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REPRINTED FROM THE IAPD MAGAZINE august/september 2001

hen fast-food retailer KentuckyFried Chicken decided to add new chickenchoices to its menu, it faced the costlyprospect of replacing its entire fleet ofdrive-thru signs. Fortunately, a cost-effective solution was found by retro-fitting KFC’s existing menu boards toaccommodate a new front panel, savingthe fast food retailer a bucket full ofmaterial costs and time.

In addition to enabling new menuitems to be added flexibly and easily, therefurbished panels are made with a high-impact acrylic molding and extrusioncompound that is weatherable enough towithstand the torments of all seasons.The menu boards withstand temperatureextremes ranging from bone-chillingJanuary’s in Minnesota to tire-meltingJuly’s in Texas — all without sacrificingperformance or resilience.

Retrofit versus replacementBayshore, NY-based International Pat-terns (IP), specialists in illuminated andmagnetic menu systems for the food

industry, took on the task of developingnew menu boards to help KFC launch itsexpanded chicken line. After meetingwith the client to investigate its needs,IP realized it could design a retrofit forKFC’s existing drive-thrus to give theretailer the menu flexibility it required,including additional space for two newmenu items.

“Rather than simply replacing themenu boards, we came up with a designthat would increase the number of menustrips that slide along the front panels,without having to enlarge the light boxilluminating the panels,” says AndyKaplan, IP’s vice president of sales, whoworked closely with KFC for the retrofitproject.

Kaplan’s design team discoveredenough open space on the old menuboard to fit in extra consumer choices.Two extra menu strips could be addedwithout sacrificing any of the panel’sviewing area.

In addition, IP recommended injec-tion molding a new rail pattern onto the

boards so that the entire menu couldbe turned into individual strips thatcould be easily and flexibly removed,without creating new panels each timethe menu changed. Additional rails couldbe secured in place with a locking mech-anism, and strips could be slid in and outof the panels, and replaced as needed.The new menu board would solve notonly KFC’s immediate need of addingtwo new menu items, it also offeredthe flexibility to change its menu in thefuture.

When IP presented the design to KFCit was met with immediate approval, andwork on the project began.

Success with acrylic compoundFor the retrofit project, International Pat-terns opted to use an acrylic moldingand extrusion compound to mold thefront panels, and Kaplan reports the com-pound has been critical to the project’ssuccess. “The compound is a special typeof high-impact acrylic. It’s very strongand very resistant.”

The compound’s exceptional weather-ability is important, especially at KFCoutlets in particular regions of NorthAmerica. “We were able to utilize thismaterial for thousands of drive-thrus inall different climates, from Minnesotawhere it’s very cold in the wintertime,down to the warmer areas in the south,”Kaplan says.

A rubber modifier in the compound’sformulation enhances its impact resist-ance, toughness and chemical resistance,while maintaining the clarity typical ofPMMA material. Its physical propertiesand appearance are maintained evenafter extended periods of outdoor expo-sure. “You need a lot of strength andheat resistance for these menu boardsbecause the sun bakes down on thosedrive-thrus in the summertime. Interiortemperatures can often rise above 200degrees.”

The compound is also resistant to yel-lowing, unlike styrene or other products

PLASTICS IN THESIGN INDUSTRY

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International Patterns chose CYRO Industries’ ACRYLITE PLUS® ZK-6 impact acrylic molding and extrusioncompound for KFC menu boards which has proven to be defect-free and cost-effective.

by CYRO Industries

RetrofittedKFC menu boards

3061-0901-5

Retrofitted KFCmenu boardscontinued

that IP had considered for the project. “Ithas ultraviolet light filtering propertiesand a natural resistance to yellowing,”Kaplan says. “That, combined with itsstrength makes it an excellent materialfor this application.”

Zero mold problemsKaplan reports that injection moldinghas been easy with acrylic compounds,and the material has run well in IP’smolds. “We were able to produce thou-sands of menu board panels quicklywithout any problems in the moldingprocess. Sometimes, getting an injectionmold to work can be a difficult task,since material often fails to flow throughmolds properly. This is a particular chal-lenge with polycarbonate,” he says. Headds that unequal heating can also causepieces to come out of molds in anincomplete way. “We didn’t have any ofthose problems with the acrylic com-pound.”

Defect-free for four years … andstill counting Although Kaplan could not speculate onthe amount of money KFC saved by notproducing new drive-thru signs, clearlyit has been pleased with the positiveresults. “We have been manufacturingmenu boards for KFC for four years now.It has been a major program for us,and it has been very successful,” Kaplanreports.

Kaplan cites another impressive factthat attests to the program’s success.After manufacturing literally thousandsof menu boards, there has not been onereported problem in the entire lifetimeof the program. “The KFC menu boardpanels have been defect-free. No one hasreported any problem with any of thepanels — it’s a very good record.” �

For further information, contact CYRO Industries, 100 EnterpriseDrive, Rockaway, NJ 07866; (800) 631-5384; fax (973) 442-6117;in Canada: (800) 268-4743; www.cyro.com.

ACRYLITE PLUS ® impact acrylic molding and extrusion compoundsare specifically formulated to offer enhanced impact resistance,toughness and chemical resistance, without sacrificing clarity. Thesecompounds combine maximum impact performance with the clarityexpected from a standard PMMA material. ACRYLITE PLUS com-pounds resist the adverse effects of outdoor weathering and willretain both their physical properties and appearance after long periodsof outdoor exposure.

ACRYLITE PLUS compounds are available in seven grades: ZK-6,ZK-D, ZK-X, ZK-M, ZK-F, ZK-P and ZK-V. Depending on the applica-tion requirements, there is an ACRYLITE PLUS compound gradethat provides the optimum balance of impact resistance and meltflow. The line of ACRYLITE PLUS compounds varies according tocomonomer content, molecular weight, lubricant content, and rubbermodifier content. A high amount of rubber modifier will correspond tohigh impact resistance and lower mechanical properties. The amountof rubber modifier also affects the melt flow rate of the material. Ahigh rubber loading will lead to a lower melt flow rate.

ACRYLITE PLUS ZK-6 compound has the highest rubber loadingand, therefore, provides the maximum impact strength. ACRYLITEPLUS compounds can be easily blended with ACRYLITE acrylicmolding compounds to further optimize impact strength and process-ability.

We invite you to visit ournew TechKnowlogy Centeron www.cyro.com. NorthAmerica’s leading acrylicsheet manufacturer nowprovides immediate accessto frequently asked ques-tions, technical information,fabrication tips, physicalproperties, and hundreds ofother facts about acrylics viaour new innovative Webdatabase.