• 
  • Benefits
  • Q & A
  • Facts
  • 3M Film
  • Prestige Information
  • Prestige Examples
  • Prestige Commercial
  • Prestige Residential
  • Prestige Spectral Selective Facts
  • Night Vision Information
  • Night Vision Examples
  • Night Vision Case Study 1
  • Night Vision Case Study 2
  • Technical Edge Stress
  • Case Study 20 Neutral
  • Specification Guide
  • Testimonials
• 
  • Ultra Flex
  • Safety
  • Blast Comparision
  • Demonstration
  • 1288 Techincal Bulletin
  • Safety
    Press Release
  • 3M Specs
  • Anti Vandal
  • Specification Guide
  • Testimonials
• 
  • 3M Frosted & Dusted
  • 3M Frosted & Dusted Brochure
  • Partitioning
  • 3M Fasara Samples
  • 3M Fasara Photos
  • Fasara
    Press Release
  • Transparent Film
  • Testimonials
• 
  • Film Signage
  • Translucent Film
  • Reflective Film
  • Opaque Film
  • Testimonials
• 
  • 3M DI-NOC
  • What is DI-NOC
  • Application Ideas
  • Technical
• 
• 
  • Tech News 2005
  • Tech News 2006
• 
  • Contact
  • Online Samples
  • 3M Licence
  • How To Specify
  • Request a Sample
  • Request a Quote
  • Links

3M Technical News

Published Quarterly by the 3M Building Safety Solutions Department - 3rd Quarter 2005

NEW ANSI Z97 TEST STANDARD

The new ANSI Z97 test standard has been issued. The major change that affects 3M safety and security films is that there are now only two test levels; 150 and 400 foot pounds. The 100 ft-lb level has been eliminated for all products except wire glass. With the new standard, the testing will start at 150 ft-lbs and be carried out as before.

3M Ultra films are not affected by this change because, in addition to the standard test sequence of starting with 100 ft-lbs, we also did testing at 400 ft-lbs with ten samples rather than the four that are required by ANSI Z97. We did this to demonstrate the effectiveness of our micro-layer films in relatively thin constructions.

We will, however, update any testing in the future to comply to the new standard.

The testing and reports for CPSC are not affected by the new ANSI standard.

Automotive Window Film Tips & Tricks

Tinting cars is a lot more time consuming and difficult than filming flat glass. The most problematic procedures involve filming over the dot matrix and heat shrinking films for a one-piece backglass installation. Following are some tips and tricks compiled from many sources (a special thank you to those who provided their expertise):

Dot Matrix solutions: There are a few different options for handling the dot matrix sections on automotive windows.

Option 1 is to not film onto the dots at all. If the matrix is large, like a Nissan Maxima, the Chevy Cavalier or several other cars, not filming the dots could be the best solution.

Option 2 is to use glue to fill the gaps between the dots and f ilm. Scotch™ Stationary Glue or other gel glues that dry clear work well. To use, basically film the window as normal and then pull the film back. Apply a thin layer of glue over the dots and then carefully squeegee the film back into place with a hard card wrapped in paper towel.

Option 3 is to cover the dots with vinyl. In our film tool catalog, and through vinyl graphics supply stores, we offer special black vinyl tape that can be installed over the dots and the air removed with a hard card wrapped with a paper towel.

Option 4 is to paint over the dots with a flat black aerosol paint. This can be messy and time consuming but often returns excellent results.

Option 5 is to film the entire window and then pull the film back from the dots to let it dry. Then, with a soft squeegee and firm pressure, slowly and carefully push the film up into the dots. This works especially well if the car sits outside on a hot day first so that the film fully dries and the adhesive has maximum initial tack.

Option 6 is to lightly abrade the surface of the dots with a green or grey Scotchbrite™. DO NOT sand the surface of the dots with sandpaper as this can cause them to rust. In addition, the risk of scratching the glass with coarse sandpaper is high. Obviously, many other options exist but the above list appears to be the most popular.

Heat Shrinking Solutions:

Heat shrinking a one piece backglass f ilm installation is the most time consuming step of an automotive film installation. We will focus on only dry shrinking methods as dry shrinking is, with practice, often faster and easier than wet shrinking.

The first thing to discuss is the choice of lubricating agent. It is a matter of personal preference and technique but the most popular are baby powder, dryer sheets, wax, or nothing at all. The powder method is fairly self explanatory: spread a thin layer of baby powder over the entire window.

The dryer sheet method involves wetting a dryer sheet and wiping the window with it, depositing a film onto the glass that will dry to form a haze. Waxing the window performs essentially the same way.

Lastly, some people shrink completely dry with no slip agent at all. This method can be a nice transition from wet to dry as the film shrinks more slowly than if a slip agent is used.

Regardless of lubricating agent, the film must be locked down horizontally in the middle of the window and is usually locked down on the sides as well. The typical method is to spray a folded up paper towel with the mounting solution and lift the f ilm up, placing a line of water onto the glass, and then lay the film down.

The film is then trimmed large on all four sides using only a stainless steel blade. A carbon steel blade will scratch the glass. Break off a new blade after every 3 cuts. Blades are cheap, rear windows are not.

It is critical that any extra film be on the top or bottom of the glass, not on the sides, as the film will only shrink on the top or bottom. Basically, when looking at the window from the back, there should be an obvious H-pattern of film locked down to the glass.

Typical film shrinkage experience from the past has been to form finger and then run the heat gun down the fingers, causing a zig-zag pattern, shrinking the film. With dry shrinking, it is advised to shrink large areas of the film instead of just the f ingers, starting on the sides and working toward the middle. We recommend dividing this window into quadrants and working one quadrant at a time.

Starting in the lower left corner of Quad 1, moving the heat gun in a 3” circular pattern, move toward the center of the glass, shrinking the excess film. Then, move up 3” and come back toward the edge with the same 3” circular pattern. Now, smooth the film to the glass with a gloved hand. Repeat moving up the window toward the top of the car. Then, repeat for the other quadrants.

When the shrinking reaches the top of the glass, the film will likely want to form fingers. When this happens, do not shrink directly on the fingers. We recommend shrinking between the fingers, alternating from one side to the other, until the finger disappears.

The shrinking technique also varies by film. For example, an all-metal film can withstand much more heat before melting so the gun can be held much closer than usual. However, because of this heat reflection, it will probably take longer to shrink.

A completely different technique for shrinking involves shrinking the bottom and top edges of the film first and then shrinking the middle sections using the technique above. The advantages of this method are that fingers are not an issue and it can be faster. The disadvantages are that it doesn’t work for every car and the film in the middle can get shrunk to the point where it will not shrink any more but yet there is excess film.

Regardless of technique, a good final technique is a wet check. Basically, this involves lifting the film away from the glass and wetting the glass with mounting solution. Lay the film back down and squeegee out the wrinkles. If the film lays completely flat, trim and install. If there are f ingers, shrink the fingers by carefully applying heat to them, moving back and forth, until they are gone. Then, trim and install. The purpose of the wet check is to ensure the film will install quickly and easily, cutting time inside the car to a minimum.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is one of the latest and greatest buzz words in the area of new product technology. The truth is that nanotechnology really isn’t that new. Aspects of nanotechnology date back to medieval times when gold was incorporated into glass by forgers. This gold was a nanoparticle size and therefore gave the brilliant red colors seen in stained glass windows. What has changed more recently is our ability to image and detect things at the nanometer level. Loosely defined, nanotechnology relates to materials that are less than 100 nanometers. For comparison sake, a human hair is about 50,000 nanometers (50 microns or 0.05 millimeters).

The current advances in nanotechnology are allowing for improvements in performance characteristics of products while not visibly changing the product. These improvements can be increased toughness or scratch resistance, improved clarity, improved antireflection, improved heat rejection, or even easier cleaning or self-cleaning properties.

3M has been a leader in the area of nanotechnology for two decades. 3M has incorporated nanotechnology into a number of its products already. One very successful product has been 3M ESPE’s Filtek™ Supreme Dental Restorative. This nanocomposite restorative has revolutionized the dental industry. The nanoparticles in the filler give the restored tooth a natural looking translucent quality that can be polished to mimic the look of the surrounding tooth which itself is a naturally occurring nanocomposite.

3M utilizes nanotechnology in some of its advanced hardcoats to give greatly improved scratch resistance.

The use of nanoparticles in advanced optical adhesives has expanded the upper range of refractive index that can be achieved in applications that require index matching between optical components.

One 3M’s biggest advances in nanotechnology has been multi-layer optical film (MOF). These films are composed of many layers, only nanometers thick, that allow the film to control light. The VikuitiTM films take advantage of this technology and are found in laptop computers, cellular phones and LCD flat panel televisions. MOF has been engineered to form nearly perfect mirrors that are non-metallic.

3M is utilizing nanotechnology in many other areas such as thermally conductive adhesive soft tape for flat panel high definition televisions, fuel cell catalysts, high index retroreflective traffic beads and many other areas. 3M’s Corporate Research Lab has a large group researching more areas of nanotechnology so that 3M will continue to be a leader in bringing innovative products to the market that take advantage of nanotechnology to deliver improved performance.