Thursday, November 17, 2011
Identity cards such as driver’s licenses and passports have to meet functional and esthetic demands in terms of scratch resistance. Bayer MaterialScience’ Makrofol ID 320 has developed an outer film (overlay) for these cards that is scratch-resistant and hard-coated on one side. This is part of the Makrofol ID range, which has been designed for card applications.
The transparent film can be laminated under high pressure and at temperatures of up to 190 C, which are typically encountered when manufacturing these types of cards, therefore eliminating cracks in the hard coat and other surface defects.
Cards made of this film are resistant to scratching in everyday use and the gloss and transparency of the card surface are maintained for longer. Security is enhanced by high-precision micro-engravings made in the film and card surface during the lamination process.
Such cards made of Makrofol can be bent through 180 degrees without damaging the scratch-resistant coating. The flexural strength of these types of cards is comparable to standard cards made of Makrofol based on the test conditions of the ISO/IEC 10373 standard. This process is used to write information and security features such as photos and microtexts into ready-laminated polycarbonate cards. Makrofol ID 320 film is available in a thickness of 105 µm.
Bayer MaterialScience
