Paint protection film

Paint protection film is installed on a limited basis by manufacturers on various pieces of cars at the factory (e.g. the rear arches of Porsches).

During the Vietnam War, helicopter rotor blades and other sensitive parts of military transports were often damaged by flying shrapnel and debris.

[3] With time, however, the automobile industry began to take note of the protective benefits of PPF and it was soon being employed by race car drivers despite the difficulty of working with the original films.

According to Kathy Lam, marketing manager for the automotive division of 3M “The first films were thicker and less compliant, [because] their purpose was to help keep helicopter blades from eroding in the harsh, sandy environments to which they were exposed.

New products are multi layered and offer a self-healing top coat capable of reforming itself after being scuffed or scratched, maintaining clarity for more than ten years.

Contemporary applications require a slip solution or gel as a barrier keeping the film from adhering to the painted panel.