How Your Paint Protective Adhesive May be Holding You Back
 

For PPFs in particular, the market has introduced more durable films that offer extended product wear times of 10-12 years. This is in an effort to better address consumer demand for protection longevity. In the past, films would be able to protect vehicles for up to five years; now, as consumers want to get more value for their investment and keep their purchases looking new for longer, durable films provide a simple way to do that.
 
Yet traditional adhesives struggle to maintain bond performance for that long. This is because they lack sufficient cohesive strength needed to withstand exposure to the elements after a certain time period. As a result, the durable films end up being removed prematurely. This causes the vehicle to not have protection for as long as intended, because the films only are as long-lasting as the adhesives used to bond them to the vehicle. As a result, traditional adhesives make it challenging for manufacturers to address market demands for extended product wear times.

Further, as a PPF installer, it’s important to keep processes moving efficiently. However, this has become increasingly difficult as more solid-colored films are introduced to the market. Colored films offer more aesthetically-pleasing options than traditionally clear films, but they are thicker and harder to stretch. This can make installation more time consuming, which can pose problems because the films need to be installed wet. Additionally, installers need to be careful not to over stretch the films, especially on curved surfaces, such as wheel wells and vehicle bumpers. Over stretching can cause the film to get a color crease, creating an inconsistent finish in the results.
 
When used with traditional adhesives, colored films can be even harder to install. This is because these adhesives possess insufficient tack for wet-applied films, such as PPF. When the tack isn’t high enough, the film may detach over a vehicle’s curved surface.

Aroset® 2100, a self-crosslinking, specialty solution acrylic adhesive, offers the following capabilities that overcome the challenges associated with traditional adhesives:
 

• High cohesive strength for extended wear time and increased performance in stringent applications
• High tack on wet films for improved installation efficiencies 

Additionally, this adhesive works on existing manufacturing equipment and doesn’t require additional investment.
 
Ready to get started with a better film adhesive? Contact Bostik today to request a sample of either Aroset itself or a TPU film with the adhesive already applied.