Panel-Free® Frame
Panel-Free® Frame
Overview
The Panel-Free Frame is a panel-less system built to eliminate the vulnerabilities of solid wood and metal bulletin faces. It mounts to standard steel stringers, reverse angle steel stringers, or wood stringers, giving operators flexibility to retrofit existing structures rather than rebuild them from the ground up. Every frame ships pre-assembled complete with hardware, which saves time on expensive installation labor by cutting down on the on-site fitting work that solid-panel systems typically require.
Storm-Ready by Design
The core idea behind the Panel-Free Frame is simple: instead of fighting high wind, let it pass through. The system is designed to allow the vinyl substrate to blow out, eliminating the potential hazards of wood and metal sections being blown out. A vinyl face releasing under extreme wind load is a far more controlled event than a rigid panel section tearing loose. That design also means there’s no need to remove sections prior to or reinstall after hurricanes, saving crews the labor of storm-prepping and re-servicing structures every season.
Built for the Field, Not Just the Warehouse
Because the frame is easy to assemble on-site, crews aren’t dependent on extensive pre-fabrication before a structure goes up. The Panel-Free Frame is available in standard and custom sizes, so it can be specified to match the faces already in a market rather than forcing a redesign of the surrounding structure. Top, side, and front extension kits are available for operators who need to adjust the frame’s footprint or add extra coverage at the edges of a face.
More Than Just a Frame
When ad space isn’t sold, that blank face doesn’t have to sit unused. A backdrop hardware kit is available for the Panel-Free Frame, giving operators a way to use that area for self-promo ads or public service announcements instead of leaving it empty.
What’s Included
Each system is built from a defined set of components engineered to work together: Bottom Perimeter Frame Bracket, Perimeter Frame Corner Cap, Side Perimeter Frame Bracket, Stringer Hanger Clip, Vertical Channel and Perimeter Channel, and Backdrop Vinyl. Shipping the frame pre-assembled with this hardware means crews spend less time sorting and fitting parts in the field and more time getting the structure back in service.
Retrofit Compatibility
Because the frame mounts to standard steel, reverse angle steel, or wood stringers, most operators can add Panel-Free to an existing bulletin structure without replacing the underlying steel — the frame adapts to what’s already up, rather than requiring a rebuild. Combined with the top, side, and front extension kits, that makes it a practical retrofit path for operators converting older wood or metal panel structures to a storm-resistant vinyl face without a full structure replacement.
Download Product Information
Contact Formetco to discuss stringer compatibility and sizing for your structures, or explore related hardware below.
Related Products
See more of Formetco’s Hurricane Frames products, engineered for outdoor advertising use. Formetco builds to durability standards recognized across the out-of-home advertising industry — see OAAA for more on industry practices.
The panel-free frame system is backed by Formetco’s manufacturing expertise. Formetco stands behind every panel-free frame system sold through the shop.
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