PPF Cost: Everything You Need to Know

PPF Cost: A One-step Solution to The Problem of Paint Protection

PPF film’s main function is to protect the car paint. It is highly transparent and almost imperceptible after application, perfectly realizing the invisible protection of the car paint. In addition, the PPF wrap can also improve the gloss of the body and enhance the appearance of the vehicle. It can effectively improve the anti-ultraviolet aging ability of the paint surface and prevent the discoloration or yellowing of the original paint. The main factor affecting the PPF cost is the substrate, and the quality of the substrate directly determines the service life of PPF. The best substrate on the market is TPU material, whose self-healing properties extend the life of PPF by at least 5-7 years.

Introduction: Structure of PPF Wrap

PPF wrap is divided into 5 layers from top to bottom:

• PET transparent protective film
• Hydrophobic thermal repair coating
• TPU film substrate layer
• Acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
• Release Film

 

PPF wrap is good or not depends on three layers: the coating, TPU film layer, and pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. PPF cost also differ from these three aspects. Let’s introduce the role of these three layers in detail, and how they affected PPF film cost.

Hydrophobic Thermal Repair Coating

The coating is a thin film formed by the paint on the surface of the object. There are many types of coating, each with a specific function, and the PPF wrap is often made up of many types of coating with different functions. The main function of the coating is to protect the PPF wrap and improve its durability. For example, anti-fouling. In addition, the coating has a decorative function and a scratch self-repair function.

 

A good coating must have the characteristics of high adhesion, good hydrophobic anti-fouling effect, fast self-healing, good corrosion resistance to acid and alkaline chemicals, and good UV resistance. Some of the PPF brands can not achieve certain characteristics, although the price is relatively low, but the effects will be greatly reduced.

 

TPU Film Substrate Layer

Although PPF wrap has five layers, the real determination of the scratch resistance is the TPU substrate. TPU quality is the biggest factor affecting PPF cost. Measuring the quality of TPU material involves the following aspects:

 

• The thickness: Thickness is a very important performance index of PPF. Too thin will reduce protection, and too thick will affect the fit. Produce and select different thicknesses to suit each model, increasing the PPF cost.

 

• Hardness: High hardness has excellent wear resistance, the higher the hardness the better the wear resistance. But not the higher the better, there must also be a certain ability to resist external forces.

 

• Tensile strength: Also known as breaking strength, refers to the ability of a material to resist external damage. Generally, the ultimate tensile strength of the film is used to express the maximum ability of the film to resist damage, also known as the ultimate tensile strength, which reflects the fracture resistance of the film material. Tensile strength reflects the ability of the film to resist damage.

 

• Ultimate elongation: Is the amount of elongation and deformation of a material at tensile break, generally expressed as a percentage. This is an important index to evaluate the properties of the film and the excellent film elongation at break can reach 400%. The PPF of TERMINAX can meet this requirement.

 

• Gloss: Is the mirror reflection ability of the surface of the object to light, evaluate whether a film is bright, is tested by the mirror reflection ability of the film, the higher the gloss of the film, the better the mirror effect, and the brighter it looks.

 

• Transmittance: The ability of light to pass through the medium is the percentage of the luminous flux through a transparent or semi-transparent body and its incident luminous flux. The higher the transmittance of the film, the brighter the color and the higher the opacity.

 

• Yellowness index: It refers to the degree of deviation of a colorless, transparent, translucent, or almost white polymer material from white, or the degree of yellowing. The Yellow index is the core index to evaluate the yellowing performance of a PPF film.

Acrylic Adhesive

The adhesive used for PPF is generally acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive. Glue generally refers to two properties, adhesion and removability. In simple terms, it sticks and leaves no trace when it is removed. Inexpensive adhesives can leave marks when the film is torn off, which not only affects the appearance of the car but also results in additional repair when the PPF is reapplied.

 

To sum up, although the PPF cost will increase with better material, the effect is consistent with it, also more worthwhile.

 

Key Factor Influencing PPF Cost: Quality of TPU Material

Low-quality PPF may be effective in the short term, but it is prone to aging and yellowing, cracking, poor protection, and increased replacement and maintenance costs over time. High-quality PPF has stable performance, and high transparency, does not yellow easily, can protect the car paint for a long time, and has obvious advantages over other materials (such as PVC or inferior TPU). Let’s list some of the features that make quality PPF so valuable.

 

Excellent Protection Performance

The highly elastic TPU material has strong anti-scratch and abrasion resistance. It can effectively resist the damage to the car paint caused by stones, branches, small cuts, and so on. Also, its high impact resistance can absorb the external force and reduce the direct damage to the car paint caused by cuts.

 

Self–repairing Ability

Minor scratches can be repaired automatically. Under the influence of hot water, sunlight, or hot air (e.g. from a hot air gun), the molecular structure of the TPU material can be restored to its original state, so that minor scratches disappear and the bodywork remains smooth and free of marks.

 

High Transparency and Gloss

High-quality PPF film is extremely transparent and does not affect the original paint color, fogging, or blurring. The nano-coating on the surface enhances the gloss and makes the bodywork more shiny, with a ‘mirror’ effect.

 

Anti-UV and Anti-yellowing

High-end TPU PPF is coated with an antioxidant coating, which can effectively block UV rays, acid rain, bird droppings, and other erosion of car paint, and is not easy to yellow in 5-10 years.

 

Super Anti-fouling Ability

It is not easily adhered to by pollutants such as dust, dirt, tree resin, bird droppings, etc. It is easier to clean and reduces the frequency of car washing. Rainwater can directly wash away most of the dirt, keeping the body clean.

 

Tight Fit, No Bubble and Warp

High-quality PPF has good flexibility and ductility, which can perfectly fit the curve of the car body and is not easy to warp and blister.

 

Longer Life & Warranty

High durability, can be used for 5-10 years, compared with low-end products (1-3 years easy to yellow and crack). TPU material can maintain excellent performance for a long time, reducing the post-maintenance costs.

 

Another Important Factor Included in PPF Cost：Handwork Charge

The PPF laying process is complex, usually requiring pure manual work, the process is also more complicated. From preparation work to completion of the laying of PPF film, it takes at least 2 days. Once the installation is complete, the drying process takes 7 to 10 days before the final acceptance work can be carried out. The general installation process is as follows:

 

• Car wash: First of all, it is necessary to clean the car in a dust-free construction environment, so that the air and the car are clean and dust-free, to avoid dust impurities after the film.
• Cutting: Customers can choose different cutting methods, most owners will choose hand cutting, or manual tailoring according to the model, to ensure that every curve and corner of the body is fitted and matched. For some specific models, you can also choose the special cutting method of the car.
• PPF wrap applying: Each car has different construction points, different paint arcs, and its own unique water driving methods, the edge of the body also needs to spend time on detail polishing to ensure the best effect after the completion of the film, the film is also the most time-consuming in the entire process.
• Final inspection: Once the PPF film has been applied, professionals will carry out repeated checks to ensure satisfactory delivery results.

Conclusion: PPF Cost, Worthwhile Investment in Car Protection

Whether you plan to keep your vehicle for the long term or want to preserve its resale value, investing in PPF is a smart choice. It provides an extra layer of protection against scratches, road debris, and environmental damage, helping to maintain the car’s appearance over time. There are various PPF options available to suit different budgets, allowing you to choose a wrap that meets your needs. Whether you opt for a high-end or budget-friendly PPF, it will effectively reduce maintenance costs by minimizing everyday wear and tear, making it a worthwhile investment.