3M Tools, Protective Gear, Equipment

3M makes an amazing variety of automotive and non-automotive products. That includes such diverse things as Ace bandages, Scotch-Brite, Post-It notes and, of course, Scotch Tape. Founded in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, they concentrated on making sandpaper for a while. Since then they have brought innovation to a fine art. You probably have dozens of 3M products in your car, and dozens more were used to manufacture it.

3M makes a considerable variety of films to be used for vinyl graphics. This particular film, the 1080 series, isn't intended to be used for cut graphics, where the film goes through a plotter-like device that uses a knife to cut out shapes for letters and designs. Because of the thicker vinyl needed for the texture to appear lifelike, it's meant for covering areas.

Another bane of graphics installer is air bubbles. Installers (read: You) have to resort to pricking holes in the film to let the air out or have a car or truck that looks like it has blisters from a horrific sunburn. 3M has another solution for that: they call it Comply. When the adhesive is coated onto the film, hundreds of microscopic channels are left in the adhesive. As you squeegee the film down into its final position, air can escape along these channels to the outer edge of the film, even if it's several feet away. Result: No bubbles, and the channels are too small to detect after the squeegee finishes it's work.

This film is easy to apply because of 3M Controltac technology. It's important to be able to remove and reapply the film as you stretch it over the body of the vehicle to get it straight and wrinkle-free. Conventional pressure-sensitive adhesives won't let you do that. 3M coats the adhesive layer with, I kid you not, millions of microscopic glass beads.