Technical info

At Polymobyl, we take particular care with the materials we use.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel, commonly referred to as inox, is a steel alloy (containing less than 1.2% carbon) with more than 10.5% chromium, whose properties include low susceptibility to corrosion and no rusting. It is fully recyclable and therefore requires no protection. As standard, we use brushed 304L stainless steel. For marine sites, we recommend 316L marine-grade stainless steel. Contact us for added value.

Finishes

Stainless steel parts are finished using three different processes:
- Brushed 220 grain for bollard bodies and litter garbage can bodies and covers
- Microblasted IS 28 for barriers and bike racks
- Rough turned for circular bollard heads

Maintenance

An inert material by definition, stainless steel parts require no protection. All stainless steel parts of our products are made of 304L alloy. Please contact us for a quotation. Annual maintenance of these surfaces using a passivating product is recommended to maintain their attractive appearance.

The wood

To prefer wood is to accept all its characteristics:

Knots, variations in color, even twists… all contribute to its identity and charm. It also means choosing a living material that evolves, and all the more so if it’s subjected to major climatic variations. Also, if the wood splits or warps slightly, this does not call into question its mechanical strength and durability.

Wood types

We use different types of local or tropical wood, depending on the furniture, its dimensions and the wood sections required, and their availability. In addition to origin, we place great importance on the properties and qualities of the different types of wood. Our wooden furniture is generally made of larch** (with colorless or gray* saturator). Rot-proof, durable and aesthetically pleasing, it is known as the "oak of the mountains" thanks to its solid character.

Maintenance

Saturator is a non-film-forming protection that reveals the larch's grain. It's a real protection that provides a beautiful "oiled wood" finish that penetrates and nourishes the larch in depth to delay graying. The choice is between a colorless saturator that enhances the larch's amber color, or a gray saturator that gives an aged wood effect.

* Saturator color upon request. ** Other European class III species are available on request (Douglas fir, acacia, oak, etc.).

Right from the design stage, we ensure that our furniture is maintenance-free. Nevertheless, depending on the weather and geographical location, street furniture requires a certain amount of attention.

Aluminium

Extruded aluminium

The profiles of our shelters are made of extruded aluminum. It’s a material with many advantages, not least its malleability and durability (resistance over time, to corrosion and climatic conditions).

It’s a highly recyclable material, which partly explains why manufacturers are so keen to use it.

Aluminum is also low-maintenance and easy to clean. But above all, it’s a lightweight material that reduces the weight of structures while offering superior strength.

Aluminium preparation

Aluminum extrusion is a manufacturing process that makes it possible to design different profiles to suit the structure to be built. Our posts, beams and screens are made of extruded aluminum.

The aluminum profiles are then powder-coated, i.e. they are painted with an epoxy powder coating for additional protection against impact and corrosion. This new step promotes adhesion of the paint, which is then heated in the oven to around 200°C. In addition to its aesthetic aspect, which allows aluminum to be colored, powder coating provides protection for aluminum surfaces. As a result, maintenance is extremely low.

Steel

Steel – an alloy of iron and carbon – is a highly abundant, recyclable and recycled material (the most recycled in the world after aluminum, far ahead of plastic and paper, as it is easier to separate from other materials by magnetic effect).

Anti-corrosion treatment: polyzing

Our steel furniture lines are galvanized to protect against corrosion.

This is the most widespread anti-corrosion solution in the world of exterior powder-coated steel products.

This method offers many advantages:

High-quality "stretched" surface rendering
Lightweight construction minimizes costs
Very limited gas and final waste emissions
Lower carbon footprint than other methods

Hot-dip galvanizing is available on request for saline environments.

Paint: powder coating

Once the polyzinc has been applied, the polyester powder paint is baked on at around 200°C.

To enhance painted surfaces, we use matt and textured shades.

Corrosion resistance is excellent, and polyester powders are highly weather-resistant.

We offer a wide range of colors based on the RAL color chart.

For specific colors, please consult us.

Printing

We offer several printing solutions for your visuals based on four factors:

Desired level of rendering quality
Visual durability
Information updates
Allocated budget

Digital printing: a cost-effective solution for up-to-date information

Unlike the traditional offset process, no film or plates are required, which means huge savings in press set-up costs and basic adjustments.

Today's best digital installations achieve a level of quality close to that ofoffset, making them the ideal, even essential, production tool for any project that conveys the image of a company or product and has a limited print run.

Digital printing offers the opportunity to carry out pre-printing or additional runs, when the content of your documents is not definitive, or when the information - text or illustrations - is subject to frequent changes. Reduced quantities eliminate the risk of obsolescence.

Digital printing on all substrates

This process enables printing on aluminum, wood, glass and Plexiglas sheets up to 40 mm thick.

On request, the application of a varnish offers guaranteed resistance to frost, UV, weather and graffiti, with a 10-year warranty.

Laminated digital printing: for long-lasting information

Laminated panels are used in environments subject to the most severe external stresses: UV, weather, temperature variations, impact, abrasion, graffiti...

The process involves high-pressure stacking (H.P.L.) of kraft sheets impregnated with a thermo-hardening queen: melanin. A 2,400-ton press with a temperature of 150°C produces panels up to 1,200 × 2,700 mm.

Main characteristics of laminated panels with inclusions :

UV and weather resistance, 10-year warranty
Printing up to 2400 dpi
Double-sided panel possible
M1 fire resistance (CSTB test)
Resistance to wet and saline environments (IMO test)
Graffiti-resistant
High rigidity: one panel is a self-portrait, widely used in facade/cladding and table tops.
Acid resistance
100% recyclable

Screen printing: for a faithful rendering of your visuals

Digital inkjet printing is tending to replace screen printing, but digital printing is far from achieving the same color rendering as screen printing.

The latter is appreciated for its beauty, color quality and color fastness.

Silk-screen printing uses matte or gloss inks - or both - and the same thickness of inking, which gives the same conservation to natural light.

The advantages of screen printing include multi-substrate printing, resistance of inks to mechanical, chemical and UV aggression, and the quality of solid colors...

However, this technique, which requires printing films and screens to be amortized in the cost price of the print run, is more expensive than digital printing.

Laser cutting techniques

Laser cutting is a manufacturing process that uses a laser to cut material thanks to the large amount of energy concentrated on a very small surface area.

By focusing a laser beam, a small area of material is heated to vaporization. Power is adapted to the material and thickness to be cut.

This process enables fast, precise and clean cutting of a wide range of materials up to 25 mm. Cutting is effortless on the part, and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) is quite small (around 0.5 mm on metals), resulting in parts with very little deformation. Holes are easy to make, but their diameter must be at least equal to the sheet thickness when the sheet is thicker than 10 mm.
For example, a 5 mm usable hole can now be made in 8 steel. In all cases, it is necessary to use an additional gas in the cutting zone to improve efficiency (argon, nitrogen, _O2). The same machine can often also be used to engrave text or other materials.

Cutting is carried out on plates of material, which generally results in flat objects when cut.

Maintenance

The maintenance of street furniture guarantees the longevity of the material and the durability of its aesthetic appearance.

As with any equipment, especially if exposed to the elements and vandalism, a minimum of maintenance is essential.

We urge you to do just that. Neglecting it can lead to gradual and costly deterioration. This would be all the more regrettable as it would also damage your brand image.

POLYMOBYL wishes to provide a summary of the essential actions to be taken, compliance with which conditions the application of the warranty. All these maintenance operations must be carried out by qualified companies or departments with authorized personnel, who are the only guarantors of safety and compliance with the rules of the trade. The frequency of these operations must take into account the different service lives of the components in a plant.

Warranty

Our equipment is guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of delivery. This warranty covers the repair or exchange of parts found to be defective by an officer of our company. It does not, of course, cover damage caused by exceptional natural phenomena such as storms, accidents or acts of vandalism. Our interventions under this warranty do not extend the warranty period.

Maintenance contract

Whether for benches, bus shelters or litter bollards, and whatever the material to be treated (steel, cast aluminum, wood, concrete, cladding, etc.), POLYMOBYL has the techniques, people and know-how to maintain and restore the visual appeal of the urban environment. We offer our customers the opportunity to work in partnership with us to better conserve all their street furniture as part of a maintenance contract.

Type of maintenance:
- Cleaning of the site, removal of fly-posting,
- Overhaul of bolts,
- Ensuring that equipment is correctly squared,
- Cleaning of roofs, display windows or information panels (depending on the furniture),
- Overhaul of seals,
- Photographs of sites damaged by accident or vandalism.

All work or damaged parts caused by vandalism, such as tagging, will be charged extra. These are quoted separately.

This contract is based on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual intervention on each piece of equipment, according to a mutually agreed schedule.

Any questions?

You can download our guide to materials and warranties.
If you have any questions about the products we use, or if you would like to suggest
other types of materials or colors… please don’t hesitate to contact us.