Soliant Fluorex(R) Bright Film with TPO Reflects Innovative Part Designs & Cost Savings

Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film can now be combined with TPO, facilitating more bright ideas for “Class A” finishes on car, marine, truck and electronic parts that enhance vehicle quality, appearance and value. Fluorex(R) bright films provide a shiny chrome finish to plastic parts with different chrome finish options like black chrome, matte chrome and brushed chrome. Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film is available in a myriad of colors, it can be tinted to match any color, giving OEMs and Tiers the ability to achieve multiple looks with the same tool and process. The cost savings that can be achieved in manufacturing, design flexibility and the increased chip resistance inherent in the film and the impact resistance qualities achieved when it is combined with TPO are driving innovative applications.

Designers and plastics processors are benefiting as the film takes shape via extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding, and compression molding. Manufacturers dedicated to sustainable technologies see a bright future for increasing TPO part applications with Soliant’s Bright Film as it is an environmentally friendly technology and an economical alternative to chrome plating.

“Soliant’s Fluorex(R) bright film is the most stunningly beautiful and most sought after product in the automotive market today,” claims an exhibitor at the recent SPE Thermoforming Conference in Nashville. Jeff Zawacki, Vice President of Marketing for Hendrickson Bumper and Trim recognized the value and opportunities of the film early on and secured exclusive rights to private label the film under their Aero Bright(R) line of bumpers in the heavy truck market. They developed the industries first three-piece bumper, with metal and plastic combined using Soliant’s Flourex(R) bright film that mimics chrome, for heavy truck applications.

This heavy-duty bumper, recently on display at the SPE Thermoforming Conference, is a shining example of how Soliant’s Fluorex(R) bright film is enabling quality innovation for customer needs. Truckers love chrome, but not all truckers love how it looks after miles on the road repelling stones, dirt and impacts. Nor do they like having to replace the entire bumper to maintain quality appearance when only the sides of the bumper, which are subject to the most damaging effects, are damaged. Now, the bumpers look better longer due to the enhanced chip and impact resistance inherent in Soliant’s Fluorex(R) bright film and TPO plastic on the ears of the bumper. Truckers also save money from having to replace only part of the bumper, when necessary, rather than an entire assembly.

Optimal uses for Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film in automotive include nameplates and badges, doorstep mouldings, grilles, headliners and hood scoops, rocker panels, body side moldings, roof strips, pillars, sun roof moldings, door handles, mirror housings, interior touch points, bezels, instrument panel rings and more. In addition to having excellent adhesion to TPO, Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film is also formable (will not crack) with PC, PVC, ABS and PC/ABS. Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film resists weathering, is fluid resistant, chip resistant, easy to clean, and recyclable. There are no VOC compliance costs for processors.

There are numerous additional applications for Soliant Fluorex(R) bright film in a broad array of industries including marine, consumer electronics, construction, apparel, home furnishings and more.

Soliant has a 20-year history as a producer of paint film products for automakers and are capable of covering all decorated surfaces. OEMs are showing a greater interest in paint film because it is environmentally sound, any color can be matched and it is cost effective. Over 40 million parts with Soliant paint film are in the field in the past 5 years without issue. Their paint film products are used by all OEMs on numerous vehicle models.

Soliant currently offers 140 colors under the Fluorex(R) brand name for automotive vehicle interior and exterior applications and will match any color and create new ones to help customers differentiate their offerings. Over 1,200 different colors have been produced or matched to date. Uni-, metallic or pearlescent colors are available to the same standards as current spray-paint systems.