Tech Answer:
Film Manufacturers Respond 
to High Tech Cars with Their Own Products
by Les Shaver

Today’s cars come fully equipped with so many gadgets that it’s almost possible for them to drive themselves. There are global positioning systems (GPS) to get the driver where he wants to go when he’s lost. Air pressure gauges tell drivers when their tires get too low. Keyless entry systems provide safe entrance to the vehicle. Satellite radio provides customized entertainment and the latest traffic conditions.

To work properly, today’s technologies (and even standards, like AM and FM radio) rely on antennas that receive signals from things as far away as the heavens (satellites) or as closeby as the next parking space (a remote control for keyless entry). Sometimes those antennas are on the roof (for satellite radio), but other times (with AM radio and keyless entry in certain cars) they’re in the rear window. And, that’s where the problem comes in for film installers.

When old, metallized films are installed over those antennas, they interfere with radio signals. That means a driver may not get AM radio signals, or may not be able to open his car from a distance. “On certain cars that have an AM radio antenna built into the glass, certain metallized films can create interference problems,” says Harvey DeVane, owner of Custom Sun Control, a film dealer based in Marietta, Ga.

But that’s only the start of the problems, says Amy Bradshaw, a spokesperson for CPFilms, a film manufacturer that’s part of St. Louis-based Solutia. “Window films that contain metal particles, or ceramic layers, can interfere with electronic signals like GPS systems, cell phones, keyless entry systems, remote starters and other devices,” she says.

If you’re spending a lot of money on a new car and then window film, that’s a problem. Fortunately, most film manufacturers have stepped up or are in the process of offering new films that not only don’t interfere with radios, but also can block infrared rays (IR). While these films offer great advancements compared to their metallized ancestors, they do come with heftier price tags and a harder installation curve. That means a film shop owner has to educate his customer on the value of these films and his installers on the best way to apply them.

Meeting the Market
Some film manufacturers were quicker to meet the need to move beyond metallized films than others. Huper Optik, a manufacturer of high-end films, developed its product in the late 1990s, for instance. “Southwall led the industry in making infrared films,” says Dan Shear, owner of Solar Eclipse, a film dealership in Beauford, Ga.

There also isn’t one route of choice. Some companies have developed hybrid films, while others are working with ceramic films. And there seems to be a dispute over whether ceramics actually interfere with radio signals.

CPFilms has launched a hybrid film called LLumar Axcess to address interference and infrared issues. “LLumar Axcess is not a ceramic film, but rather a new breed of window film that uses a hybrid technology,” Bradshaw said. “Window films that contain metal particles or ceramic layers can interfere with electronic signals like GPS systems, cell phones, keyless entry, remote starters and other devices.”

But Bob Smar, North American sales manager for Madico, a film manufacturer based in Woburn, Mass., says ceramic coatings help by eliminating the metal layer used to increase the solar rejection efficiency of window films. “The ceramic coating gives us the same or better solar energy rejection without interfering with today’s advanced electronics in vehicles,” he says. “They also offer better visibility by reducing the reflective qualities of metallized window film while increasing the visible light transmission. This gives you a lighter film with higher heat rejection than some of the older technologies sold today.”

Linetec in Japan created a nano-particle pigmentation coating that is used in a film made by Winco. Chris Weinhardt, marketing director for Enpro, a distributor in Houston, sells this film and says that it wipes out IR while not creating signal interference. 

“The value of this film to the end consumer is huge,” Weinhardt says. “They can increase the comfort in the car by rejecting a substantial amount of heat and glare, while not running the risk of the film interfering with all of their communication devices.”

Many ceramics contain Titanium Nitrate (TiN), a tough ceramic material often used to protect and preserve machine tools, according to Cody Forbes, marketing director for Johnson Window Films, a film manufacturer in Carson, Calif.

“Ceramic films are unique because they are neither a ‘metal’ nor a ‘dyed’ film, which are the two basic types of window film currently on the market today,” Forbes says. “It provides the benefits of both metal and dyed films without the associated drawbacks. Metal films provide exceptional heat rejection and are highly durable, but they cause interference with rear window electronic systems. Dyed films are non-conductive, but they don’t last as long and they don’t provide the best heat rejection. Ceramic films provide the best of both worlds—superior solar heat protection/highly durable and non-conductivity.”

Even companies that don’t have ceramic films, such as Film Technologies International (FTI) in St. Petersburg, Fla., are working on developing them.

“We are currently in the testing stage for our range of ceramic films,” says Bill Stewart, national sales and operations manager for FTI. “Their advantage is the lack of metal with good heat rejection. It is the lack of metal that keeps the film from interfering with radio/satellite receptions.”

Upselling the Consumer
Manufacturers and distributors talking about the advantages of these new ceramic and hybrid films is one thing, but many film retailers like them as well. “For a ceramic film, the higher heat rejection is a plus,” says Margaret Shrewsbury, owner of Solar Insulation, a film dealership in Nashville, Tenn. “The resolution and clarity of the view is improved. It’s just a nice-looking product. The fact that it doesn’t have metal in it is gravy.”

Yes, these ceramic and hybrid films offer an upgrade over their predecessors. But those advantages come with a cost. “Ceramic films do cost more than other films because of the higher costs associated with the technology used to apply ceramics to window film,” Smar says. 

Installation time also constitutes a large portion of the cost. “Ceramic products are more expensive,” says Kevin Thurman, owner of Artech, a film dealership in Hurst, Texas. “That means you have to charge more. Look at the amount of time it takes to install and the associated learning curve.” 

Some film dealerships say they’ll charge twice as much for these films. But getting the customers to pull this much money out of their pocketbooks can be a challenge. Alice Wilson, owner of Austin Car Protection, a film dealership in Austin, Texas, uses an infrared display to sell the film. She has three types of glass and an infrared light. One glass has no film, one has traditional film and one has infrared film. “[The customers] can tell the difference when they use the display,” she says. “We’re upselling the film.”

Thurman says demand for the product is there. “It wasn’t so difficult to sell,” he says. “I think everyone wanted it. Once you told a customer how it performed and what it did, it wasn’t difficult to sell.”

But that doesn’t mean Thurman always gets the prices he wants. “Dallas/Ft. Worth is a competitive market,” he says. “The product itself is easy to sell. Getting the money we wanted was a challenge. Someone down the street will sell it cheaper.”

Others say there’s a definite value proposition with these newer films. “Dealers are able to charge higher prices for this film than with traditional metallized or dyed films, due to the better performance characteristics,” Weinhardt says. “We have found that the dealer’s profitability has increased as well and that is always a good thing.”

Bradshaw says that the satellite interference issue can help close a deal. “While this may be slightly more than traditional or ceramic films, the benefit of protection against signal interference is far worth the cost for our customers,” she says. 

Smar sees this as well. “With people keeping their vehicles longer and longer, the cost is more than justified over the life of the vehicle,” he says. “Customers are more informed than they were in the past. With the Internet and the ease of getting information about virtually anything these days, our customers are looking at value-added purchases.”

That means it’s not just for people with high-end cars anymore. “When the film was first introduced, it was mainly purchased by consumers that bought high-end vehicles,” Smar says. “We now see more and more mainstream vehicles being tinted with ceramic window films. The market segment has been increasing at a steady rate.”

Not everyone is really pushy with these new films, though—specifically ones with signal interference. DeVane has sold CPFilms’ Formula One film that won’t interfere with signals for a couple of years now. He says he only tells the customers the film is necessary on the back window, where the antenna is located.

“We have always looked at it a little differently,” DeVane says. “Some customers are coming in the door thinking they need that product on all the sides and rear windows. For us, it has always been a special purpose product intended for only those few back windows that need it.”

This is an easier sell, because the film that does interfere with radio signals has similar characteristics. “They look identical and the performance with heat and [ultraviolet] rejection is virtually identical,” DeVane says. “They just don’t pay as much. You don’t need to pay more money, unless you just want Pinnacle series all the way around.”

With the new solar benefits of the LLumar Axcess product, Bradshaw thinks it must be applied all over the car. “We suggest installing LLumar Axcess on all windows in the car to provide not only the best protection against signal interference, but to maximize the benefits of glare reduction, solar energy rejection and UV protection,” she says.

Smar doesn’t think the partial installation of ceramics is a good idea either. “In the past, some installers were just using ceramic window film for the rear windows of vehicles that had GPS antennas embedded in the glass,” he says. “We haven’t seen that for some time now. Most installations are for the entire vehicle.”

Installation Hurdles
One reason why installers may not have wanted to put new ceramic films over cars is because they’re not exactly the easiest out there to install.

“These veteran installers compare [them] to other films that will lie down without a problem,” Thurman says.

Installations with these newer films can take a lot longer, which can be tough for a film shop owner. “The ceramic dissipates the heat,” Thurman says. “When you heat the glass with a torch, wherever there was stress, it would take longer to get that film to lie down because of how the ceramic and adhesive properties work.”

Water also can be an issue. “When you are working with a thick product like ceramics, you have to push the water out,” Shear says.

Shear thinks it takes about three times as long for his installers to apply ceramic films. “It’s a very select few installers who are good at 2-mil ceramics,” Shear says. “It took me three years of installing the 2-mil product before I was good at it.”

Figuring out how to shape the film is the key to installing it correctly. “Shaping the film is of the utmost importance,” Shear says. “Learning how to shape the film properly and work with hard curves is what takes time.”

“It’s a little more difficult to install and different,” Thurman says. “It’s more time-consuming, but you have to work with it and know what to expect.”

But shop owners and installers might as well get used to these new kinds of films. They’re not going anywhere. “I believe this type of film will continue to gain momentum and become more popular,” Weinhardt says. “I don’t think this new type of film will completely displace metallized films, because there are a lot of people who like reflectivity, but this is an exciting new direction for our industry.”

And it’s a direction in which the industry will have to move, if it wants to keep up with the automotive manufacturers. “I believe as the auto manufacturers continue to increase the electronic technology functions on new car models, it will become imperative to offer films that achieve the same performance specifications but do not carry the risk of interfering with communication devices,” Weinhardt says. 

Smar sees this as well. “Technology is always changing,” he says. “Window films are no exception.” 

Les Shaver is a contributing writer for Window Film magazine.

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