Paint protection film (PPF, also called a clear bra, clear film or clear paint film) is a thermoplastic urethane often self-healing film applied to painted surfaces of a new or used car in order to protect the paint from stone chips, bug splatters, and minor abrasions. This film is also used on airplanes, RVs, cell phones, electronics, screens, motorcycles and many other areas. The paint protection film is OEM approved by virtually all car manufacturers.
The 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). This film is most commonly applied to high-impact areas of vehicles which include: the hood, the front fenders, the front bumper, the side-view mirrors, the rocker panels, the lower portion of the doors, and the rear guards behind the rear wheels. This is because these specific panels are the most susceptible to damage from rock chips and other forms of road debris from other vehicles, driving near construction, and even through self-inflicted damage—which is caused by simply driving due to the fact that debris is inevitably is kicked up from the tires rotating. The film is generally installed by certified trained professionals who receive supplies from outside distributors and dealers.
Adoption of PPF by the automotive sector
Paint protection films used by the military have continued to the present day and 3M now makes a wide variety of aerospace and military films. 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. Because the blades were flatter and less complex than automotive surfaces, they didn’t demand a highly flexible, conformable film.
