Is Paint Protection Film a good Investment?
As I am writing this piece my Ghost Rider is standing beside me blinking its taillight nagging for a long ride. Don't you remember Ghosty what happened the last time we went? I stopped for a pee break and when I came back you had lots of scratches on you. It's good that I had Paint Protective Film installed. Don't you dare glare those headlights at me. Let me complete this and then we will talk
This reminds me to tell you guys about Paint Protection Film or PPF or as the gearheads call it Clear Bra
History
Many of you wouldn't know but PPF came into existence in the Vietnam war. Isn't it fascinating?
What happened was that the rotor blades and few sensitive parts of the helicopters were getting damaged profusely due to flying shrapnel and debris. So the US military asked the 3M to come up with an answer to this problem that was both lightweight and incognito.
Seeing its protective characteristics, the automobile companies started installing it on race cars, and from there it's all history.
The Science behind PPF
(video made by us)
PPF is made of three layers and a release liner
1. Polyester Release Liner - Removed before installation to release the adhesive
2. Acrylic Adhesive Layer - Bonds with the car but has strong bonding with the film than the car which means the film can be easily removed when required to.
3. Polyurethane Layer - This layer works as an energy absorption layer for external objects.
4. Clearcoat Layer - This layer acts as a barrier between the outer dirt and the porous polyurethane to stop them from getting settled into the pores thus making it look pale down the line.
When a minor scratch comes up on the film it deforms the surface of the film due which it gets rearranged into different shape at the molecular level and it wants to come back to its original shape.
So for that to happen external energy has to be provided, which can be done with a hairdryer
or keeping the car under the bright sun or by hot water.
Pros
- Enhanced look
- Healing of minor scratches
- Protection from high temperature
- Protection from rust and corrosion
- Warranty - The warranty time period of all the PPFs are quite high
- Durable
- Flexible
Cons
- Bad PPF results in damaging the automobile much more than its property of protecting it.
- Should be done by professionals because it requires dextrous pair of hands to carefully fit the film on the automobile
- Depends on the time you are keeping the vehicle for because if you are keeping it for the short time then it's good to only cover the most sensitive parts otherwise it's better to cover the whole car.
Types
Umpteen number of protective films are available in the market but it is advised to go for the branded ones which might cost high but it will be worthwhile in the long run.
But basically, the local shops try to rip off the customers with local materials which are not long-lasting and decrease the shine of the vehicle.
In order to get your money's worth always try to go to the shop which has a reputation in the community so this would help you in your cause.
Earlier only the 3M used to manufacture PPF for automotive parts. Now Sun Tek and Xpel have created their own versions. There are various types of paint protection films such as
1. Rock Chip protection
2. Clear Wrap
3. Clear Bra protection
4. Clear Mask
5. Invisible Shield
6. Car Scratch protection
The cost of laminating a car depends on per square foot of the car you are laminating plus the installation charges.
How do we do it?
timelapse video of us
Where you can find us?
We at Detailing Bull provide you with all the necessary help. We are just one call away from your doorstep.
Visit our site, Detailing Bull to book your appointment.
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