Produce Process of PVC Decorative Film -

 PVC decorative film is gaining traction in people’s homes. It’s often used for doors, furniture, window frames, and even walls. PVC sheet is great and can change the design of the surface it’s applied on, which is why many people opt for it when remodeling their home, or when they want to cover some damage.

Although this PVC film is so useful and it’s getting quite popular, not everyone knows how it’s produced. The complex process of PVC decorative film production results in the creation of a useful and versatile material. Are you curious about the production process of this decorative sheet? The following paragraphs will tell you everything you need to know.

PVC History

PVC is a material that has been used for a long time. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, and it is the third most-produced synthetic plastic polymer in the world. Polyvinyl can be rigid or flexible. There are about 40 million tons of PVC produced every single year.

PVC was prepared in 1835 by the French chemist Henri Victor Regnault. However, it was only later synthesized by German chemist Eugen Baumann, in 1872. It took several years until it was patented, though. Some decades later, in 1912, the material was patented when Friedrich Heinrich August Klatte, another German chemist, did it by using sunlight in order to start the vinyl chloride polymerization.

At first, there was a limitation in commercial application due to the extreme rigidity of the plastic. But later, in 1926, plasticized PVC was produced. It all happened when Waldo Lunsbury Semon tried to dehydrohalogenate PVC in a high-boiling solvent, aiming to obtain an unsaturated polymer that will then bond rubber to metal. This is what led to the commercial success of the polymer later on.

Over time, PVC started being used for more and more applications. For example, Goodrich started making the plastic into electric-wire insulation, shock-absorber seals, as well as coated cloth products.

History of PVC Decorative Film

The PVC decorative film history is not that long. This is because the material is pretty new in the industry, so there is not that much information out there compared to PVC alone.

PVC decorative film became a thing thanks to the eco-friendly demand that more and more people have. Basically, the manufacturing industry is trying to adapt to the changes brought by time, which is how PVC decorative film was developed.

Nowadays, people use this type of film in order to decorate parts of their homes. This includes window frames, doors, walls, and even furniture. It’s very versatile, and that’s why people love it.

What’s also great is that this type of product can also be reprocessed through heat. As a result, recycling the material is more efficient, so more people are willing to use it. It has great potential.

Even more, PVC films are pretty complex. They can be rigid or flexible, so people can choose depending on their needs.

How Is PVC Decorative Film Produced?

Now, let’s get to the fun part. How is this type of material produced? Read on to find out the entire process.

1、Raw Material

Everything starts with the raw material supply. The manufacturers will bring in the raw PVC material in order to prepare it for the process. This raw material is unprocessed, and it helps achieve the finished product, respectively the PVC decorative film. Once brought in, the raw material will be prepared for the steps it will be put through to obtain the finished goods.

2、Raw Material Checkout

What happens next is a raw material checkout or inspection – basically, this consists of selecting the materials for manufacturing the PVC sheets at the first stage. This part is very important before the actual process begins.

People assigned to perform the inspection will look into multiple aspects of the material, such as the physical and chemical ones. The goal here is to verify or determine whether the materials meet the requirements of the regulation, specification, or contract.

By checking the raw material, the people who are about to produce the sheets are helping make sure that the supplier is following all the necessary specifications. It also ensures that the materials about to be used are in proper condition and that they can help create a high-quality final product.

In case of any defects or issues with the raw material, the manufacturers will not start the process to prevent any possible costly problems that may arise in the future.

3、PVC Calendering

Calendering is the next step in the production process of PVC decorative film. This procedure is used for high-volume, high-quality plastic film processing. PVC is one of the main materials that go through this process.

During this part of the production, the polymer, which is melted, is subject to heat and pressure in an extruder. Then, it is formed into a sheet or film by calendaring rolls. What influences the properties of the film is the speed and temperature of the rolls.

What makes calendaring such a great and important part of the process is the fact that it offers specialty surface treatments of the film. These include embossing or enhancing the physical properties, as well as the in-line lamination.

4、Printing Performance Testing

Before jumping into other steps, printing performance tests are being done to ensure everything works properly before proceeding. So, the printing performance of the machines used is being tested first.

5、Printing Color Checking

Just like with testing the printing performance, the printing color is also checked. All PVC decorative films have their own color, and they come in batches with different designs. But in order to give them the colors people are looking for, the printing has to go accordingly, and that can be ensured if printing color checking is being done first.

6、Gas Chromatography Inspection

Gas chromatographs are also used in the process. These are basically analytical instruments that help measure the content of different components in a sample. As such, gas chromatography is being performed.

In the PVC production process, gas chromatography inspecting is necessary too before everything else continues. It’s a key of the production that cannot be overlooked. After the material goes through this step, it’s ready to move to the next one.

7、PVC Printing

The next part of this time-consuming process is printing. The PVC is being printed and getting closer to being finished. Printing PVC film is not that difficult – s oftentimes, this doesn’t take too long to be done. Every single sheet is being printed individually.

8、PVC Laminating

PVC laminating is also an essential part of the production process. Basically, a machine helps laminate the sheets. The machine pretty much “sticks” the lamination material onto the PVC. The goal of this step is to protect the surface of the PVC film for a long time to come, making it more durable. As such, it will be able to resist even when there are certain external factors that would otherwise affect its aspect, like UV radiation, for instance.

9、Rewinding

Rewinding is also used as a second-last step towards finishing the product. A rewinding machine is being used for this, as it helps rewind the film, so the PVC rolls are prepared.

10、Packing

The last step is packing. The PVC decorative film is being packed and ready to be distributed and sold to those who want to use it to decorate their house.

Is the Material Safe?

Yes, PVC decorative film is safe. Not only is the material checked before the production process, but it is also known to be made of things like chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen, which aren’t harmful. Even though chlorine is a debatable subject, you should know that it is pretty safe in its processed form. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about in terms of safety.

As for whether there are carcinogens or not, this is also a debatable subject. There is a carcinogenic chemical in their componence, which is vinyl chloride monomer. Luckily, it is not present in a huge amount, and it is processed as well during the production, meaning that every trace is dissipated. In the processed PVC material, vinyl chloride monomer will no longer exist, making PVC decorative films very safe to use.

The Bottom Line

PVC decorative films have to go through a pretty long and complex process in order to be produced. Before the process starts, the raw material is being inspected to ensure it’s not only safe but that it also meets the requirements and that it isn’t damaged. PVC then goes through different steps such as calendering, gas chromatography, printing, laminating, rewinding, and packing.

In the end, all these steps help ensure that the PVC decorative film is created and it’s ready to be used and will last for a long time. If you use PVC decorative film from a reputable company, you can rest assured that all proper measures have been taken to ensure the quality and safety of the material.