The window film industry has come off a slow technological base over the past few years with all the “big ten” major window film manufacturers competing with similar products throughout the world for market share.
Nano Technology has now raised its head, creating some excitement within the window film industry due to its high performance on IR (heat). These Nano Ceramic films are very light and virtually invisible. However, they perform as well, if not better, than the old style reflective window film when it comes to reducing heat.
New winter films have improved and are holding in up to 80% of the heat indoors in winter, compared to 40% by old window film technology. This has been a major breakthrough and given the window film industry some “light at the end of the tunnel” to progress further and increase worldwide markets.
Window film companies worldwide have also started dabbling in paint protection film to reduce wear and tear and scratching of bodywork on cars. Headlight, mirror and back bumper protection will also become popular with consumers investing large sums of money in new vehicles.
Once again, Klingshield is busy on an educational and promotional exercise to promote “nose jobs” which is the application of a 200 micron polyurethane paint protection film to the front of the car. “Nose jobs” will become a trademark in the future, as “Smash and Grab” did throughout the industry. All the mice will again follow the “Pied Piper”!
Kleen-Shield liquid coating is another trademark created by Klingshield. This self-cleaning water repellent liquid coating has huge potential and great benefits to the consumer. It reduces the cleaning of car windows by 90% and also improves visibility by 50% during bad weather. This will be another interesting marketing exercise taken on by the Klingshield Marketing Department.
Front windscreen protection will become more and more popular as time moves.
Klingshield is busy training installers through their academy on how to apply this film with perfection, to the front windscreens.
Fabric Shield is also another product of the future as it keeps the interior of cars free of bacteria. Recent reports show that a car, especially the boot, is a filthy breeding ground for germs. “Fabric Shield” applied to carpets and fabrics within a car is proving very popular with car dealers who are now going for a full house package which includes “Smash & Grab ”, “Stone-Shield Paint Protection”, “Fabric Shield”, “Kleen-Shield Liquid Glass Coating” and “Nano Ceramic front windscreen protection.”
Looking further into our crystal ball, the new products of the future are going to be transition films on windows which will change according to the intensity of the sunlight from clear, non-reflective to reflective.
Photovoltaic thin film technology will be here soon. BMW and Audi are already using this technology in their sunroofs to absorb the sunlight, store it and create power to run certain electronic equipment in motor cars.
Huge amounts of money is being spent worldwide on electric car technology or “green cars”, which will be out in the market in the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately when electric cars come onto the market the value of petrol and diesel cars will drop. It will be a matter of timing for the consumer to make a wise decision when buying a car in the future.
When driving through Johannesburg the other day, I had flashbacks of 1970 when I drove with my Accountant to arrange for the distribution of safety film for the South African market. I looked around and said “image putting window film on all these windows one day”. It was a vision that eventually because a reality.
Last week when driving through the city of Johannesburg and looking at all the buildings I once again visualised that one day all the rooftops of these buildings will become solar energy farms, absorbing the energy and utilising it for power to run these buildings. As I say, this is a vision but will however definitely become a reality in the future, the same way as window film became a reality and is today installed on the majority of windows in offices, homes and cars.
Therefore, entrepreneurs with vision, balls and money, have great opportunities to explore these possibilities with a huge educational marketing plan. Fortunately “green” technology is on the tip of every world leaders tongue and this will help to create the photovoltaic thin film energy saving technology for roofs, overhangs and walls of buildings.
Klingshield, being an innovative company, will definitely be participating in this market as will be a very much “now product”. Klingshield is always first to raise its head in the new market.