History of Protective Films
The history of clear bra is an interesting one. What we now know as clear bra is a product derived from protective films. Much like many other things that you use on a day-to-day basis, protective films originated in the military world.
Image source: Rotor & Wing International
In the mid-1950s the U.S. military realized that the leading edge of their helicopter blades was getting damaged from debris getting lifted during landing and take-off (see image above). With each blade costing upwards of $30,000, that was no easy write-off. Soon after, the military received a solution which was called helicopter tape, a thermoplastic urethane material. This not only protected the helicopter blades from damage, but it extended the life of the blades in the long run without affecting or reducing performance, and without adding any significant weight to the blades.
In the 1980s, professionals in the ski and snowboarding world started using a product that became more commonly known to them as a “scuff saver” or “ski saver” tape. Initially, this tape was used on the top sides of downhill racing skis. Over time, people started using it to protect the underside designs of their skis or snowboards from any scuffs and scratches that may happen during transport or while getting on and off the ski lifts.
Around that same time, professional car racing teams started using a protective film on the front end of their race cars. According to Xpel, a leading manufacturer of clear bra, this was done for “protection against track rubber, road debris, and close contact driving” which naturally occurrs while racing at high speeds. The film protected the cars without adding too much weight and without affecting the aerodynamics necessary for high-speed racing.
Image source: Wind Systems Mag
Due to its incredible protective features, protective film has many other applications that involve protecting a valuable asset. In the natural energy industry, wind turbine blades get damaged due to erosion and weathering due to debris flying with the wind. Rotating at speeds of up to 200MPH, any dust picked up by the wind will essentially sandblast the leading edge. Replacing a single blade is extremely costly with transportation costs and all of the labor included. That damage, if it doesn’t get addressed, can affect the performance of the wind turbine and in turn lower the amount of energy produced. Due to this, a product derived from the one used in helicopter blades was used, except now called wind protection tape which is twice as thick as regular protection films because of the extreme conditions in which wind turbines are placed. This in turn has reduced weathering and erosion damage on wind turbine blades.
In the fashion industry, high-end shoes like those of Christian Louboutin tend to get their fancy red-colored soles protected with a piece of protection film. However, in that industry, it is commonly known as a sole guard.
What do all of these protective films have in common? The super tough thermoplastic polyurethane or urethane base. Although not all are the same, these protective films have all helped in developing what is now called clear bra in the automotive industry. Because of these advancements, over the years the automotive industry’s clear bra has improved drastically from the first iteration of clear bra. You’re sure to have seen some of these clear bras out on the road. They would yellow quickly, crack within a couple of years, sometimes would blister and bubble up, and would also be impossible to remove. If you were lucky enough to remove them in one piece, the adhesive was so incredibly strong that instead of protecting a car’s paint, it would ruin it upon removal.
Nowadays, things have completely turned around with manufacturers guaranteeing their products for upwards of 10 years without any of these defects including yellowing, delamination, bubbling, and cracking.
