PPFs: The Heavy-Duty Protection Your Vehicle Requires

Most car owners understand that stone chips, door dings and rocker panel damage from melted bitumen are all a part of ownership. It doesn’t mean protecting paint jobs and body panels from costly and unwanted damage is mission impossible.

Durable, self-healing PPFs (paint protection films) were developed in the 1960s for use by the aviation industry. It didn’t take long, however, to recognise they had the same qualities needed to also protect wheeled vehicles from undesirable environmental damage. 

Their early acceptance as racing and luxury car films confirmed how useful they could be as a viable defence available against the kinds of impacts and exposures that are harmful to car finishes. Fast forward to today, and the interesting reality about modern PPFs is that not only can they prevent costly paint and body repairs, they can actually increase a car’s value.

Trust Lightweight PPFs For Heavy Duty Car Protection

Let’s be honest: while Australia can safely lay claim to some of the best kept roads and most considerate driving cultures on the planet, paint chips and panel damages are unavoidable. With high strength multi-layered PPF car films though, owners don’t have to worry about the undesirable consequences of day-to-day exposure to:

• Kicked up stones and road debris on highways;
• Runaway trolleys and close proximity contacts in car parks;
• Sand and gravel from off-road adventures;
• Corrosive residue from trees, insects and bird droppings; and,
• Acidic rain and smog, and airborne sea and industrial salts.

Whether it’s protection from dust storm grit or relentless UV radiation, the use of high quality films like the ones from PPF Malaysia are the most effective way to protect a car’s paint and finish from unwanted wear and degradation. And in spite of their lightweight appearance, vehicle owners only need to understand the chemistry behind their multi-layered construction to understand just how durable these heavy duty films actually are.

Flexible Polyurethane Gives Modern PPFs the Coverage They Need

Multi-layered PPFs are comprised of variable adhesive and clearcoat layers that are specifically engineered to provide superior grip with an indelible shine. The chief paint protection film component, however, is a flexible layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that combines the resilience of industrial rubber with the flexibility of a true polymer plastic.

It’s TPU’s durability and chemically resistant properties that make it such an effective component in modern PPF blends, incorporating a series of properties that include:

• Unmatched elasticity. Highly pliable PPFs offer unmatched elasticity and resistance to breaking under pressure, giving them every advantage when it comes to preventing surface-level chipping and scratching, as well as absorbing more substantial impacts that could result in deep dents or gouges.
• Exceptional abrasion resistance. The natural strength and superior elasticity of PPF coating films makes it possible for them to handle the grinding and abrasion of sand and other airborne particles that can erode a vehicle’s clearcoat and dull the paint.
• Advanced chemical resistance. Airborne grime and pollutants, and road-related contaminants like corrosive emissions and hydrocarbons from bitumen can all ruin a car’s finish. PPF car films provide an essential non-porous barrier that’s especially formulated to resist the effects of chemical exposure.

PPF coatings are also inherently hydrophobic. Their natural resistance to water allows them to repel dissolved dirt and dust particles, as well as resist waterspotting during washdowns. That makes them easy to clean, cost efficient to keep clean, and a solid source of fuel economy savings.   

PPF’s Self-healing Attributes Take the Edge Off Unwanted Impacts

Although PPFs are best known for their elasticity, it’s their unrivalled self-healing properties that give them the protective edge. With a range of thicknesses between 7.5 mil and 9.5 mil, TPU-based PPF film coatings are engineered to warp and curve around an impact without ripping, tearing or a loss of tensile strength. And this temporary mishap is corrected just as quickly by heating the impacted area to 60°C, allowing it to return its original state as it cools.

PPF’s ability to self-heal is as unique as it is effective, and it brings with it a core of benefits that include:

• Incomparable reliability. PPF’s self-healing properties allow it to reliably withstand a range of physical and environmental conditions that protectants like waxes and clearcoats are unable to.
• Uncommon longevity. Along with PPF’s excellent adhesion, its self-healing properties allow it to last 30% longer than even the toughest synthetic- or ceramic-based wax applications.
• Wide applicability. Regardless of a vehicle’s size or how it’s used, PPF films can be applied to any metal, fibreglass or rubber surface, including bumpers, aerodynamic accessories or any other trim components.

While elasticity and self healing are integral to a PPF’s durability, transparency may ultimately be its most valuable, if not its most visible selling point. It’s arguably the principle attribute of PPF construction, and it guarantees incredible protection while allowing a car’s original look and colour to shine through, unaffected.

100% PPF Transparency Lets Real Vehicle Value Shine Through

TPU blends may be the root of PPF’s incredible durability, but they’re also the key to the film’s crystal clarity. The chemical structure of TPUs used to manufacture PPFs give them 100% transparency, along with an array of pure-polymer advantages that include:

• Excellent light stability. PPFs constructed with pigment-free TPUs don’t diffuse light, resulting in excellent light stability that allows maximum transparency without compromising the film’s underlying protection.
• Excellent UV resistance. Not only are TPU-based PPFs engineered to be UV resistant, they also won’t fade, dull or discolour after years of prolonged exposure.
• Excellent optical properties. Depending on the TPU’s formulation, PPFs are available in both clear gloss and clear matte finishes, giving them a range of optical properties that provide incomparable depth and uniformity.

Depending on the care, surface prep and curing time allowed by the installing PPF service, premium transparency PPFs are capable of adding a mirror-like finish to any vehicle. And together with their protective properties, they deliver a visual advantage that can only increase a vehicle’s resale value.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, no matter if it’s a car, truck or RV, no one wants their vehicle’s paint marred by scrapes, scratches or dings. That’s because protecting the lustre and beauty of an original paint job is more than just a case of general maintenance and upkeep. It has a direct impact on a vehicle’s value, and it needs to be preserved to the fullest extent possible. 

High strength multi-layered PPF films have all the qualities an owner needs to protect their vehicle’s paint and finish. The reality is, it’s a small investment that’s guaranteed to pay a big dividend.