QUOTE(wcchang @ Apr 4 2023, 12:01 PM)
There are so many car tints in the market nowadays, I am super confused which is which?
Sputter Film? Nano Ceramic Film?
IRR, TSER, UVR?
Sputter is the technique to deposit tiny particles on the film. Be it metallic or ceramic or both.
Essentially all proper tinting film is sputter film.
The sputter terms became popular because the film makers wanted to differentiate themselves from the color tinting (like the one on lantern), that is for cosmetic and don't actually designed to block solar energy.
Don't think those films still exist on window tinting market, but I can't be sure.
If want absolute cooling, V-Kool is the undisputed winner. Most of their products are metallic heavy.
Like many said that block RF signals like GPS and cell phone signal also weaker.
On SmartTag, ignore all the confusing info and different versions. I can tell you all tint with IR blocking will affect SmartTag because SmartTag use Infra Red, of course depends on the actual wavelength if you want to go in depth. The better the tint, the higher the impact.
You want worry free choose the cheaper tint with no more that 85% IR rejection.
IR Rejection is another thing with most makers only publish 900-1100nm wavelength. Xpel was the only one published very details specification (too geeky for most people that have not taken undergraduate physics 1, start from blackbody radiation). But sadly it also follows the majority and no longer have those info.
Ceramic tint can be as good as Metallic based tint like V-Kool, provided the vehicle is constantly moving given similar TSER. Because the ceramic particles absorbed the energy, the glass will be hotter vs Metallic tint that reflects most energy. If read the fine print, most ceramic tint only reflect 5-10% and absorb the rest of energy.
When vehicle moving, the energy is dissipated by the air constantly move over the outer side of the glasses to cool them.
Stop vehicles, the energy absorbed by the ceramic particles eventually reach the cabin via thermal conduction. That's the cons of any ceramic based tint.
A lot of tints on the market are now hybrid.
Ceramic/Metallic particles are expensive, that primarily determine the price point. Of course the quality of sputtering, how even the particles distributed, as well as the bare film quality how clear (some brand call HD vision) etc.
UV blocking is common, like sunglasses you won't get anything not blocking 99% UV A, UV B. Also modern vehicle light green tint already block most UV anyways, some also 99%. Scientifically speaking one can put 99.99% to a point 6 sigma even 7 sigma confident level , but it will never be 100%. Take 100% claims at a pinch of salt.
Visible light carries about half of the total energy from the sun light. So a light tinted film can not get pass 50% TSER. To get over 50% TSER, the film can only be made darker.
This post has been edited by constant_weight: Apr 10 2023, 09:59 PM