FilmTack

Th photo appears that it is gradually curing after a day. It is helpful that it's summer. If your customer needs some explanation, you can refer to the 10th point in this article which mentioned that 16mil takes about 140 days to cure. 

https://iwfa.com/professionals/Resources/ArtMID/1527/ArticleID/559/Architectural-Visual-Inspection-Standard-Window-Film

You sound experienced too, so I don't think anything went wrong. Did you use a stronger squeegee such as "Thor's Hammer"?

We hope that our window film tinters and loved ones are well amid the COVID-19 outbreak. FilmTack is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all our customers and staff. We have issued face masks to all our staff and increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfection in our premises. 

In these challenging times, we have consulted professional medical personnel and prepared the following recommendations for our industry’s automotive tinting facilities:

• Provision of face masks for frontline staff who are liaising with customers in person.
• Use of United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered disinfectants that are leather/fabric-safe, to disinfect the driver's seat of vehicles before and after tinting. https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
• Enforce simple visitor crowd-management by encouraging pre-bookings to avoid servicing queues. Ideally, customers should return to collect the vehicle at a later stipulated timing and not wait at the Rest-Area.
• Implement additional safety protocols in showrooms and tinting facilities:
  • Contract-Tracing by registering visitors/customer’s name, contact number, arrival date and time.
  • Provide hand-disinfectants for visitors and customers.
  • Temperature-Taking.
  • Regular disinfection of showroom, especially tint-meter and heat demonstration kits with EPA-registered disinfectants. 
  • Disinfect the tinting bay after each vehicle is completed, with (low-cost) bleach solutions that are suitable for your facility’s floorings.
• Reduce or avoid off-site automotive tinting. If mobile tinting is demanded by customers, arrange for pick-up services by valets (with relevant insurance coverage).
• Facilities such as car dealerships with more tinters should consider staggering work shifts as part of internal Business Continuity Management (BCM).

The welfare of our staff and customers are of paramount importance to our industry. The above recommendations are by no means exhaustive. We can all, do our utmost to ensure business continues as usual and safe.
 
We wish you and your family the very best of health and continued well-being.
Please be safe.

FilmTack Pte Ltd

On 1/11/2019 at 10:10 PM, TomTint said:

If there is a cap sheet, I imagine it's because the film has no SR coating and the cap sheet allows you to install without scratching the film. The Achilles heel of exterior films is its SR coating.. they no likely the elements. 

I have only used Suntek's Exterior films in recent years and not came across versions with CAP-sheets.
However, I heard from peers describing what @smartie2shoes shared.

3 hours ago, smartie2shoes said:

LLumar once made an exterior film with kynar (known as RK20) which, required a cap sheet to be able to install the product without scratching it. They have since developed an exterior coating once called Helios that replaced the RK series.

 

In my last year at the manny I was commissioned with film analysis, aka taking them apart and seeing how they are constructed, confirming published performance values and accelerated weathering tests for longevity. This is basis of my concurrence of Tom's assessment of Hanita exterior films as well as my suggesting the OP look into them.

Thank you for your insights. 

3 hours ago, TomTint said:

 Mfrs hold their construction formulas pretty close to the vest. That said, Hanita was really the pioneer in the field, IMO it is primarily due to the fact that their large presence overseas required them to develop film that can be applied on the outside..because triple pane glass is far more commonplace in places outside the US. As well as other high performance glass types that are not receptive to interior film. 

 Companies like Eastman etc slap their AG coating on their films..and call it exterior film.. it may hold up longer than their standard SR coating..but is certainly not on par with Hanitas design. 

Thanks for sharing Tom, please kindly allow me to rephrase my questions. 

I was told that reputable exterior films require a layer of CAP-sheet to be removed from the film, after it is applied to the glass. 

Example: 
Step 1: Remove Liner

Step 2. Apply Film to glass

Step 3. Remove Cap-Sheet.

Is this true?

 

Durability is weaker in the regions shaded yellow, orange & red. 
Technically, the same Windshield Protection Film can last longer in Northern Europe, Japan, US and Canada.
Science doesn't lie.

On 05/01/2019 at 5:54 AM, smartie2shoes said:

Start here:

 

http://www.hanitacoatings.com/films/products/solarzone/xtrm-films

Happy New Year Dave!
Please enlighten me, is it true that good exterior window films are structured like this?

____________________
Cap Sheet
---------------------------------
Exterior Film
---------------------------------
Liner

---------------------------------

On 29/12/2018 at 6:13 AM, CaliTINT said:

Yes I appreciate their honesty. The scratches weren't super bad in the beginning. Its also that the film is getting cloudy and whitish and hard to see out of. I tried polishing a small section and it looked better. I'm gonna strip it off my windshield on reapply it and also put a ceramic coating over it to see if it improves the longevity. 

 

Was thinking of just offering this to Wrangler owners like myself since these vehicles are really easy to install on, use less film, and are very susceptible to rock damage. 

Yes sir, I tested several in recent years and it has been frustrating. 

On 22/12/2018 at 10:39 AM, CaliTINT said:

Talked to a company at SEMA and when I asked them how long the product would last he said about one year. That's not gonna cut it

That company is being honest. WPF can't last for many years as the windshield wipers will create minor scratches on SR and trigger the disintegration.
 

12 hours ago, RHM1150 said:

Thats the closest to what im looking for that i have seen. The copper-bronze looks close. Could this be used in an automotive application? I have no idea what the difference is between automotive films and everything else

Legality and driving safety will be an issue. 

 

Are you refering to 3M Dichroic Films?
The reflection will look different on different glass, in different angles or different times of the day

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Dichroic-Films-for-Architectural-Laminated-Glass/?N=5002385+3291680356&rt=rud

FLUORESCENT LIGHTING IRIDESCENCE ON WINDOW FILMS
The iridescent phenomenon on window films under fluorescent lightings is commonly observed on window films with treated surfaces, for purposes including, but not limited to scratch protection, anti-reflection, anti-bacteria and/or visible light reduction etc. Varying, but less consistent, degree of iridescence can also be observed in non-fluorescent lightings.

Observation & Cause
Light rays appear to be bent (refracted) on the window film surface, creating a colorful rainbow or oil-slick appearance on thin films. T8 Lamps, Fluorescent tubes/lamp generates the strongest effect. The wavelength of these light sources either darkens (distorting the light rays) or brightens (overlapping the distorted light rays) the surface of the window films.

Common Reference Names:
• Iridescent Effect
• Rainbow Effect
• Thin Film Interference

Please refer to enclosed reading materials for detailed explanation (Scientific Reference: Thin Film Interference)




Primary Factors Affecting The Level Of Light Reflection/Refraction

• Portion of Installed Film
Like an oil-slick, some portion of the film can exhibit a stronger or weaker iridescent effect; it is possible to observe significant difference of the iridescence if “back-to-back” tints are not used by window panes of the same facing.

• Viewing Angle of User
Incident light is distorted at varying degrees when viewed from different angles; users will usually observe changing level of iridescence as they walk from the left to right of the tinted glass.

• Distance from Light Source
The positions, locations and quantity of the lightings affect the angle of incident light entering the film, which determines the reflection and refraction of light rays visible to the human eye; Iridescent on first glass panel can be different from the last on the same stretch of wall.

On 10/12/2018 at 11:23 AM, Bubbles said:

I bought some tint on let go to practice with. I think its suntek although not sure what it is. I bought 2 rolls 80 bucks 40 by around 100 each. The other one is smoke about 35 percent. I just dont what this one is. To me it looks cool. 

Given the reflection, I believe it could be Suntek's Spectra Grey PS 
https://www.suntekfilms.com/de/files/AM_Spec-Sheets_DE.pdf

Good evening,
We have a Japanese film of VLT 70% with high heat reduction
www.perfect70.com

Please let me know if the performance specifications are suitable.
Thanks!

11. Getting the Design on Decorative Films

Decorative films offers one of the highest durability among the products in our industry. There are two primarily techniques to get that design or repeat-pattern on the films:

Electro-etched Surfaces

Electro-etching on polymer surface is a manufacturing technique that was first-developed for other industries. The original-intent was to convert certain areas of an hydrophobic plastic surface to hydrophilic. This facilities the coating of micro-electronics electro-plating, spray-painting or surface-coatings on the electro-etched plastic surface.

Visually, a transparent electro-etched surface will appear matte-white after the process; creating an avenue to create uniform designs on clear polyester. Electro-etched surfaces are very durable and provide certain level of resistance against solvents (for a reasonable time-frame), as shown in the photo on left

Printed Surfaces

For years, small-scale inkjet printers allow the printing of any designs on films for decorative purposes. Most decorative window films adopt on this printing-technology and apply the weatherable ink on the UV-resistance adhesive between the the window film and glass.

As shown in the photo on left, the printed designs of decorative films can only be removed by solvents after the film is removed from the glass.

10. Dual-Reflective Window Films as Cost-Effective Energy-Saving Solution for Home & Offices

Glass as a building material, in place of concrete walls has become popular in recent years due to its aesthetic appeal, and its capacity to provide a feel of open space.  However, according to the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, the fenestration area recommended to be limited to 40% of the wall area, because window panes cause higher solar heat gain in buildings.

Energy consumption in building is particularly high due to the air-conditioning requirements during hot summer. Today, technological advancement is giving home owners and offices an energy-saving solution for retrofitting their windows. Cooling costs in summer months can be reduced, as Dual-Reflective window films greatly reduce the amount of heat entering through the windows by significantly minimizing the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of glazing systems.

Illustrative Example:

Dual-Reflective Window Films, as with the above example, offers an affordable solution for higher heat reduction and lower interior reflectance. It is a dry-adhesive product with superior durability; translating to long-term cost-savings.

On 18/12/2017 at 1:17 AM, TINT said:

 also where can i get a heat box display

is this suitable?
 

https://www.facebook.com/GoMaXPro/videos/1139278382875995/

9. Trends in Sputtered Film Technology

Earlier sputtered films in our industry, have been subjected to limitations such as dependence on reflectivity to provide better TSER. However, high reflectance might be undesirable for certain applications and affects building aesthetics. Copper and silver, are still the most cost-efficient substitutes for gold, to provide high heat reduction at higher VLTs and their oxidation-risk used to be higher.

Today, Sputtered Films have improved with significantly-lower oxidation-risk and the reputable versions in our industry are providing high heat reduction with <10% Visible Light Reflectance. 

The next generation of sputtered films in our industry will continue to offer superior heat reduction & durability. Most importantly, the new versions will likely to be priced at a fraction of today's cost (given the same VLT and heat reduction), due to the emergence of ""boutique" metal compounds with low oxidation-risk, low reflectivity and good heat reduction.

In sputtering science, it costs exponentially higher to achieve the same heat reduction at higher VLT; and the application of exotic metal compounds will not defy this law. As such, the impact of the cost-lowering will likely be felt-most in darker sputtered films of VLT 5 - 40%

Signal-Friendly Window Films

The article on Signal-Friendly Window Films has been transferred to:

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6867868538141593601

34 minutes ago, Glass Tinting Supplies said:

There seems to have been some success in reducing Haze/Hue in Ceramic based films over the past 3 years for some manufacturers.

 

Specifically those that own and operate particle grinding equipment. The ability to control the breakdown size of the metals/ceramics that are deposited into the films seem to have not just reduced Low angle Hazing, but also improved clarity and the overall performance of the film.

 

If you don't have the equipment to control particle size, then it would seem you are restricted to only working what is available.

 

Let's hope we see some break through products being produced over the next few years that will give the whole industry a boost!

 

Cheers.

Very good understanding my friend.

Here's some science behind it:

Generally speaking, given the same VLT and base polyester.......................

1. Dip-dyed films should have lower haze than Carbon or Ceramic films.
2. The same carbide in a processed molecular form can offer lower haze but cost a lot more. The process costs more than the ingredient
3. However for some ceramics, the processed version as another molecular compound can offer a lower price for the same heat reduction (due to lower loadings required).

just my 2 cents

41 minutes ago, Glass Tinting Supplies said:

Hi there Film Tack,

I just want to say that I enjoyed reading the information on this post. Every word of it. Thanks!

 

Particularly the Topic of 'UV 100'.

Lots of 'hype' words are used in our industry.. Carbon... IR... Nano Carbon... and so on...

You hit the nail on the head, and we can likely expect that the new 'hype' phrase will be UV100.

 

Like you stated, the window film supply market is tough. Any edge one can get is usually jumped upon, even if it is questionable.

 

I can see it now... "But madam, our competitor's product only cuts 99.9% of UV, and ours cuts 100%.

 

Once again, thank you for taking the time to put this information on Tintdude.

Take care, Cheers.

GTS 

Hi GTS, 
Thanks for reading.

I think it is still against by my value system to sell a product as 100% UV protection, even if it is technically possible at some wavelength. Moreover, there are also UV meters around that measures UV A/B/C at different wavelengths which gives a slightly different reading. 

Most manufacturers in the world, defines their Carbon and Ceramics IR films clearly, I have not came across a US, Japanese or Korean factory who misled tinters on this. 
 

Just too tired at workplace, so I posted here to chill. Just for your reading pleasure.

You have a good weekend.

7. A Bad Tint is Worse than No Tint?

Is it true?
Probably... ... we risk compromising on driving safety if we give drivers a hazy tint or a single-ply adhesive-dyed tint that stains their vehicle interiors during tinting.

However, the cheapest automotive film of < 1 year fading durability will still reduce the impact from shattered glass during accidents and deters (slow-down) vehicle break-ins.

The cheapest automotive films in our industry offers 90-99% UV protection, offering some form of protection against the harmful UV rays to drivers who can least afford our films. 

In many ways, our products save lives.
Cheers!

6. Comparing Heat Reduction

Generally speaking, these are the main wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum that we are concerned with:

Ultraviolet: < 380-400 nm
Visible Light : 380-780nm

Infrared: >780nm

IR1000nm - Low Temperature, measured by most IR meters, illustrative example: air-conditioned room temperature
IR1400nm - Mid Temperature, illustrative example: morning sun.
IR1800nm - High Temperature, illustrative example: hot summer afternoon

TSER takes into consideration of the general protection against UV, VIS and IR.

If we are comparing products of different VLT and reflection,
TSER, SC and SHGC are good gauges because they take both VLT and IR reduction into consideration.
Eg. HP20 Charcoal is better than HP50 Charcoal tint.

Eg. Silver 35% architectural film offers better TSER, SC and SHGC than a HP50 Charcoal tint.

Assuming:
TSER of HP 50 is about 35%

TSER of HP 20 is about 53%
TSER of Silver 35 is about 63%

 

If we are comparing products of similar VLT and reflection,

Infrared measurement for 1400nm OR 1800nm are good gauges because they identify the product with higher solar protection, given the same VLT, eg. tinting regulation. 

Eg. 2-ply 35% HP dyed tint is better 1-ply 35% dyed tint from the same manufacturer

Eg. 35% ATO Ceramics tint is better than a 35% HP film. 

Assuming:
IR1800nm Reduction for 1ply Dyed 35 is about 13%

IR1800nm Reduction for HP 35 is about 38%

IR1800nm Reduction for 35% ATO Ceramics is about 90%

If we are comparing products of similar VLT and different reflection (different technologies),
Using both Infrared measurement for 1000 And 1800nm are good gauges because some technologies are meant to perform better at different temperatures.
Eg. 70% ATO Ceramics film has a weaker IR1000nm (low temperature) protection than darker 5% HP dyed tint but offers significantly higher infrared heat production at IR1800nm (higher temperature)

Assuming
IR1000nm for HP 5 is about 40% (HP 5 is better)

IR1000nm for 75% ATO Ceramics is about 30%
BUT
IR1800nm Reduction for HP 5 is about 45%
IR1800nm Reduction for 75% ATO Ceramics is about 90% (ATO is better)


Disclaimer: For simplicity reasons, a cheaper form of ceramics films - ATO is used in the above illustrations.