear coat finish so that tarnish is prevented.

Premax’s polished aluminum and polished brass characters are provided in sealed plastic bags. These bags protect the polished finish of our products. Neatly sealed off at the bottom of the bag are just the right number of pins/nails for you to attach the character.

A nail is a nail is a nail. Not so. Premax offers nails which have been specifically designed to attach our pole markers and pole tags. These nails are made of steel so that they do not bend when they meet a CCA treated pole. These nails have a brabed shank so that they do not back out as the pole dries. These nails are electro-galvanized so that they do not rust. And, finally, these nails have a round head so that the combination of marker and nail head present a look pleasing to the eye.

Economizing on nail cost is not a good move. Plain steel nails will soon rust, and their heads will fall off, and your tag or marker is on the ground.

When aluminum (or any other substance) is embossed it is squished between two dies, a male and a female, so that the characters, be they letters or numbers end up being raised toward the reader of the tag. The embossed tag looks clean and sharp, with each character having a uniform look.

When aluminum is stamped, the characters are merely mashed or cut into the aluminum with a male die only. The stamped tag is somewhat harder to read, and the characters are not as uniform.