PPF: An Origin Story

Hovering U.S. Army helicopters pour machine gun fire into a tree line to cover the advance of South Vietnamese ground troops in an attack on a Viet Cong camp 18 miles north of Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, in March of 1965. Image via Horst Faas/AP

Made For Blades

During the Vietnam War era (1955–1975), hundreds of United States helicopters were sent to adverse terrains, full of rocks and debris. In the long term, constant impact on the chopper’s rotor blades would cause damage leading to more equipment being sent for repair.

By request of military institutions, a company then invented a wrapping film to protect the blades without interfering with the operation of the chopper’s rotor system. At this time, the first version of a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) film was then developed.

DYNOdamascus featured on Tesla. Image via STEK

Film For The Modern Age

Today’s TPU has significantly greater elasticity and strength over a broad temperature range than those of the past. TPU films resist strong force and abrasion while offering resistance to folding, tearing, and UV rays. When covered by a special top coating, it can also give self-healing and hydrophobic properties.

Over the years, films have constantly evolved, with more companies than ever supplying a product that was once used strictly for industrial applications. These films eventually emerged in the automotive sector under the name of “Clear Bra” or Paint Protection Film (PPF).

Now, PPFs are used in multiple industries, from car wrapping to smartphone screen protection.