Brief History:
Paint Protection Film was originally developed for use on military
aircraft. The leading edges on a super sonic aircraft, as well as
a helicopter rotor blade, can receive tremendous damage when struck
by sand, rocks, sleet, and even rain at these very high speeds.
In the mid 1980’s the United States Military realized the
potential of using polyurethane films on leading edges and landing
lights to reduce maintenance costs as well as drastically increase
the lifespan of these very expensive surfaces. In the early 1990’s,
with the United States involvement in the Gulf War, our military‘s
helicopters proved to be invaluable for transportation as well as
attack and defense rolls. In the harsh, sandy environment of the
Arabian Peninsula it was proven that the lifespan of the helicopter
rotor blades could be dramatically increased by utilizing these
polyurethane films.The film was affectionately know as “Helicopter
Tape” by military personnel and those in the aircraft industry.
It quickly became apparent that this film could have far more applications
than just on aircraft. The abrasion resistance of these polyurethane
films was outstanding but the aesthetics left much to be desired.
As we began to install more and more film on automobiles, motorcycles,
motor homes, and other aesthetically critical surfaces film companies
followed suit by competing to produce more aesthetically pleasing
films. The films we use today are highly flexible with high gloss
and clarity and incredible lifespan.
Not All Films Are The Same.
There are many films on the market today with varying attributes.
You may ask yourself “How do I know which one is the best?”
Don’t worry, we’ve already done that for you. Most installers
are bound by contract to use one company’s film and the pre
cut pattern package that they provide. NOT US. As an independent
design and installation company we have the opportunity to test
and use every film on the market and we personally design every
pre cut kit that we install.
The films that we offer to our customers
are rigorously tested
for clarity, shine, abrasion resistance, longevity, remove-ability,
and installation qualities in our test facilities and on our own
test vehicles before we will install them on our customers cars.
From year to year the leader in quality is not always the same either.
If we find a better film that stands up to our scrutiny we will
offer it to our customers. Our goal is simple, to offer our customers
the highest quality protection with a positive experience so they
can enjoy there automobile without the fear of damage from road
debris.
Application Types:
There are two ways that customers can have Paint Protection Film
applied to their vehicle. The first is a Custom Cut application
and the other is a Pre Cut Kit. Each have there own unique benefits.
Custom Cut applications: Even the sky is not the limit.
Similar to the way we had been installing film on aircraft and motorcycles,
we began installing Paint Protection Film on automobiles by laying
large, bulk pieces of film on the surfaces that needed protection
then squeegee out the water and finally cut of the excess film.
The benefit of this method is that you can customize each installation
to the customers desires. You
can also produce a seamless application where you might not be able
to with a Pre Cut Kit. Another benefit of Custom Cut applications
is increased coverage areas. There is no limit to the areas that
we can cover. We are able to cover whole hoods, whole fenders, whole
doors, and whole cars with the Custom Cut application. It does take
a higher skill level to produce a quality Custom Cut application
though. That’s why many newcomers to the industry only offer
Pre Cut Kit installations. Remember, you don’t want just anybody
cutting film on the top of your car if they don’t have tremendous
amounts of experience. Our level of experience makes it possible
for us to offer highly individualized service to our customers.
Pre Cut Kits: Passing the savings on to the customer.
As we began to install more and more film on the same type of vehicles
we realized that we could reduce material usage as well as reduce
installation time by designing Pre Cut Kits. This made it possible
to produce more cost effective protection packages for our customers.
With a little more time invested in the initial patterning and design
we could produce highly accurate kits with perfectly straight lines
and flawless radii. Pre Cut Kits can also be more environmentally
friendly because we are greatly reducing waste by nesting various
pieces in with others when we cut the kits. All these factors together
mean that we can offer a highly standardized pricing structure that
makes it fair to all automobile owners to get terrific protection.
Quality Installations: Not all installers are equal.
A high quality Paint Protection Film looks great only if the installer
holds him/herself to a high standard as well. With increased clarity
in a film comes increased visibility of flaws if the installer is
inexperienced. That’s why the best films are the
hardest to install. In order to make an application aesthetically
pleasing an installer must have the knowledge and experience to
alleviate such issues as wrinkling, creasing, dry lines, stretch
marks, foaming/silvering, hazing, lifting, and debris. These conditions
are the most noticeable on dark colored cars. With almost 10 years
experience applying Paint Protection Film it is our goal to lead
the industry in installation quality and knowledge on any vehicle
of any color. In the Paint Protection Film industry the name SPEED
SHIELD has became synonymous with “High quality results”.
And our passion to maintain the highest standard of craftsmanship
drives us to offer our customers a level of service that is unparalleled.
Whether it's a Pre Cut Kit or a Custom Cut full car application
that you desire you can rest assured that we can create a solution
for your protection needs.
In the mid 1980’s the United States Military realized the
potential of using polyurethane films on leading edges and landing
lights to reduce maintenance costs as well as drastically increase
the lifespan of these very expensive surfaces. In the early 1990’s,
with the United States involvement in the Gulf War, our military‘s
helicopters proved to be invaluable for transportation as well as
attack and defense rolls. In the harsh, sandy environment of the
Arabian Peninsula it was proven that the lifespan of the helicopter
rotor blades could be dramatically increased by utilizing these
polyurethane films.The film was affectionately know as “Helicopter
Tape” by military personnel and those in the aircraft industry.
tested
for clarity, shine, abrasion resistance, longevity, remove-ability,
and installation qualities in our test facilities and on our own
test vehicles before we will install them on our customers cars.
From year to year the leader in quality is not always the same either.
If we find a better film that stands up to our scrutiny we will
offer it to our customers. Our goal is simple, to offer our customers
the highest quality protection with a positive experience so they
can enjoy there automobile without the fear of damage from road
debris.
You
can also produce a seamless application where you might not be able
to with a Pre Cut Kit. Another benefit of Custom Cut applications
is increased coverage areas. There is no limit to the areas that
we can cover. We are able to cover whole hoods, whole fenders, whole
doors, and whole cars with the Custom Cut application. It does take
a higher skill level to produce a quality Custom Cut application
though. That’s why many newcomers to the industry only offer
Pre Cut Kit installations. Remember, you don’t want just anybody
cutting film on the top of your car if they don’t have tremendous
amounts of experience. Our level of experience makes it possible
for us to offer highly individualized service to our customers.
hardest to install. In order to make an application aesthetically
pleasing an installer must have the knowledge and experience to
alleviate such issues as wrinkling, creasing, dry lines, stretch
marks, foaming/silvering, hazing, lifting, and debris. These conditions
are the most noticeable on dark colored cars. With almost 10 years
experience applying Paint Protection Film it is our goal to lead
the industry in installation quality and knowledge on any vehicle
of any color. In the Paint Protection Film industry the name SPEED
SHIELD has became synonymous with “High quality results”.
And our passion to maintain the highest standard of craftsmanship
drives us to offer our customers a level of service that is unparalleled.
Whether it's a Pre Cut Kit or a Custom Cut full car application
that you desire you can rest assured that we can create a solution
for your protection needs.