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Vehicle wrapping is booming – whether as advertising space, paint protection or design statement.

But only the right laminate makes printed films resistant to UV radiation, dirt and mechanical stress. For PSPs, the selection and proper handling of laminate are crucial to ensure quality and durability as well as to meet the requirements of warranty programs.

WHAT IS VEHICLE WRAPPING?

There are different types of vehicle wrapping:

• Full wrapping replaces painting and is often used to change colour or protect the original paint.
• Partial wrapping is limited to some areas of the vehicle such as the bonnet, roof or doors.

Both full and partial wraps are mainly used for advertising. This means they show logos, slogans or product images, sometimes they are even personalized. Car wrapping for advertising purposes is particularly common in company fleets.

PROTECTIVE FILMS IN VEHICLE WRAPPING

End customers in particular like to have their vehicles wrapped with protective films:

• Paint Protection Film (PPF): The transparent, unprinted protective film is primarily used to protect paintwork. It is usually glued to particularly stressed areas such as the entrance or loading sill. Paint protection films are available from various vendors, e.g. Suntek or
• Tinting films (e.g. from Avery Dennison or Orafol) offer heat and glare protection. Their use is restricted to certain areas of the car in some jurisdictions for safety reasons, though.

Only with the right laminate a vehicle wrapping project goes down smoothly. Photo: S. Angerer / AI

WHY LAMINATES IN CAR WRAPPING?

Films for vehicle wrapping are exposed to extreme conditions. UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, mechanical stress, for example; from brushing, as well as chemicals such as cleaning agents or salt have devastating effects on the surface.

Protective films such as stone chip film or tinting films for car windows are typically designed to last 7 to 10 years. Colour foils for vehicle wrapping are usually assumed to last three to five years. However, there are also special coloured films, for example from Arlon, guaranteed for seven years  or more .

The durability of printed films for vehicle wrapping depends heavily on the ink used. Solvent-based inks are absorbed deeply into the vinyl.  Which better protects the motifs from scratches and chemicals than when using UV-curing or Latex inks, as they form a thin layer on the film, so that even minor damage is clearly visible.

As a general rule, most manufacturers of printing substrates for vehicle wrapping recommend using films without laminate for   only a few weeks at most. Without suitable protective measures, the printing ink can fade, peel off or the film itself become brittle.

WHEN LAMINATE IS NECESSARY FOR VEHICLE WRAPPING

A laminate is a transparent protective layer that is applied to the film after printing. It protects the printing inks from UV radiation, mechanical stress and moisture. In vehicle wrapping, the use of laminate is mandatory in most cases, especially for long-term applications or for films on highstress areas such as bumpers or door handles.

Matte or glossy laminate film not only improves durability but also enhances the appearance. There are also some laminates that enrich the design with additional effects such as carbon fibre or glitter, e.g. the 3M Wrap protective laminate series 8900.

A special form of laminate is the so-called liquid laminate. These are protective coatings that  are applied with special machines,  for instance from Bürkle. They are mostly used to protect large-format prints, such as graphics for trailers or truck tarpaulins.

In Germany, tinted films may be used on the front, side and rear windows. Photo: S. Angerer / AI

LAMINATED PRINTED CAR WRAP: THE BASICS

Several factors are important when laminating vehicle films. However, it is always crucial that the drying time of the printing ink is fully adhered to. For motifs printed with Latex and UV-curing inks, lamination work can start after about an hour, as the dreaded “outgassing”, i.e. the formation of bubbles in the fresh laminate, is impossible.

This is because it is caused by solvents that have not yet completely escaped from the printed film.  Latex and UV-curable inks, however contain no significant amounts of VOCs.

For this reason, vehicle films printed with solvent-based or Eco-Solvent inks should outgas for at least 6-8 hours, and preferably up to 24 hours. This is the only way to prevent laminates from partially peeling off again or protective varnish from blistering.

Another common mistake when applying laminates is using incompatible products. The laminate must match the print substrate used, but also the ink. Manufacturers such as Hexis therefore provide compatibility lists.

The wrong laminate can cause many types of damage:

• Complete or partial detachment
• Blistering
• Deformation or shrinkage in heat or cold

Often an unsuitable laminate also changes the properties of the film. This means that it is no longer so easy to pull or morph it into 3D shapes when wrapping. Ultimately, the whole wrapping project could  fail.

As a rule of thumb, it is safe to say that a cast laminate should always be used for a cast film and calendared film for a calendared printing substrate. The base material should also be identical. This is particularly important for PVC-free film alternatives for digital printing , where many different kinds of plastics  may be  used.

Other sources of problems in lamination of vehicle films can be the lamination speed, temperature and pressure, as they need be carefully matched to the material to avoid bubbles, wrinkles and discoloration.

WARRANTY PROGRAMS FOR VEHICLE WRAPPING

Manufacturers such as 3M and Avery Dennison offer special warranty programs for vehicle wrapping. These programs ensure the durability and quality of the vehicle wrapping for several years. However, the prerequisite is that certified printing materials, laminates and inks are used. The 3M MCS warranty covers all components and guarantees a defined service life.

Avery Dennison offers  a similar concept with the ICS Performance Guarantee, based on proven combinations. These programs are not only a promise of quality, but also a strong sales argument to end customers. However, they require that the print shop works with certified equipment and that all the processing steps    are documented.

SUSTAINABILITY IN VEHICLE WRAPPING

The topic of sustainability is also gaining in importance in vehicle wrapping. Manufacturers such as Grafityp now offer PVC-free films or recyclable laminates. The reduction of VOCs in adhesives is also a step towards environmentally friendly production. Nevertheless, vehicle wrapping remains a line of business that produces a lot of significant waste  in the process. It is therefore important that an application lasts a long time. Laminates can make an important contribution to this.

With the help of protective and coloured films, valuable, e.g. historic, car paint can also be protected. Compared to conventional painting, fewer chemicals, raw materials and water are required. As a result, protective films can help a vehicle to be used for longer. This saves valuable resources in the long run.

SUMMARY

Laminates and protective films are indispensable in car wrapping. This is because they not only protect printing inks and films from UV radiation, mechanical stress and weather influences, but also make a significant contribution to the optical quality and durability of the application. For print shops, this means that high-quality results can only be achieved through the correct selection and proper processing of laminates – matched to the ink, film and application.