What Are Release Values for Vinyl Films
By Jim Hingst
Photo Courtesy of Arlon Graphic Films
Release
value is a measurement of the force required to remove a release liner, from a
pressure sensitive material, such as a sign vinyl. The release liner is the silicone coated paper
or film that protects the adhesive on the facestock. Liner types include coated
and uncoated kraft papers, as well as polyester and polyethylene films.
To
many, measuring the release value of a liner from a pressure sensitive film
will not seem important. On the other hand, if you are installing very large
panels of printed vinyl graphics, while working on a scaffold consisting of two
ladders and a 12” plank, the ease at which the film releases from the liner
helps greatly as you try to maintain your balance.
While
you wouldn’t want the release value for a film to be too high for wide format
graphics, which would make film removal difficult, you also don’t want the
value to be so low that the film tunnels on its liner during processing.
Some vinyl film manufacturers intentionally utilize release
liners with a tight release. Liners with a tight release keep the film from
slipping and sliding on the liner during plotter cutting and die cutting. Tight
release is great when you’re cutting small letters and fine detail.
To
measure the values, test equipment, such as Adhesion/Release Testers or Instron
testers, is often used. This very sensitive test equipment can record very low
measurements (you’ll note that the test values published in product bulletins
are in grams, not pounds).
Without
standardized industry procedures, test results from one lab to another would be
all over the board. Published specifications, as a result, would have little
meaning. To establish some uniformity,
vinyl manufacturers conduct their tests according to accepted industry
standards. These standards have been established by industry associations, such
as Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI) and the Pressure Sensitive Tape
Council (PSTC).
One
commonly used test is the standard TLMI Release Test (TLMI tester shown above).
In this test, the facestock of a 2” by 10” vinyl sample is attached to the sled
of the release tester, while the liner of the sample is attached to a
stationary part of the tester. As the
sled travels on its track at a speed of 300 inches per minute, the test
equipment measures how many grams of force are required to peel the two parts
of the sample apart. Typically, the sled is angled so the facestock is peeled
at a 90° angle.
About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting.
After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.
Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer. Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.
Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 190 articles for publications, such as Signs Canada, SignCraft, Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published. Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon.
© 2019 Jim Hingst, All Rights Reserved.
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