optimont® MF-MW film

optimont® MF-MW film – a BO-PET film for a wide range of technical applications

The term mounting film – represented by the abbreviation MF in the film name optimont® MF-MW film – originates from printing technology and originally referred to the film onto which films were “mounted,” meaning adhered, in order to create a combined print image. Since today printing plates are exposed directly from computer files using the computer-to-plate process, this method is hardly used anymore. Nevertheless, the name has been retained as a general term for films used in printing technology.

In addition to printing technology, mounting films are also used in many other technical fields. These industrial films, or technical films, continue to be referred to as mounting films due to their original development for mounting applications.

optimont® MF-MW film in the printing sector

Even though the field of application has changed, mounting films still play an important role in the printing sector today. In artistic environments, traditional printing techniques are still used for aesthetic reasons, and films are indeed still mounted manually onto mounting films. In flexographic printing, a carrier film is required onto which the flexible printing plates made of rubber or photopolymer are applied. Such a film for flexographic printing, also referred to as a flexo carrier film, can be manufactured from optimont® MF-MW film.

The same applies to other printing processes in which optimont® MF-MW film is used as a film for printing plates. The terminology is shifting: today, photopolymer plates for flexographic printing are sometimes also referred to as printing plates. Regardless of the name of the printing process, the function of the mounting film is always the same: it serves as a dimensionally stable and heat-resistant carrier film for the actual printing material.

optimont® MF-MW film as an industrial film

Industrial film customers require films for a wide range of technical applications. In many areas, optimont® MF-MW film in different thicknesses and with various configurations can meet these needs:

• optimont® MF-MW film is used as a protective film in many areas, for example for components in electrical engineering or for displays in electronics. It protects against scratches, dust, moisture, or chemical influences.
• As a release film, optimont® MF-MW film is used in production processes in which a product is cast or blown into a mold. The release film serves to allow the product to be removed from the mold and is then peeled off from the product. This method is particularly used in the production of fiberglass-reinforced plastic components. In some cases, the release films can be reused after removal from the product.
• As an insulating film, optimont® MF-MW film is used, for example, in the construction of generators or electric motors, in cable production, or in electronic circuits.
• As a film for automotive applications, optimont® MF-MW film provides solutions for various uses in automobile manufacturing. Here as well, the protective and insulating performance of the film is often required, but mechanical and chemical resistance also play an important role.
• As a process film, optimont® MF-MW film is used temporarily in industrial manufacturing processes, for example as a transport aid or carrier film. It serves as a carrier material for thin, sensitive layers or components, such as in the production of printed circuit boards, displays, or membranes. It contributes to process stabilization by providing mechanical stability to flexible materials during the manufacturing process, for example when processing thin films, textiles, or foams. It serves as a thermal or chemical barrier, meaning a protective layer against heat or chemical reactions, for example during laminating, pressing, or heat sealing. In composite applications, optimont® MF-MW film as a process film distributes pressure and helps to prevent air bubbles in vacuum processes.

Properties of the BO-PET film optimont® MF-MW

The underlying BO-PET material provides optimont® MF-MW film with several basic properties: heat resistance, tear strength, dimensional stability, water resistance, and resistance to many chemical substances are among them. For the classic applications of a mounting film, it is important that optimont® MF-MW film is available in a milky-white quality. The abbreviation MW in the film name stands for this. This allows the position to be checked more easily when applying films or printing plates.

For technical applications, the mechanical strength and chemical resistance are the main factors for the use of optimont® MF-MW film. In electrical engineering applications, the electrical properties of the film, such as dielectric voltage and dielectric strength, play an important role. The melting point is 252° Celsius, and the heat resistance ranges from minus 40° to plus 120° Celsius.

optimont® MF-MW film is a VTM-2 compliant film according to UL 94

The VTM standard according to UL 94 classifies plastic films into fire protection classes. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a U.S. company that has been dealing with fire safety standards for more than 100 years. The company is now represented worldwide, and its standards are largely adopted by other standardization organizations or at least taken into account when formulating their own standards.

For a film, and for many other plastic products, certification according to UL 94 is an essential prerequisite for market access in the United States.

The VTM standard

The VTM standard from UL 94 is divided into three fire protection classes: VTM-2, VTM-1, and VTM-0. VTM-0 is the highest fire protection class, but even in class VTM-2, to which optimont® MF-MW film belongs, specific fire protection properties are required and are verified and certified through standardized tests.

The VTM-2 certification provides customers with information about which fire-relevant areas optimont® MF-MW film can be used in. The terms V-2 film or UL 94 film are also used to describe films certified according to the VTM standard.

It is also important to note that only optimont® MF-MW films up to a thickness of 250 µm are classified as V-2 films. Thicker plastics are evaluated according to other criteria within UL 94.

Formats and thicknesses of optimont® MF-MW film

optimont® MF-MW film is available in all common cut sheet formats as well as as roll material in master rolls, jumbo rolls, short rolls, or narrow rolls. Thicknesses range from thin films of 36 µm up to thick films of 500 µm. It should be noted that the thicker films with 300, 350, and 500 µm are no longer covered by the VTM-2 certification of the film.