Industrial + Specialty Printing

Labels are among the most overlooked, but most important, components in the manufacturing process. This article describes how they perform in extreme environments.

By Ken Koldan

There are few labeling environments more challenging that those that fall within the automotive industry. Here, labels are subjected to some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Labels must be able to withstand high heat, subfreezing temperatures, and exposure to solvents, chemicals, and UV light. In many cases, they must adhere permanently for the life of the vehicle, which can run into decades.

This labeling can take myriad forms. Some labeling, as in the case of vehicle identification and under-the-hood warning labels, must be permanently adhered for the life of the vehicle. Others, such as tracking and sales labeling, may need to feature an aggressive repositionable adhesive that can be removed cleanly from fabric, glass, painted metal, or plastic.

Fortunately, pressure-sensitive films offer a versatile and enduring solution for automobile labeling needs. These films, which comprise a substrate, adhesive, liner, and topcoat, can be custom tailored to meet the grueling environment of under-the-hood or under-the-chassis applications. The key to creating a successful label lies in understanding the rigorous demands associated with this field.

Similarly, pressure-sensitive adhesives can perform a variety of functions within the automotive environment. Such adhesives can replace other costly and less effective bonding mechanisms, such as rivets. What’s more, these adhesives can create a water-tight or gas-tight seal, helping to keep the passenger compartment of the vehicle safe. In addition, due to their viscous nature, adhesives can offer vibration and noise damping, enhancing the overall comfort of the vehicle.

The pressure-sensitive sandwich
To fully understand how label options can be tailored to particular automotive needs, one first needs to understand the components of the pressure-sensitive film sandwich. The sandwich gives design engineers virtually limitless possibilities in meeting the specific requirements of the automobile industry.

The sandwich comprises four layers—film, adhesive, topcoat, and liner—of widely varying material components. The success with which product engineers can use pressure-sensitive film to match, say, the gloss level of a dashboard, or the texture of brushed stainless steel, is a function of the film’s face stock—or film layer. There is an almost endless array of colors, gloss intensities, and finishes available for the film layer to match or enhance the look of virtually any application. Yet the face stock options go beyond aesthetics. Its material composition, for example, is vital to providing necessary durability characteristics. Film gauges and thicknesses can play an important role as well, and can range anywhere from 0.5-10 mil.