APPLYING FILMS ON CARS
- Age of the car and the last polishing operation?
- Is there any rust on the car?
- What is the condition of the car and especially of the polish?
- Are you going to apply films on the plastic materials too?
- Are you going to apply films on the difficult grooves or riveted connections too?
- How big is your car?
- What are the problematic areas?
The characteristic value of the crosscut of car polish should be 0 (zero) in accordance to DIN EN ISO 2409. In this case adhesion between the single polish layers is higher than the adhesion between the film and the top polish layer. Therefore, damages on the polished surface can be prevented thanks to the self-adhesive system.
You can choose from the following two film type if you can answer those question:
- Relatively thick calendered films for complete adhesion without any kind of “problematic ares”. Those films have an advantage since they are durable and they can be removed.
-
Cast films with well-processing advantage for thermoforming for the problematic surface form.
2 Method:
We suggest you to use the materials from the same party for a graphical application. If you will use materials from different parties, you should control whether the relevant differences affect the film processing and the result.
2.1 Cleaning:
You need to use ordinary cleaning materials for cleaning works. You cannot use nano impermeability materials or materials forming nano covers on the surface you will clean with nano technology. Please follow the following steps for cleaning works:
- You need to clean your motor vehicle in a car-wash (washing with brushes) place one day before application (you should not clean your car by yourself).
- You need to check the surfaces and edges to be sure there is no vax and polish residuaries and clean them with industrial cleaning materials of silicon removals (isopropanol is not effective by itself).
- You can heat the grooves and holes at 220°C at the highest. You need to remove a layer which can occur on the polish with isopropanol.
- The surfaces where you will apply films should be cleaned with isopropanol later in general. You need to remove all of the residuals of the former cleaning materials with it in the most permanent way possible (we do not suggest you to use spirit).
- You need to remove all part which will prevent application (exterior mirrors, door handles, cords etc.).
- The control and cleaning of the covered surface was described above (articles a to d)
- You need to dry your car completely and remove any kind of moisture especially under the rubber seal with hot air.
2.2 Applying films: You need to apply them with dry method.
2.2.1 Trial application:
- After cleaning your car and before the final application, you need to perform a trial application and check the films after 24 hours. You need to apply the films on the noncritical surfaces for comparison (e.g. window). If the film is adhered on the surface too strongly and/or it forms air bubbles, you need to repeat the cleaning works by following the indicated steps.
- You also need to follow the steps in a similar way if the adhesion power is too low (e.g. if they preliminarily processed with the car parts, or materials advertised with nano covers/nano impermeability or nano technology).
- If you detect that the adhesion is lessening on the widow of your motor vehicle in your trial, you can increase the adhesion power with acetone. Meanwhile, you especially need to be careful about whether the window seals, polished surfaces or plastic parts are exposed to the acetone. Acetone can cause damages on those parts.
- You need to perform the trial as above again if you cleaned your car all over again.
2.2.2 Necessary tools:
- Application tools:
- Film scraper with felt ends,
- Film knife, paper knife or lancet,
- Hot air gun.
- Fundamental tools:
- Torx set,
- Socket set,
- Screw drivers (in different sizes),
- Rubber hammer,
- Pliers and neddle nose pliers,
- Wrench,
- Slotted wrench set
2.2.3 Working conditions:
- The car is at least at the suggested temperature for application.
- Use a clean, dust-free, bright place for application where there is a lifting platform or application ramp if possible.
2.2.4 Preparation suggestions:
- Measure the car parts and cut pieces from the film.
- You need to cut the residuary pieces in the car. A film width up to 152 cm allows you to cover your car without irritating residuaries and overlaps.
- The cutting edge is always the edge next to the car part which the film will be applied.
- You need to use the film piece occurring on the gap to turn the film to the inside of the window.
- You need to avoid cutting the films in the pieces with the same sizes of the car edges to prevent the films to wrinkle as a result of mechanical loads, washing brushes and wind they are exposed to during driving etc.
- You need to apply the films under the seals to avoid open ends.
- If you will cut the films in the same sizes with the car, they should be applied with a help of silicon crepon as indicated above. Then hold the cut film slowly and remove the crepon (masking) before the final adhesion.
2.2.5 Application stages:
- Fundamental issues:
- Calendered films cannot be hold in the deep hood grooves; they are added on the holes and cut. On the contrary, you can shape them in the hand grip with the help of a hot air gun.
- Cast films with high performance can hold in the deep grooves when they are hot; however, they can be added in the short holes and they are cut when they are applied.
- Self-adhesive microfiber films (Rapid Air) are suitable for flat or slightly curved surfaces. Those films should be processed as calendered films in general on the curved areas such as grooves and riveded areas.
- Newly printed areas should dry for at least 72 hours in a difused way in general. Please be careful for the relevant practices related to the operational information for digital printing materials.
- Applying on the motor vehicles: You can only apply the films allowed in accordance with the article 22a of StVZO (Traffic Licensing Regulations for Highways). Those films are allowed to be applied only on the car windows which are not important for the drivers’ vision. They can only be applied on the back windows if your car has second exterior mirrors. It is not allowed to apply films on the window frame, window seals or around the window (see the relevant AGB). The label D of the film with type approval should be applied on the every kind of motor vehicle which you will apply films on and it should be able to be read. Besides, you always need to keep a copy of ABG in your car.
- Application:
- Place the film you will apply on the car and fix it with tapes or film residuaries.
- Be sure your film is 5 cm longer than the sizes of the surface you will apply it from each sides.
- Remove the paper on the back side of the film and scretch the film on the car part equally.
- Scrape the film with equal and long wiping moves on the surface.
- For the curved surfaces (e.g. wheel house) warm the film with hot air gun for a wide surface. Do not use the hot air gun too close to the film.
- You need to cut/fold down the sides after the film is dried.
- Important descriptions:
- Deep holding places, edges and borders are heated in order to activate the adhesive material quickly after the application. The films in the grooves are then heated up to approximately 120° C. Thus you provide a permanent structure for the film. It does not damage the adhesive material or car polish. You can measure the surface temperature with the help of an infrared thermometer you can find everywhere. In order to avoid damaging the films, you need to move hot air gun during all operations. Then press on the film a couple of times more.
- You need to heat all of the edges, borders and grooves with the hot ait gun up to approx.150° C after you complete applying car parts removed preliminarily. If little air bubbles are formed under the film, they can be removed in a couple of days depending on the ambient temperature; and only the bigger air bubbles need to be pierced with a needle or a sharp lancet.
- Be careful about the punpolished plastic parts on the cars during application! If you cannot decide about them, perform a water drop test. If the water drops are gliding down after cleaning, it is not suggested to apply the films. If the water flows down without forming big drops, you can apply the films on those surfaces. In every case, relevant surfaces should be smooth; the films cannot stay on the textured surfaces.
3. After application:
The car should keep application temperature for at least 24 hours. The applied films reach their optimal adhesive power after approx. 3 days, and then you can go to a car wash place without even thinking. Cars covered with films can be polished after 3 weeks after the application at the earliest. Please only use polishes which do not contain vax for surfaces of plastic materials and contain silicon or teflon.
4 Removability:
Please be careful about the practices related to the operational information for materials of cutting machine. Our knowledge and experiences form a baseline for those operational details. All issues you need to be careful about for application are explained. The advertisement technician and person who is responsible for application are considered to be qualified. We suggest you to test our products for special usages due to several factors related to application and usage. You cannot deduce that we guarantee the availability of the specific features from the information we provided.