Wake Up Window Film Manufacturers
Catch a “Wake Up” Window Film Manufacturers
Being involved in the window film business for the past 40 years, utilising, distributing and installing window film day in and day out, one looks at the industry in a different light to the window film manufacturers. Some window film manufacturers cannot see “the trees from the woods” and rely on window film distributors and installers who have their ears to the ground at grass root levels and know and understand the business.
There is a big difference between manufacturing window film and installing window film. Manufacturers manufacturer and test films in laboratories. However installers utilise huge sheets in real life situations and experience different scenarios and problems on a daily basis, more so than manufacturers.
We at Klingshield have always been innovative and the first on the market with new ideas and products. We rely on manufacturers to make these products and search high and low worldwide for the best and newest suppliers of innovative products.
Over the years we have utilised most manufacturers products and understand the market in a greater depth than manufacturers. Not all manufacturers make user friendly quality products and it is amazing how year after year they keep producing these inferior products. Not one of these companies range of products are all user friendly. This is the reason why Klingshield utilises numerous manufacturers to make up their complete range of window film products.
Klingshield was the first company in South Africa and worldwide to promote and market safety film protection. This protection offered life saving during bomb blasts due to the effects of flying glass. In 1970 Klingshield were active in the clear safety film market and were first to initiate the development of thick safety films for impact resistance during rioting. An English company was responsible for the manufacture of the first safety films. This technology went through a learning curve as the trick of safety film is to apply as much adhesive as possible onto the film to hold the glass and the film together under impact. The more adhesive applied to the film, the more distortion one has in optics. The trick of safety film is to apply lots of adhesive with excellent optical clarity. Very few companies have the ability to apply masses of adhesive with excellent optics.
Today numerous window film companies reduce the amount of adhesion to improve the optical clarity when manufacturing. This is obviously a disadvantage when it comes to the performance of the safety film. However most window film distributors and tinters are not aware of the importance of this scenario. Consumers are also ignorant and under the impression that all safety films are the same. Installers get away with murder when installing safety film with small amounts of adhesive.
Manufacturers need to advise their customers of the advantages and disadvantages of their products and have a transparent policy when giving advice to unaware players.
American manufacturers are very specialised and dislike change. However the time has come for them to be lateral thinkers and start putting themselves in the shoes of installers and distributors. The industry is calling for new products as manufacturers are popping up all over the world creating an over supply of window film. There are too many manufacturers, distributors and installers and in decade of a business cycle numerous fall by the wayside and cannot remain in the business due to overcrowding.
New products such as exterior windscreen film has great potential and possibilities, as all windscreens get damaged by small stones and debris. There is a big market in the exterior protection of windscreens. However, no manufacturer has yet come up with a long term, reliable exterior windscreen film.
Cracked windows are illegal in most countries and huge amounts of money is spent annually on replacing damaged windscreens.
Another product required by the window film industry is a non reflecting film to stop reflections in glass when viewed from the exterior. Numerous retailers with shopfronts, such as car dealerships, clothing stores, etc. experience problems with customers viewing the merchandise from the outside. Highly reflective glass creates mirror like images, distorting or distracting the view of the merchandise. It is about time that manufacturers provide a solution for this problem as have glass manufacturers in Europe. If the glass manufacturers can come up with a product, there is no reason why window film manufacturers cannot come up with an equal product.
Heat mirror films which change with the sunlight and are known as transition films, will be the ultimate window film of the future. These products will adjust with the sunlight and are now available in glass technology. When and who will be the first window film manufacturer to come up with this technology. The time has come and we in the window film industry anxiously wait for the arrival of the “new magic product” that will enhance our businesses. Transition film will be ideal for offices, homes and cars.
Wake up window film manufacturers and give the market what they are looking for and be the first to offer these innovative products! The same way scratch resistant coatings changed the window film business. Nano Ceramic window coatings is the latest change in the window film business and we welcome this new technology. New Nano Ceramic window films offer the consumer a much better product than old style technology window films being manufactured worldwide. Nano ceramic offers lighter visibility from the inside with maximum heat rejection of up to 91%. More similar breaking technology is needed in todays changing world.
Interesting new products are Nano Ceramic Windscreen Window Film, Kleen-shield liquid coating for safer driving and cleaner windows, stone-shield for cars body protection and double thick safety film for maximum safety protection.