How many protective films on polycarbonate. Cellular polycarbonate

For guard plastic panels against damage during loading and unloading, transportation and assembly, there is a special coating. At the end installation work it is recommended to remove it. Otherwise, under the action of solar heat, the film heats up until it melts and “sticks” to the surface of the sheet. After that, it is quite difficult to remove it.

This often happens after installation in summer period. Not removed in time protective layer causes a lot of trouble. For example, in winter, snow will accumulate on this one - it slides well only from clean polycarbonate sheets.

What to do if the coating "boiled"

The film can bond very strongly to polycarbonate. In this case, it is better not to do anything. Some try to heat up the film (for example, using a regular hair dryer). But this leads to the fact that it only sticks stronger to the polycarbonate.

All you can do is wait. One season after installation, the film will come off by itself. outside. But to make it easy to remove inside, it will take time. It is not recommended to scrape, scratch the surface of polycarbonate - otherwise it is easy to damage the material.

Caution: UV Protection

There can be another layer on the panels. It protects from ultraviolet rays, it is also easy to damage. Then the surface of the sheets will become cloudy, cracks will appear on it.

How to understand where the UV protection layer is? It is necessary to inspect the packaging with cellular polycarbonate. Where the plates are provided with UV protection, there are always inscriptions, service icons-pictograms. It is with this marked side that the polycarbonate faces the sun during installation. By the way, the UV layer is invisible, and it is impossible to accidentally remove it together with the transport film (only if it “sticks”).

We shoot on time and carefully

FROM inside sheets also have a coating. Usually it is completely transparent. It also needs to be removed - then the polycarbonate will transmit light better. If you leave this inner protective layer, it will deteriorate over time, which will affect the appearance of the structure.

What can I do to carefully remove the film? Wet the sheets with plain warm water to which a household detergent has been added, such as for dishes. This will allow you to gently and without any problems separate the protective film from the polycarbonate.

What is polycarbonate? It is a colorless hard polymeric plastic, which is used in production in the form of granules. It is strong, light, optically transparent, plastic, frost-resistant, a good dielectric, durable and environmentally friendly. Cellular (otherwise - cellular) polycarbonate is obtained by extrusion, it is a hollow panel with a different structure and thickness. These panels are interconnected by special jumpers, also called stiffeners. Polycarbonate belongs to the class of synthetic polymers, it is a complex linear polyester of phenols and carbonic acid.

To work with polycarbonate, you will need ordinary cutting tools.

Despite all the strength, cellular polycarbonate is destroyed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Most manufacturers put UV protection in the ground. But there is also a protective UV layer, which is applied by co-extrusion. This layer ensures the integrity of the leaf under the influence of sunlight. The layer is applied either on two sides, or only on one. Without this protective measure, the actual service life cellular polycarbonate will not exceed a couple of years.

How to prepare cellular polycarbonate for work

Before using polycarbonate, you need to unpack it, remove the film and all paper wrappers, process the edges of the tiles with an end tape designed for this purpose. Using perforated tape, protect the end facing down. And the end facing upwards is treated with an end profile and a sealing tape. You can also use a wide adhesive tape instead of an expensive tape, if in the future it is not expected that the upper end of the polycarbonate plate will come into contact with environment. If the upper end is covered with a monolith, then the use of the tape can be completely abandoned. If it has already been applied, then you can safely remove the film. The lower end is not recommended to be covered with anything. Since it must be installed openly so that condensate can drain freely. They give additional protection to the perforated tape using a U- or L-shaped profile. It must be mounted in such a way that a free condensate outlet can be provided. In this case, it is recommended to use a U-shaped profile with holes with a diameter of 1.5 - 3 mm, which are located 40-60 cm apart.

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How to remove the film from the surface of honeycomb polycarbonate sheet

It is recommended to remove the protective film coating from the polycarbonate sheet after all installation work, since the purpose of such a film is to protect the surface of the polycarbonate sheet during loading and unloading, during transportation and installation. If you do not remove the film and leave it, then over time, under the influence of solar heat, it will melt and “stick” to the polycarbonate surface of the sheet, it will be quite problematic to remove it. Especially often this situation is observed when it is produced in the summer and the protective film layer was not removed immediately.

What can be done if the film coating is welded to polycarbonate? There are several options for resolving this issue. Which one to use, choose yourself, based on the situation:

On the outside sheet has a special marking

• if polycarbonate sheets were stored in the sun for a long time and the film was baked to the surface, then it would be better to leave everything as it is. Do not shoot anything. The film should peel off on its own after one season. And on the inside, she'll need more time to self-destruct. In no case is it permissible to scrape and scratch the polycarbonate surface - only aggravate the situation by damaging the material. And if you scrape off the UV-protective side, you will also damage the UV protection.

Violation of the integrity of the UV protective layer can adversely affect the light transmission of the sheet. And subsequently, this will lead to the fact that the surface becomes cloudy and begins to crack;

By the way, it is quite simple to determine on which side the UV-protective layer is located: a package with cellular polycarbonate always contains inscriptions or service pictograms on the UV-protection side. It is not necessary to heat the film coating with anything (for example, some try to heat the film with a hair dryer), it will stick even more strongly;

• if the presence of a film is confirmed by visual inspection, then you can use the following method: wet the surface with ordinary warm water with the addition of homemade detergent for dishes. And slowly begin to remove the film layer.

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What else you need to know when working with polycarbonate

1. In hot sunny weather, cellular polycarbonate is able to thermally expand. For colored polycarbonate, the expansion index will be 4-5 mm, for transparent - 2-3 mm. The temperature at which carbonate can be used without reducing its original qualities and properties is from -40 to +120°C. When installing the material, it is important to consider these features. If the installation is carried out in cool weather, then the plate must be installed further from the lock of the docking profile, if it is mounted in the heat - very close.
2. A one-piece profile of 4-10 mm cannot fully provide reliable. Such profiles cannot be attached to the crate. Their purpose is to join the edges of vertical structures with a minimum of loads.

The reliability of the tightness of the joints is created by profiles over 10 mm. This will allow you not to use other fasteners.

Docking profiles are mounted with support on arcs and fastened with self-tapping screws.

After buying polycarbonate, many people ask themselves the question - is it necessary to peel off the film from it after installation, because with it the design looks more colorful and attractive? You can see very colorful film coverings on some areas of private houses, which depict fruits, vegetables or other objects. When a person mounts a structure from this material for the first time, he is cast into doubt by its beautiful appearance- remove the film or leave it for decoration? On the one hand, the film is pleasing to the eye, and on the other, whether there will be any harm from it. So the correct answer to this question is, of course, it is necessary, otherwise some problems may arise with the material later. By the way, if you need polycarbonate, follow this link http://unistframe.ru/catalog/monolitnyy-polikarbonat/.

The film on the sheets is exclusively for transport, it protects their surface during transportation and storage in a warehouse. When the film has already been purchased and installed in its place, it is no longer needed. Sometimes people who are not very knowledgeable in this matter take the transport protective layer for a film designed to protect the sheet from ultraviolet radiation. For reference, the ultraviolet-retaining layer is transparent, very hard to see with the naked eye and very difficult to erase. Therefore, you should not worry that along with the protective film you will remove the protection from UV rays.

Cellular or solid polycarbonate on the inside and outside

Cellular or monolithic polycarbonate has an outer surface and an inner one. On the outside, as a rule, the name is applied trademark, manufacturer, product warranty and UV protection available. This side is always colored, sometimes even decorated with drawings.

If you do not remove this color film, the dark areas of the pattern applied to it will firmly stick to polycarbonate, dismantling the film, covered with tatters, darkened and lost its entire appearance, becomes quite problematic. In this situation, along with the protective film, sun protection can also be dismantled, the film will firmly stick to it and damage it. Besides, in winter period it will slow down the snow, while on a clean surface it would easily come off.

Do I need to remove the film from the polycarbonate from the inside of the sheet? Here, the coating is most often completely transparent, but it also needs to be removed, since the film traps light. If you leave it, then in a couple of years it will disrupt the appearance of the product.

By its nature, polycarbonate is unstable to ultraviolet rays (UV), therefore, to ensure the durability of polycarbonate sheets, manufacturers cover them with a protective UV layer and introduce special additives into the polymer mass.

The second threat to polycarbonate sheets is the usual dust that enters the mass in production. The smallest dust particles, perhaps even invisible to the human eye, can cause serious "burns" of the sheets and lead to a reduction in the life of the material.

You can draw an analogy with the melting of snow in the spring. Dirty snow melts faster, as the grains of sand in the snow mass absorb the heat of the sun intensely. So it is with polycarbonate: when heated in the sun, dust particles that get into the polymer mass during production literally burn through the polycarbonate from the inside. As a result, the sheet “opens”, bursts, gradually loses its aesthetic appearance, bearing capacity and tightness.
Since polycarbonate honeycomb sheets are mostly used for outdoor structures (for the construction of greenhouses, sheds and canopies, translucent roofs, etc.), it is very important to carefully choose a supplier who can ensure durability already at the production stage. consumer properties its products. Including cleanliness of production.

Cleanliness is the key to maintaining the necessary properties of polycarbonate sheets.

In the production of cellular polycarbonate, cleanliness should always reign as in a surgical room. This requirement has quite a practical meaning - the smallest particles of dirt that got into the polycarbonate mass during production not only spoil the outer sheet, but also significantly reduce its durability. Dust particles can be so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, and the damage caused by the carelessness of the manufacturer can be serious.
The raw material for the production of honeycomb sheets is granulated polycarbonate. In order to prevent dust, dirt, or moisture from getting into it, the granules are carefully packed in multi-layer bags during transportation from the production of raw materials to processing enterprises. On the territory of the processor, raw materials must be stored in special tanks.

Before the start of the production cycle, the granules are cleaned of dust and moisture in special centrifuges. Despite all these precautions, in a well-organized production, a lot of attention is paid to cleanliness in the shops. The main sources of dust in production are dirty floors and dust on equipment. That's why wet cleaning- an integral part of the production process, which is repeatedly performed throughout the entire work shift.
But this is not enough - to ensure cleanliness, a competent manufacturer arranges a special anti-dust floor already at the stage of construction of the workshop, much attention is paid to the functioning of filters supply ventilation and many other activities related to the cleanliness of production.

The obligation to maintain cleanliness lies not only with the manufacturer, but also with the builders who install polycarbonate sheets. If polycarbonate sheets are stored outdoors, then under such storage conditions there is a danger that the polycarbonate sheet will be turned to the sun with no UV protection (in the case of sheets with one-sided UV protection). Subsequently, this will inevitably lead to a decrease in its performance. On the other hand, there is a danger that in hot weather, under the influence of the sun, the protective film will firmly stick to the sheet, which in turn will make it difficult to remove the protective film from the surface of the plate.
But the main problem- storage of polycarbonate sheets with unprotected ends. Open ends contribute to the ingress of dust, dirt, moisture into the cells of the polycarbonate plate. These factors contribute to a decrease in the durability of polycarbonate, jeopardizing its strength. So storing sheets on the street is highly undesirable.

During the installation process (if it is carried out in accordance with all the rules), the builders will close the ends of the polycarbonate panels, and the translucent structures made of this wonderful material will delight the owners for many years.
To summarize: - The reliability of a structure coated with polycarbonate sheets largely depends on the conditions under which they were manufactured. A decrease in the performance of polycarbonate sheets, and hence the reliability of the entire structure, can occur due to the fault of the smallest dust particles, which none of the consumers usually think about.

Construction errors when using cellular polycarbonate

All construction errors can be divided into design errors and errors associated with the incorrect use of the material.
Let us dwell in more detail on the errors associated with the incorrect use of the sheet.

Mistake #1. The sheet is fixed to the sun with a side that does not contain surface UV protection. As a result, the leaf will turn yellow. The advice in this case is simple: do not remove the protective film with the marking before installation. Otherwise, you can simply confuse the parties, because. The presence or absence of UV protection cannot be determined by eye.

Mistake #2. Special thermal washers are not used. Simple self-tapping screws can damage the sheet during thermal expansion, and dirt will accumulate in places of damage. Special washers are needed in order to close the mounting hole from moisture and dirt and prevent them from entering the cells.

Mistake #3 . The ends of the cellular polycarbonate sheet are not closed (or incorrectly closed). If the ends are not closed, then the sheet becomes dirty, loses its appearance and light-transmitting properties. There is a second option: the ends are closed “tightly” and the condensate that forms in the honeycombs as a result of temperature changes does not go outside. It is optimal to close the ends with a special perforated tape, and then with a profile that provides protection against dust ingress, but does not prevent moisture from escaping.

Mistake #4. Incorrect application of the sheet class. All sheets of cellular polycarbonate are divided into classes: sheets for greenhouses (4 and 6 mm) and sheets for construction (from 8 mm). For example, you can often find that in the construction of stopping complexes, a sheet 4 mm thick is used, and it is lightweight. Such a sheet may not withstand the snow load, and people may suffer as a result of such a construction error. The same applies to translucent roofs and small architectural forms.

Many users complain about the clouding of polycarbonate over time, even when contacting professional installers, does the material sometimes turn yellow? Who is guilty?

Cellular polycarbonate turns yellow (cloudy) for several reasons: external environment(in particular the sun); low quality of raw materials; poor organization of production, lack of cleanliness in production; a high percentage of the use of secondary raw materials, its low quality and purity; violation of the extrusion modes of a sheet of cellular polycarbonate.

Slow down the process of degradation of cellular polycarbonate under the influence of the sun. Surface UV protection (applied by co-extrusion). The presence of these components must be indicated in the marking and passport for a sheet of cellular polycarbonate.

Let us dwell in more detail on the cause of turbidity of cellular polycarbonate as a result of a violation of the sheet extrusion regimes during production. Extruding a cellular polycarbonate sheet is a complex process for which it is very important to maintain the same parameters, including a constant extrusion temperature. Here the leading role is played by the class of equipment installed in the production. If the accuracy class of the equipment is low, then the fluctuation of its parameters will occur in waves. The sheet will be extruded over an extended temperature range and underforming of the polymer may be observed. And as a result: a cloudy sheet, with great internal tension. The accuracy class of equipment is an indicator that shows how equipment can perform its task in a given range. Accordingly, on some equipment it is possible to produce spaceship, and on some just a clay pot

Thus, in order to avoid clouding of cellular polycarbonate, you need to choose a sheet produced in Italian or German equipment from high class accuracy.

How to deal with moisture inside the cells?

For the free exit of condensate from the cells during installation, they should be oriented in the direction of the slope. It is also necessary to use the correct perforated tape and profile, which will allow moisture to escape.