Handling raised bumper sensor with vinyl|TeckWrap
Some bumpers are very installer-friendly, while others are not when it comes to car wrapping. There are bumpers with a raised sensor that is challenging to handle.
The sensor is usually small. But if you did not wrap with the right approach, even this tiny area would lead to an overstretching of the vinyl film. For example, some wrappers might apply the vehicle wrap to the entire bumper, wrap it, and deal with the sensor by feeding the material to its bottom.
This method mentioned above will overstretch the vinyl and affect the performance and durability of the finish. Here is the right way to avoid the potential frustrations:
Cut and tuck
It is ok to wrap the entire bumper with one piece straightaway. But when it is done, you should cut away the film on the sensor area. To do this, sharpen your blade first. Then, cut along the top side of the sensor with a light touch and steady hand to avoid cutting the paint.
You can then use the corner of your micro squeegee to pick up the material around and tuck it into the bottom of the sensor. By cutting and tucking, there will be no tension in the film, so it will stay on the surface properly for the long term.
Once it is done, repeat the same process of cutting to remove the excess vinyl around the sensor. Use the micro squeegee to seal the edge afterward. Then, take off the material on the sensor and wrap it separately.
Pre-stretch and shrink
Take the piece for the sensor, and pre-stretch it a little bit. You can use it to hook all the edges of the sensor now. Apply heat, and the memory effect of the film will be triggered so that it will shrink back to the original shape. In this way, it is going to wrap the sensor up perfectly.
Take your micro squeegee to tuck the material to the bottom of the sensor properly. Last but not least, cut away the excess film. Do not forget to seal all the edges when finish.
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