Trusted by leading brands & retailers...
What our resellers say
Links Signs and Graphics
All first class service. Enquiries are answered quickly and clearly, products always delivered on time and if there has ever been a problem, it is always resolved quickly.
Tones Media
I was impressed by the performance. Whoever designed this product is brilliant. Concerning the Canadian market, most people admired the quality of your products. Several sign shops have ordered demo units to place in their stores to show to customers.
3 Tier Print Management Ltd
That is brilliant service. Thank you so much. It's always difficult when something goes wrong but the real measure of a supplier is how they react and I can't praise you high enough. Thanks again.
Nitro Branding
I find the combination of product range, price and convenience unbeatable. Always a great service and high quality products from Signwaves, thank you.
Mirage Signs
Signwaves are a very professional company and have professional staff that sells quality products at excellent prices.
Signs Express
Swift responses, informative and detailed quotes and our Account Manager at Signwaves is very patient, with endless variations to quote for.
Discount Displays
Brilliant service, detailed information and great performance. The quality of products is superb and consistent. If there are ever any
issues, they’re dealt with quickly and professionally.
Recent News
Ecoflex and the application of Eco-Design Principles
The ‘Eco’ in ‘Ecoflex’ reflects not just the low price point (‘economical’) of the UK’s best-selling pavement sign but also the design strategy applied to the product’s development and manufacture. Eco-design principles are methods used to minimise a product's environmental impact across its full life-cycle, from raw material selection and manufacture, to distribution, function/use and disposal - without compromising product performance. The core principles of eco-design focus-in on reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting a circular economy. A stand-out feature of Ecoflex is the use of just 3 quick to assemble, and quick to disassemble, components. Sometimes referred to as dematerialisation or part consolidation within the design process, minimal parts in a product directly advances the core objectives of eco-design. A reduction in the number of components in a product minimises resource consumption, optimises the product’s life cycle and lowers the product’s embedded carbon footprint. Fewer parts can mean fewer fixings and so a faster, more cost-effective disassembly process. Whilst not one of the listed eco-design principles per se, ‘the efficient use of materials’ is commonly recognised within product design as the most effective tactic to address multiple eco-design principles simultaneously. OK, so what are the recognised eco-design principles, and where do they come into play in the Ecoflex pavement sign? Use of Sustainable Materials • The Ecoflex panel is powder coated aluminium. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable without loss of quality or performance and the powder coated finish does not hinder the recycling process. According to the International Aluminium Institute, the global trade association representing the primary aluminium industry, 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in active circulation.• The Ecoflex base is made from 100% industrial-reclaim polymer, essentially recycled waste cable insulation and kitchen flooring. It can be recycled multiple times without loss of performance.• The Ecoflex ‘wedge’ is manufactured in high performance polycarbonate. Virtually unbreakable, replacement becomes unnecessary. • The Ecoflex packaging is produced from a minimum 80% recycled material. Design for Longevity and Repair Creating high-quality, durable goods that last is fundamental to eco-design principles, as is a product designed with modular parts so they can be easily repaired or replaced rather than being thrown away when a single component fails. Ecoflex ticks all the boxes in this respect:• The special ‘aircraft grade’ aluminium panel is designed and tested to flex, without permanent bending, in winds up to 60mph! It makes the Ecoflex the most stable wind resistant sign of its type on the market. • The base and ‘wedge’ fixing are virtually indestructible and will last for years if not decades, and well beyond the working life of even the longest outdoor promotion.• No tools are required to dismantle and isolate a component, which can be undertaken in a matter of seconds. • All components are held in stock for a fast repair, replacement or promotional message update. Plan for End-of-Life and Recycling: Design for Disassembly (DfD) is a primary rule of the circular economy. A product must be easy to dismantle at its end-of-life so materials can be separated and recycled. No other sign product of its type facilitates this as easily as Ecoflex:• Only 3 component parts – all recyclable.• Component parts can be separated in seconds.• No tools required. Optimise Production and Logistics: This is mainly about reduction in carbon emissions. From a production perspective the small number of components in an Ecoflex means: • Fewer Embedded Emissions: Relying on fewer components directly reduces the total raw material volume required, preserving natural ecosystems.• Leaner Supply Chains: Manufacturing fewer unique parts requires fewer production moulds, less tooling machinery, and reduced factory energy consumption.From a transport and logistics perspective Ecoflex’s compact flat-pack design means:• Freight Efficiency: more units to a pallet or shipping container.• Lower Emissions: Maximising shipping volume reduces transport-related fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Information Transparency: One of the key tenets of Eco-design is to share information in a transparent ‘pay-it-forward’ kind of way, providing clear, accessible information regarding a product's sustainability and disposal. So, with that in mind, and to round off this article here’s some links to further reading material for the curious: Ecoflex; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylRfsMZ4XfM https://www.signwaves.co.uk/products/ecoflex-2?srsltid=AfmBOorWgQ85CUVMwpH_0HToCHD--0xPXlhffIqp1w9P6fHPz2Aa0QSw Canadian Wind Tunnel test - Ecoflex Eco-design: https://sustainabilityguide.eu/ecodesign/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-loop_recycling
Meet the team – Design and Development
Development at Signwaves isn’t something that happens by accident, it is a disciplined, end to end process that turns your real-world requirements into products that you can rely on. The ability to apply thoughts and ideas into the methods and processes ensures that every task is carried out with perfection and maintains our customers confidence in our products. Where does our process begin? Our processes start exactly where you imagine it does, with clear goals and requirements. These lay the foundations to the development stages. Our dedicated team works closely with our sales & customer service team to ensure that the customer needs, technical constraints, brand considerations and the environmental conditions that the sign must perform in, are completely understood. This all helps to outline the processes to create a product that is visually attractive as well as 100% effective. Concept development Once the team has the customer requirements, they then start to consider all concepts and directions that they can take, each concept offering different ways to meet the end goal. This can be considered the exploratory phase of the process where multiple angles and ideas come to life. By exploring these options, the team can work progressively to understand what will and won’t work and what direction is most efficient. This stage is where the sketches are drawn up and early prototypes are produced to allow the team to have a hands-on product to test and challenge in controlled conditions. Focus on the end goal is never forgotten and the customers needs remain at the heart of project. Detailed design As these concepts move forward, it becomes clearer which direction and which processes are best suited to the end goal. This is where that feeling of exploration turns into a precise process, ideas are refined and validated and the team look to implement their plans. This is where the internal production teams begin to shine… The staff behind the scenes work to the highest of standards to ensure the customer’s needs are met and this is exactly where their strengths shine the brightest. Efficient collaboration between the internal production teams allows for the following steps to be efficiently performed - - Prototyping to validate thoughts on overall functionality. - Feedback ensures the design works in real-life scenarios. - Technical details are looked at to ensure materials, tolerances and performance characteristics are sufficient. Manufacturing design Creativity remains at the heart of the project throughout the production phase. Our team continues to work closely with our internal production team so that they can oversee the processes and ensure that everything we produce, is produced to the highest of standards. This also means that any necessary adjustments can be made with care, and in depth thought, to maintain quality and efficiency. The entirety of this process and the internal teamwork between multiple departments allows us to ensure that the product ordered, performs exactly how the customer intends it to. Why this approach sets Signwaves apart Collaborative, systematic and customer focused mindsets throughout development allows us to create the perfect solution to your signage needs, whatever they may be. Being able to take your ideas and keep these at the forefront of production means that we can ensure complete customer satisfaction.
The Power of Polycarbonate
At Signwaves we take great care in selecting the right material for the job, and in the business of designing and manufacturing durable outdoor signage that performs in all weathers, and where safety and reliability counts, polycarbonate has an important role to play. What Is Polycarbonate Plastic? Polycarbonate is an incredibly versatile high-performance thermoplastic that is known for its exceptional strength, durability, and clarity. It is often used as a substitute for glass due to its light weight and shatter resistance. A standout material that is virtually unbreakable with an impact resistance up to 250 times greater than glass (whilst being half the weight) and 30 times stronger than acrylic (e.g. Perspex). Key Features and Benefits of Polycarbonate: Extreme Impact Resistance: It can absorb significant energy without shattering or cracking, making it the standard for safety applications such as bulletproof windows (for example banking tills), riot shields, helmet visors and goggles. At Signwaves it is the first choice for glazing in permanent displays where vandalism may be a risk, such as in our Slimlok Poster Cases, Slimlok Noticeboards and Slimlok Menu Cases. Optical Clarity: It transmits up to 88–90% of visible light, rivalling glass in transparency but without the brittleness. For products in the business of displaying a customer’s promotional print, without fear of compromising a customer’s branding or clarity of message, polycarbonate ticks the boxes. There is no better example than in the use of polycarbonate glazing in our large format Sentinel Forecourt Poster Signs, used by leading supermarket chains, petrol forecourt operators and out-of-town retailers throughout the UK and beyond. Thermal Stability: Polycarbonate maintains its structural integrity across a wide temperature range, typically from -40°C to +130°C. It can withstand high heat without deforming, a property which makes it ideal for the likes of microwave-safe cookware, electronics applications, automotive parts e.g. headlights, and in construction materials exposed to extreme conditions. This is also a valuable feature in any poster display product exposed to direct sunshine, especially when the printed poster beneath is made up of dark heat absorbent colours. This can be further exaggerated in a display mounted to the inside of a shop window, so it is no surprise to see polycarbonate featuring in our larger size Headliner window poster display. Design Flexibility: Being a thermoplastic means it can be easily moulded, bent (even at room temperature), and thermoformed into complex shapes without losing its properties. An excellent example of this is our injection moulded Pivot Gripper for showcard mounting. No other material would provide the balance of strength, light weight and optical clarity which makes polycarbonate the perfect manufacturing choice for this display accessory application. Lightweight Nature: Being roughly 50% lighter than glass, it reduces structural load in building projects and makes it easier to handle and install, it also improves fuel efficiency in the aerospace and automotive industries. It’s high strength to low weight ratio made it the ideal choice for the glazing in our Cyclone Forecourt Poster Sign with its unique counter-balanced display panel. Polycarbonate’s high strength to weight ratio also makes it the material of choice for the poster pocket panels in our Swinger Pavement Signs. Natural UV Shield: It is inherently UV-resistant, blocking nearly 99% of harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is why it's popular for greenhouses and sunglasses. Fire Safety: It is a self-extinguishing material with a high fire rating (B1), meaning it stops burning as soon as a direct flame is removed. Recyclability: Polycarbonate is fully recyclable and, unlike some plastics, can be reprocessed multiple times without significant loss of quality. Primary Recommended Uses: Vandal-Prone Areas: Due to being virtually unbreakable (up to 250x stronger than glass), it is the premier choice for bus shelters and urban advertising where vandalism is a concern. High-Traffic Public Spaces: Recommended for airports, stations, hospitals and schools where accidental impacts are likely. Safety & Emergency Signage: Often mandated for fire exit and hazard signs in industrial settings because it is self-extinguishing and impact resistant. Illuminated Outdoor Signage: Ideal for lightboxes and channel letters in regions with extreme weather (hail or high winds) or high temperatures, as it remains stable at temperatures up to 130°C. Thermoformed Signage: Preferred for 3D or dimensional signs (e.g. the McDonald's "M") because it is easier to shape without losing structural integrity. Fascinating and Diverse Real-World Applications: Bullet Resistance: Thicker laminated sheets are used to create bullet-resistant "glass" for banks, armoured vehicles, and government buildings. Military Jets: The cockpit canopy of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet is made of high-quality polycarbonate—the largest single-formed item of its kind. Medical Innovation: It is used in medical devices like incubators and dialysis machines because it is durable, transparent, and can be sterilised with steam or radiation. Olympic Record: The roof of the Olympic Stadium in Athens (2004) was constructed using 25,000 square metres of polycarbonate, making it the world's largest stadium roof of its type Check out our full range of products here!
