Flexible Stretchable High Intensity – Alternative to SOLAS Reflective Tape – (www.tapedealer.com)
Flexible high intensity reflective tape is a glass bead product that utilizes a polyester topcoat to allow the tape to stretch and conform to flexible surfaces. Some examples of these surfaces would be a traffic cone, a road barrel or a kayak. Also, rain suits and zodiacs.
The flexible high intensity tape is a type 3 or otherwise know as an ASTM 4956 -03 tape. It uses high index beads that are encapsulated in a honey comb pattern. This renders the tape about 3 times more reflective than standard engineer grade or type 1.
The best feature of the flexible high intensity type 3 tape is its ability to stretch. If a traffic cone or road barrel is hit by a car the tape will rebound with the object it is on. Thence its other name “reboundable reflective tape”. There are a variety of application where this ability to stretch comes is desirable. Curves surfaces such as a helmet can be striped with this material since it will stretch and lay down. Other stiff tapes will not work on complex curves.
We call this a SOLAS alternative because there are some manufacturers who use this type of tape as SOLAS tape. It is very bright for a glass bead tape and will flex in marine applications. It would be just like a SOLAS glass bead tape but without the SOLAS logo on it.
We have more information on this tape – Solas Alternative Reflective Tape .