Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1482193
3 2 G R A P H I C S P R O • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M 4) A liner film made of polyester pro- tects the adhesive and is peeled off just before installation. e key differentiator in PPF products and performance is the TPU, and the char- acteristics and overall quality of the TPU depend on the raw materials used and their formulation. That chemistry can be changed and tailored to meet specific needs – to enable consistent stretch-and- return properties, protect against weath- ering and yellowing, or even to enhance the look of the film with different colors or finishes. Compromises in TPU quality can result in yellowing, peeling, or crack- ing. Simply put, with a lesser ingredient, PPF performance suffers. HOW YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE e differences between premium PPF and non-premium alternatives can be stark, and no one understands this more than the installer. Any installer who has been working with PPF long enough has experience with non-premium products. ese films are far less conformable and much more difficult to install. ey lack the necessary stretching properties, either stretching without returning to their nat- ural shape or, even worse, tearing or punc- turing when stretched as needed during a routine installation. Removal can be diffi- cult as well, leaving residue behind or even peeling the paint as the PPF is pulled away. Making matters worse for the installers, these non-premium brands typically suffer from inconsistent performance, making it impossible to adjust to the PPF over time. e same brand that stretched around a mirror casing one time may tear the next. e learning curve with these products is a circle. Even if installers can manage to apply a non-premium PPF properly, the perfor- mance of the film is likely to lag expec- tations. ese products tend to degrade and lose optical clarity, peel around the edges, and become brittle and crack after exposure to the elements. is will mani- fest in the form of dissatisfied customers who inevitably become former customers. The ability of the PPF to stretch is critical to installers to accommodate the most complex and intricate vehicle geometries. In a comparison stretch test, non-premium PPF required extra force and the application of heat to stretch, while premium did not. ESTANE TPU undergoes rapid testing before going to flm processors, including prototyping with Lubrizol's extrusion pilot line. The differences between premium PPF and non-premium alternatives can be stark, and no one understands this more than the installer.