Sunbreakers

On 7/16/2018 at 9:05 AM, Tint Slayer said:

Please provide link where someone said Global turns purple, i'm not doubting you, i would just like to know who is making this claim. 

I have heard that years ago maybe a distributor reboxed film as Global and it was what turned purple? We have been using global for several years now with zero issues. 

On 7/15/2018 at 12:00 PM, DynamicATL said:

Some low prices right there for a Tesla 3...I would question the low price on the Global because of the vehicle.  Either they never did that car or are desperate for jobs.  We don't tint them, but if we did we would be at $1000 for CTX.

Dynamic, you might not want to say here publicly and this is off topic, but I seem to remember you being one of the earliest sources for info on tinting the Tesla 3. Why did you all stop doing them if you don't mind me asking?

Hello all. I searched through this forum and didn't find exactly what I was looking for. Question for those who do much more flat glass than I. I have a customer opening a Japanese restaurant and wants the front done in White frost...He wants it to be separated into 4-5 sections or squares like below..Is there any trick to making sure all of these line up and look uniform other than a tape measure? Also how much do you normally up charge for doing something like this? 

Thanks for your advice and help. 

17 minutes ago, Ryker said:

You know the plotter is only part of it? The programs cosy monthly and aren't really cheap. Unless you do A LOT and have someone to run the cutter you won't really save time IMO.

Yep, software will run you $120-$150 a month. Any of those I listed will be efficient..I use vinyl express q series which is a plain label graphtec FC 8600. Rolands and Jaguars are good. Those three brands are like Chevy, Ford, Dodge...all of them have their fan base. Llumar encourages graphtec and carries parts for them so it works out well for me to have one. Your situation may vary. 

Plotters are sort of like having a child...you either have one and all the costs associated with it or you don't. If you could get one cheaper, then everybody would do it. If you try to find the cheapest just to get by then you will only turn around and have to buy an expensive mainstream one later when the cheap one doesn't work...in other words wait till you can afford to break the bank. Pay the price and get a graphtec, roland, vinyl express, or jaguar and you will never regret it. Check Craigslist and places like that. 

Hello all.  I looked in the flat glass forum and wasn’t sure where to post this question so if I hope I can ask here. I am good at pulling seals from the standard metal frames most commercial store fronts are done in. How do you guys do the entry doors? I have always butted up to the seals but wonder if it is hard or what is the process to pull the gaskets. Thanks in advance for your help. 

Please delete. 

We took CTX out of the lineup and show off ATC and IRX with the heat box. If they ask then we pull the CTX glass out of a drawer and put it in there for them. Then they ignore the ATC and it is a chess game with CTX and IRX. We tell them that for $--- more they are getting a noticeable  benefit with the IRX. The upgrade is much smaller than the jump from ATC to CTX so you might as well go a step further if you are going to do it....Works 90% of the time...and yes, my percentage of upgrades has increased since my previous post. LOL!!

Basically same sales pitch @DynamicATL does. 

1 hour ago, TintWizard said:

I’m loving the IRX upswell. If you know how to profile your customer and vehicles along with the demo kit that they supply, it’s a great way to make more $$ without working harder

We show all customers the display board and then let them feel the difference between 5% dyed and 35% IRX with the heat lamp box. At least 75% go with IRX and the rest usually drop down to the "mid-grade" which is either CTX or QDPC. We do very little dyed anymore at retail level with most of it usually at dealer level now. 

4 hours ago, ErieTint said:

 

Install on the IRX went smooth this morning. Didn't even think about it before I started running patterns, I didn't make any setting changes on the plotter. Half way through I thought abut it and got afraid with it being a thicker film that it may cause some issues and not cut through far enough. None to be had so that was a plus. Film went on smooth and with little to no issues. I do mostly ATC and treated it as such, felt pretty much the same to me.

 

Now the AIR90 on the windshield, well that is a different story. If only I could get better at those damn things and start knocking more of them out. Suppose those two factors kind of tie together, huh?

@ErieTint glad to hear it went well. We have one universal setting for pressure on our plotter for all of Llumar...atc, atr, ctx, irx and it doesn't matter it all cuts the same. Global we have settings for QDP, different one for QDPC. It is a lot more finicky.

That's interesting you felt it was almost the same as ATC. We felt there was a clear and evident difference between IRX and CTX. Haven't really thought about a comparison lower down the line. Don't sweat the windshields. They are like being married. Regardless of how long you have been at it there are days where everything goes great with little or no effort and then there are days when you cannot seem to do anything right and the harder you try....the worse it gets. Just take it in stride. 

@Gary_tintingtonIt pretty much meters out to be the same shade as the ATR 20% so although not technically a 20% Llumar feels it is close enough. The ATR came out of the box at 29% and would read 25-27 on a meter depending on vehicle and roll which is "almost legal."  Now Llumar actually uses the correct percentage. Here in the our part of the deep south most folks want just a little darker than legal on cars so it is popular. With meter readings within 2-3% of our statute that gets good enough for a lot of the public and some law enforcement let it slide...not all. Also we use a lot on rear of SUV's. It doesn't have that black tone of the 15% and I think that is one reason it is so popular. 

10 minutes ago, no ma'am said:

Just released stratos 25 an pinnacle 25 same time, I'd assume it'll be available within a year 

Thanks, @no ma'am for that update. Makes no sense how you release everything EXCEPT that shade. That is one of if not THE most popular shade. It is shenanigans like this that made me also pick up the Global line after 33 years as a dedicated Llumar only dealer. I can understand the formula one folks are a priority but at the price point of this film those of us with the line should get a little respect as well. Makes no sense to down sell a customer for that shade. I was told by the rep they were going to "gauge demand for a 25." My response was....."I hope it won't be where you 'gauged demand' for the CTX 25. Took you way too long and now you are late to the game."

8 minutes ago, ErieTint said:

Hey @Sunbreakers is that the new board offered through the dealer portal or is that something you had made for you?

 

Side note; doing my first install with it tomorrow. Regular cab F150 getting IRX 35 on doors and rear window, AIR 90 on the windshield.

Hi @ErieTint, we were sent two of these for being an early adopter and making a substantial investment in the new line. They came from Robertson Marketing so I would assume they are now available through the dealer portal. I am curious to know your thoughts post install. Please let me/us know. 

@Bham sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I will take a picture of one of my sample boards and let you see some numbers if one of these folks don’t beat me to it. This film feels very “Global like” which the rep did not appreciate very much. It is thicker as @no ma'am said, stickier and better scratch coat. I have long been critical of CTX and even though the engineers at Llumar assured me when I visited that all films have same adhesive it did not feel the same. This film corrects that. I think we were the first to get it in Alabama. Picked it up in June prior to showing up in the catalogs and it has been wonderful for us. Just wish they had a 25 or 20% 

Thanks, @highplains. I found the thread where info and pics are posted. @IPATinting pm me if you have any questions. I have plotters in both a promaster and a Freightliner mt45 so there are pics of two different vehicles. 

2 minutes ago, Bham said:

Along with what @TomTint was saying,, the new regulation for heat efficiency in new construction is mandating either tinting the windows with a film that meets these standards or using or replacing existing glass that will meet these standards.  Well, the glass companies are making glass that surpasses these standards.  New construction and most remodels would rather use glass with no film that meets proper standards, rather than glass with a film that will fail or have to be replaced before the life of the structure. 

 

I also remember rather "smart" member of saying that the new advancements in automotive factory glass is on par if not above what we apply.  

Hey @Bham. Good to see you!! I agree with all of the above. My only contention is that just because we are matched or equalled in any area be it automotive or residential/commercial should not mean that what we do as a whole is negated, obsolete, no longer valid, or beneficial. If everyone is meeting what we are capable of then we are still besting them in that we can apply that same benefit or performance amount on top of what is already there with a smaller improvement, but one nonetheless and that smaller improvement is usually noticeable and worth it to the consumer...that is my feeling. 

1 minute ago, TomTint said:

  

 

  Agree. ..but the truth of the matter is that the tint industry has lagged far behind the glass industry for decades. They have always been and likely always will be the red headed stepchild. While film has gotten "better" in the past 8-10 years...the OEM glass had quadrupled in advancements..thus the film biz is once again behind the curve. 

 Remember..the glass industry has HAD to improve and become pro active due to federal efficiency mandates ..they either improve or they are out of business. 

 The film industry has always been re-active...wait and see type mentality... by the time they react..it's already too late.. 

been that way for decades... nothing is going to change. 

I absolutely agree with you and that is something important to always remember. Thank you for that. 

11 minutes ago, TomTint said:

  

  Glad to hear you have a product that is working for you. 

On the flip side of this is that today's auto glass that is on all new cars IS incredibly efficient at blocking heat.. incredibly.. This is due in large part to auto mfrs needing to meet CAFE standards for pollution as well as MPG requirements. ..."I.E. the less the AC is running ..the better the MPg is going to be..the less pollution from the tail pipe."  

 If you have the ability to actually test the glass via a new fancy meter .. you will be amazed....and shocked at how good factory glass really is. Some auto mfrs ( German ) ones in particular..but some domestic.. have laminated glass on the rear , sides and windshield. 

 All of which reduces virtually all of UVA ..and B.. so if you are installing a ceramic 80 or 90, and that film has a TSER of say... 40%.. on factory tinted glass that has a TSER in the 70% range.. that leaves you reducing 40% of 30% .....net 12% more TSER...= negligible 

I agree that the OEMs are much better at what they do with glass and your reasoning is very sound. However, I have very very few what I would call average affordable vehicles with laminated glass on the rears if memory serves me and I think that these cases you reference are the exception and still a ways out from being the norm for most vehicles. So I conceed your point as I have a few fancy meters myself and have tested laminated glass to understand the prevalence of use given what seems to be a decrease in durability...fragile...Think F250 and they are much better at efficiency and noise reduction, but I would still disagree with your overall conclusion that even a small increase of any variable is negligible enough to be worthless. We have seen that going from one shade to maybe a shade or two darker/lighter can make a noticeable difference. Just my humble opinion and I appreciate yours..

On 4/14/2019 at 7:15 PM, TomTint said:

 

 

   Benefits....very few... Unless your customer for some reason wants them darker......Tidays factory glass, both tinted and "clear" are incredibly efficient at reducing UV and SHG. 

This philosophy would seem to come dangerously close to negating what I do for a living...what we all do..... as we would only be left with those customers who want to darken their windows..they already have the benefit of such "efficient" UV and SHG rejection as to negate window film in it´s current state for vehicles it would seem. We progressed past the 80´s and 90´s era of the typical scenario where darkness was almost the only determinate of performance to where we are now mostly due to the need for better performance. It is true that glass has become more efficient, but we need to realize that these films today are where they are because we and our customers expect a much greater enhancement over oem performance as  the oems have not reached on their own where we can take them. 

On 4/15/2019 at 1:00 PM, TomTint said:

 

 

 In most cases it is negligible.

I would have to respectfully disagree. While a factory tinted window is indeed already shaded, that does not translate to energy efficiency as the heat rejection can be very poor given that perhaps not all but many vehicles have no UV properties in that coating other than the minimum required by federal statutes for automobile glass. My customers are very very content to have me use a very light ceramic film in the rear of the vehicle and find, as I have  personally experienced, that it makes a big difference on heat rejection without adding much darkness to what is there. An 80-50% film is a very noticeable improvement and is a market we can honestly serve. 

Those look like fingerprints if the pic orientation is what it seems and yeah, contamination redo..

1 hour ago, jh812 said:

The 80 and now 86 are the only two available. IDK if the others are just available oversees or what but you definitely can't find it through distributors here. I called around last year to dragon, express, and solar control. 

I think the main limiting factor is cost...I had heard they were even slow to pick up the 80% due to uncertainties. I have discussed other VLTs with distributors and the answer always is "well, it is really expensive and not sure how much of it we would sell." I told them I will take one roll of each and if you carry it....you will sell it...to somebody. They really have some great performance specs and I hear the coloration is a more "grey" look. 

@jh812 do you carry the 86%? If so...what do you think about it and/or what is your market for something like that?

@BhamThanks for the heads up, buddy. I will look into those. Good to know..Hope all is well on your side of things. 

TintTek left a lot to be desired..If FVD would quite oversizing windshields and rear windows they would be a lot better. I feel like there are going to be issues with any software. The new and improved PCS software from Llumar still needs improvement as well. Never used DAP.