Stone chips
Highway gravel hits the leading edges hard enough to punch through clearcoat into primer. 6.5–9.5 mil (165–241 µm) of elastic TPU absorbs and spreads that energy.
The film takes the hit; the paint underneath stays intact.
SolarPro automotive paint protection film is coated on our own three precision lines inside a 6,000 m² cleanroom — not bought in and re-labelled. Every roll carries a lot number that leads back to the coating batch that made it.
Entry gauge — the thinnest in the range and the easiest to stretch around complex panels. Tensile 25 MPa, Shore 90.
Paint protection film is a transparent polyurethane film applied over a car’s painted panels. It seals the paint off from the air and absorbs what would otherwise reach the clearcoat: stone impact, scratches, acid rain, bird lime, oxidation and UV. As a paint protection film manufacturer we make it optically clear, so the car looks exactly as it left the factory — only better protected.
In the US market the same product is also known as clear bra — the name comes from the front-end “car bras” it replaced. Clear PPF, clear bra and invisible car cover all describe one thing: a transparent TPU layer bonded over factory paint.
A repainted panel is worth less than an original one. PPF exists so the original panel stays original.
Beyond cars: the same film is specified for yachts and marine trim, pianos, consumer-electronics shells, high-end furniture, sports equipment, and medical and aviation instrument faces.
PPF is a sacrificial layer. Each threat below ends in the film instead of the clearcoat — and clearcoat cannot be repaired without polishing it thinner or repainting the panel.
Highway gravel hits the leading edges hard enough to punch through clearcoat into primer. 6.5–9.5 mil (165–241 µm) of elastic TPU absorbs and spreads that energy.
The film takes the hit; the paint underneath stays intact.
Car-wash brushes, bags dragged over the boot lip and fingernails around the handles cut swirl into clearcoat. On film, light marks sit in the topcoat and close again under heat.
Sun, warm water or a heat gun closes light marks.
Ultraviolet breaks down pigment and resin; paint fades and chalks. Aliphatic TPU is UV-stable by chemistry, so the film shields the paint instead of yellowing over it.
Measured yellow index: ΔYI 1.13.
Bird droppings and industrial fallout etch clearcoat within hours in summer heat. The low-energy topcoat stops contamination keying into the surface.
Contamination sits on top and wipes off.
Two carrier layers are peeled away during installation. What remains is the self-healing topcoat, the aliphatic TPU body and the adhesive that holds it — and everything the film does for the next five to seven years happens in those three.
Keeps the topcoat clean through slitting, packing and shipping. The installer peels it off as the film goes onto the panel.
Imported nano coating with an elastic memory network. Light scratches close under heat, and low surface energy keeps fuel, oil, bird lime and road grime from keying in.
Polycaprolactone-type aliphatic TPU: UV-stable rather than yellowing, resistant to hydrolysis, and elastic enough to follow a curved panel with little or no heat.
Imported adhesive tuned for slip: it repositions freely while wet, then builds to full bond over about 48 hours. Removes without residue or print-through.
Carries the adhesive flat and unstressed until installation, so the film does not pre-shrink or trap contamination against the glue line.
All five layers are brought together on our precision coating lines in a Class 100 / Class 1000 cleanroom.
Thickness is easy to quote. These four decide whether a roll installs cleanly, stays clear, and comes off without damage years later.
TPU films differ enormously in UV resistance, yellowing, hydrolysis, stretch, clarity and gloss — and the differences show up on the car two summers later. We use automotive-grade, high-ductility aliphatic TPU: optically clear, naturally tough, and elastic enough to cover a curve without heat.
Yellowing usually starts when benzene rings in the polymer oxidise into quinones, or when degradation leaves double bonds behind. Aliphatic polyurethane has no benzene ring to oxidise, which is why our measured yellow index stays at ΔYI 1.13 — see how we run the PPF yellowing test.
| TPU chemistry | Known weakness in PPF | Our choice |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester TPU | Poor resistance to hydrolysis | Not used |
| Polyether TPU | Yellows; chalks at low temperature | Not used |
| Polycarbonate TPU | Turns brittle at low temperature | Not used |
| Polycaprolactone TPU, aliphatic | Suited to PPF: clear, tough, hydrolysis-resistant | Our base film |
The topcoat has strength, flexibility and shape memory: deformed by a scratch, it absorbs the energy and returns to its state before the damage. Anti-fouling is built in during polymerisation — active substances and additives change the surface tension, so oil and grime slide off, wipe away or partly break down.
The mounting adhesive is imported and formulated for the way PPF is actually installed. Initial tack is optimised so the film floats on slip solution and repositions, and it keeps working in cold-weather installs. Once cured it holds firmly and weathers well; when the film eventually comes off, it leaves no residue and no transfer.
TPU is soft, so it is coated on a PET support. Coating straight onto TPU causes two problems: solvent makes the TPU swell and shrink, and TPU and PET shrink differently in the drying oven, so the web wrinkles and cannot be wound. Our precision coating and lamination process keeps TPU and PET bonded and flat through drying — which is what gives a high first-pass yield on our three coating lines.
Self-healing PPF works because the topcoat is not a hard shell. It is an elastic network with shape memory: a light scratch deforms it rather than cutting it, and warmth returns it to the state it held before.
Deform, do not cut. The coating is a three-dimensional elastic network with memory. A fingernail, a wash brush or a bag dragged over the boot lip stretches that network instead of severing it.
Heat releases the memory. Sun on the panel, warm water or a heat gun in the workshop gives the network the energy to recover. The mark closes and the gloss returns.
Contamination never keys in. Low surface energy means fuel, lubricating oil, bird lime and sewage sit on the surface rather than soaking into it.
Self-healing covers light marks in the topcoat. Damage that cuts through the film to the paint is not recoverable — that is the film doing its job as a sacrificial layer.
Every gauge comes with either surface. It is a finish option on the same film, not a different product — so a distributor can stock both from one platform.
Water stands up in beads and rolls off, taking loose dust with it. The surface stays visibly cleaner between washes.
Easiest sell in wet climates and for owners who wash infrequently.
Water spreads into a thin, even sheet and dries evenly, which some installers prefer because it leaves fewer drying spots.
Preferred where owners hand-dry and dislike water-spot marks.
Surface wetting is checked on our optical contact-angle tester — see quality control below.
Every generation fixed the previous one’s failure and brought its own. Knowing which generation a supplier is really selling is the fastest way to read a quotation that looks too cheap.
High tensile strength, toughness and ageing resistance for its time.
Modified PVC: cheap to make and easy to sell on price, which is why it still appears in low quotations.
The right base polymer, sold without a functional topcoat — a good film body with an unprotected surface.
Aliphatic TPU body with a composited self-healing topcoat — the combination the aftermarket and vehicle makers both standardised on.
Partial protection dominated. Full-vehicle products were rare and the leading brands were all imported.
New materials arrive and the first full-vehicle films appear, sold mainly through specialist tuning shops.
The aftermarket takes PPF seriously; brands pour into the mass market and competition sharpens.
Every film brand offers PPF, install shops multiply nationwide, and competition moves upstream to vehicle makers.
One aliphatic TPU platform, one topcoat, one adhesive across all four grades. What changes is the gauge — and with it, how much impact the film can absorb before the paint feels anything.
The thinnest gauge and the easiest to stretch around complex panels. The right first order for price-led markets and for installers still building confidence on full-body work.
The mainstream gauge in most PPF markets. More impact reserve than 6.5 mil while staying workable for a full-body install in a single day.
Tensile strength more than doubles and hardness steps to Shore 95. Specified where gravel is routine — front ends, rocker panels, work and fleet vehicles.
The thickest film we coat. Maximum impact reserve for flagship vehicles, off-road and rally use, and any programme where a repaint is the expensive outcome.
Start with HD-150, the mainstream gauge. Add HD-130 if you compete on price or your installers are new to full-body work, and HD-175 / HD-200 for front-end packages, fleet and off-road vehicles.
Averages from our factory laboratory under our standard test method. Ask for the full report behind any figure — our tensile strength test and other methods are documented on the quality page.
| Model | Thickness | Tensile strength | Shore hardness | Elongation at break | Yellow index ΔYI | Gloss | Peel force | Roll |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD-130Entry | 6.5 mil | 25 MPa | 90 | ≥360% | 1.13 | 90 | 1,900 g | 1,524 mm × 15 m |
| HD-150Standard | 7.5 mil | 28 MPa | 90 | ≥360% | 1.13 | 90 | 1,900 g | 1,524 mm × 15 m |
| HD-175Heavy | 8.5 mil | 66 MPa | 95 | ≥360% | 1.13 | >90 | 1,900 g | 1,524 mm × 15 m |
| HD-200Maximum | 9.5 mil | 70 MPa | 95 | ≥360% | 1.13 | >90 | 1,900 g | 1,524 mm × 15 m |
Every grade ships in a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface on an aliphatic TPU substrate with a heat-repairable topcoat. Values are averages obtained by our testers under our factory laboratory standard method; test environment, instruments and technique cause some normal deviation. If a figure needs verifying for a tender or a homologation file, we will send the detailed test report behind it.
Coverage is what your installers actually quote on. These are the three packages the channel sells — the highlighted panels show where each one puts film.
The panels that take gravel first, and the entry package that most often turns into a full-body sale later. PPF on the headlights keeps lenses from pitting.
Everything hands, keys and luggage reach. Little film, high perceived value, and the package that keeps a car looking unused at the three-year mark.
Full body PPF covers every painted panel and wraps the edges, so no cut line sits on a visible surface — the mark of a professional install.
Glass areas are shown in grey — glass takes automotive window film, not PPF. Film-per-car figures are typical ranges and depend on the model and the pattern set.
The point of a transparent film is that you should not be able to see it. These cars are finished in SolarPro clear PPF.
Film quality sets the ceiling; installation decides whether you reach it. This is the sequence our training programme teaches the install centres we supply.
Work in a clean, enclosed bay. Wash, clay and degrease every panel — anything left on the paint is sealed under the film for years.
Cut the pattern for the model before it goes on, or trim it by hand on the panel. Patterns carry a wrap margin so edges tuck around instead of stopping on a visible face.
Slip solution lets the film float and reposition. Our adhesive is tuned for this stage — one installer can place a full bonnet panel alone.
Drive the solution out from the centre, then warm and wrap the edges so no cut line sits on a visible surface.
A standard inspection before handover, then a follow-up check about a week later, once the bond has reached full strength.
Our network in China runs to more than 2,000 install centres. Each one works to the same bay standard — a template distributors can use when they build their own network.
| Cars per month | Install bays | Film technicians | Consultation rooms | Customer lounge | Reception | Total floor area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤150 | ≥2 | ≥2 | ≥1 | ≥20 m² | ≥15 m² | ≥100 m² |
| ≥300 | ≥2 | ≥3 | ≥2 | ≥30 m² | ≥15 m² | ≥150 m² |
| ≥600 | ≥4 | ≥4 | ≥3 | ≥50 m² | ≥15 m² | ≥250 m² |
| ≥900 | ≥6 | ≥6 | ≥4 | ≥60 m² | ≥15 m² | ≥350 m² |
Allow 48 hours to bond. Some slip solution is still present at handover. Leave the edges alone; adhesion reaches full strength after about two days.
Small water pockets are normal. Residual moisture can show as faint bubbles or haze early on. The film breathes it out and they clear within days.
Wait about a week before washing. After that, wash normally — but never aim a pressure washer straight at a film edge or seam.
Keep adhesives off the surface. Badges, mounts and stickers stuck on top of the film can lift it when they are removed.
No abrasive tools. Hard brushes, abrasives, polishing cloths and clay cloths all damage the topcoat that does the healing.
No polishing machine. The anti-fouling topcoat needs no special cleaning. For a stubborn mark, work a cleaning wax in by hand, once.
Warm the panel to heal a mark. Sun, warm water or a workshop heat gun releases the topcoat’s memory and closes light scratches.
Removal is a professional job. Heat and technique matter; a trained installer takes the film off without residue or paint damage.
We coat our own film. Three precision lines sit inside a 6,000 m² cleanroom in our 200-mu park in Xuyi, Jiangsu — Class 100 at the coating head, Class 1000 for every other production step, constant temperature and humidity throughout.
Our quality centre runs more than 50 modern imported testing machines. Raw material, work in progress and finished film are tested at three checkpoints under IATF 16949, and the record stays with the batch.
One record per batch, kept under IATF 16949.
| Instrument | What it measures | Backs this figure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed peel strength tester | Peel, tensile, deformation and breaking force of film and adhesive | Peel force 1,900 g | |
| Primary adhesion tester | Initial tack of the adhesive | Slip and positioning | |
 | Contact angle tester | Droplet contour by optical imaging: wetting and surface properties | Hydrophobic / hydrophilic |
 | Photoelectric haze meter | Optical properties of transparent and semi-transparent film | Optical clarity |
 | Friction coefficient tester | Static and dynamic friction of the film surface | Surface slip |
 | Retention tester | Holding time under a set load and temperature | Adhesive durability |
 | Laboratory oven | Heat ageing from room temperature +10 °C to 350 °C, ±1 °C | Heat resistance |
 | Desktop XRF spectrometer | Elemental analysis for production control | Incoming material |
Methods, sampling and full reports: see quality control.
IATF 16949 is the one that matters if you are quoting an OEM programme — it is how we passed the BYD and Chery supplier audits. Every automotive film we make has been tested by SGS and CTSTC; read the SGS test report and full certificate list.
Every roll carries one lot number. It is printed on the core and on the carton label, and when an install centre registers the job, the same number links the car to the coating batch. Quality responsibility is traceable for the life of the product.
Printed at slitting, so the number stays with the roll to the last metre.
Model, roll size (1,524 mm × 15 m), lot number, inspector and grade.
The install centre registers the job against the lot number; in China owners check it by phone number or plate.
Distributors, install chains and dealer groups buy bulk PPF from us at factory level — backed by response times our order desk is measured on every day, not sales copy.
A dedicated follow-up team acknowledges and confirms your order within six hours.
The warehouse ships within twelve hours of acceptance and tracks it to signed delivery.
Answer within one working day for stock grades and repeat orders.
From requirement analysis to a validated trial run for a customised specification.
Agent, regional-distributor and chain-partner levels, with overseas-warehouse and cross-border logistics resources behind them.
Our business school runs online video courses and on-site installation training for partner stores.
Film-cutting tables, display and demo tools and sales-technique training, matched to each store’s volume.
Promotions, regional order meetings and new-media campaigns planned together with your team.
Warranty registered against the roll’s lot number at handover, with the batch record behind it.
Multilingual customer service and after-sales support, plus 7×24 technical support on orders in progress.
Ready to carry the range? Become a PPF distributor — or ask us for the distributor terms in your market.
Passing an aftermarket buyer is one bar; passing a vehicle maker’s supplier audit is another. We hold both — and the programmes below are why a distributor can trust the consistency of the roll.
Exclusive supplier of TPU paint protection film, colour-change film and body graphics; zone B supplier for window film
Exclusive supply of colour-change film and body graphics through the brand mall, with drop-ship fulfilment
Exclusive supply across the full window-film range, from entry to flagship grade
Exclusive supply of all three automotive film categories for the dealer accessory programme
Dedicated supply of automotive film products for the vehicle-use service ecosystem
Dedicated supply of vehicle decals and graphics
SolarPro is our international brand, supplied to more than 80 countries and regions.
Solutions tailored to the performance positioning of each vehicle model.
This is the schedule we run for a new private label PPF programme. Each stage closes only on your written confirmation, and quality responsibility is traceable to the person who signed off the batch.
Product data finalised against your positioning; trial production of the requested configuration.
Carton and label design, packaging samples made, outer materials fixed and ancillaries prepared.
Performance and fit validated step by step, with third-party testing for your market.
Product description, positioning and sales strategy assembled for your channel.
Two final sample sets made for your seal. Bulk production starts on your confirmation.
First bulk run produced and delivered to warehouse, sized for initial market demand.
Grade, hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface, roll length, core, liner, carton and label artwork, and the warranty document that ships with it.
The aliphatic TPU platform, the topcoat chemistry and the three-checkpoint inspection. These make roll 1 and roll 10,000 behave the same.
A few hundred rolls for a market trial and a few hundred thousand for a national launch are both normal orders here.
Every grade ships the same way: a PPF film roll 1,524 mm (60 in) wide and 15 m long, in a printed carton that carries its lot number.
Rolls ship in printed cartons with the lot number on the label; mixed-gauge containers are normal for a first order. Carton artwork, labels, roll length, core and the warranty document can all carry your brand — see the eight-week schedule above.
Most distributors carry three film categories. We make all three, so one supplier, one audit and one container cover the range.
Multi-layer co-extruded pigmented TPU: a colour change with the same protection as clear film, in 45+ colours and four finishes.
Magnetron-sputtered, ceramic and hot-melt window films for windscreens, side and rear glass, on 30 m rolls.
Talk to a window tint supplier →
The questions distributors and install centres ask most often before a first order.
There is no single best film, but the good ones share four things: an aliphatic TPU base that does not yellow, a self-healing topcoat composited onto the film, an adhesive that installs cleanly and removes without residue, and measured data the supplier will back with a test report. Our HD range is built to that standard — request the sample pack and test it side by side with what you sell now.
Car owners buy car PPF through install centres. Install centres, distributors, dealer groups and private-label brands buy rolls from a distributor or directly from a manufacturer. We supply all of those channels from our factory in Jiangsu, China, to more than 80 countries and regions.
Roll price depends on the gauge, the surface (hydrophilic or hydrophobic), the order volume and whether the carton carries your brand. Tell us the grades and annual volume you are considering and we will quote per roll against them, usually within one working day.
Our standard roll is 15 m long and 1,524 mm (60 in) wide, for every grade from 6.5 to 9.5 mil. Other roll lengths can be specified for private-label programmes.
Start with 7.5 mil (HD-150): it is the mainstream gauge in most markets and still installs as a full body in a day. Add 8.5 mil (HD-175) when your customers see routine gravel — front-end packages, fleet and work vehicles — because tensile strength more than doubles and hardness steps up to Shore 95.
Yellowing comes from benzene rings in aromatic polyurethane oxidising over time. Our base film is aliphatic TPU, which has no benzene ring to oxidise; the measured yellow index is ΔYI 1.13, checked in a UV weathering chamber with UVA-340 lamps.
Comprehensive ageing tests put our PPF film at five to seven years. Real service life depends on climate, wash routine and how much direct sun the car sees.
They do different jobs. A ceramic coating is a thin, hard layer that adds gloss and makes washing easier, but it cannot absorb a stone. PPF is 6.5 to 9.5 mil of elastic TPU that takes the impact and heals light scratches. Many shops sell both: film on the exposed panels, coating on top. More in our guide to PPF vs ceramic coating.
No. PVC film is the second-generation material: cheap, but it stiffens, weathers poorly and has a short service life. PPF is a thick, elastic aliphatic TPU layer that absorbs impact, heals light scratches and stays clear for five to seven years.
Light surface marks in the topcoat, yes. The coating is an elastic network with shape memory: a scratch deforms it rather than cutting it, and heat — sun, warm water or a heat gun — returns it to shape. Damage that cuts through the film is not recoverable; that is the film doing its job as a sacrificial layer.
No, when a trained installer removes it. The acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive is formulated for clean removal with no residue and no print-through. Removal is a professional job — heat and technique matter — which is why we train the install centres we supply.
Every roll is covered by an electronic warranty. The install centre registers the job against the roll’s lot number at handover, which links the car to the coating batch. Terms depend on grade and market — see our PPF warranty details, or ask for the warranty document for your programme.
Yes. Carton and label artwork, roll length, core, surface type and the warranty document can all be specified. Full ODM goes further: formula, structure and packaging developed to your market positioning, on an eight-week schedule from first brief to first bulk delivery.
We coat the film ourselves on three precision lines inside our own 6,000 m² cleanroom in Xuyi, Jiangsu — coating heads at Class 100, other steps at Class 1000 — with more than 2 million m² of monthly capacity and about 4 million metres of standing stock. That is why we can show the batch record behind any roll, and how we passed the BYD and Chery supplier audits.
Tell us the market you sell into and the gauges you are considering. We will send physical samples of the grades that fit, the measured data behind them, and a quotation against your volume.
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