Diamond Coatings ITO Coated Film

Diamond Coatings industry-leading range of coated films includes Diamet coated film, ITO coated PET films and ITO coating on plastic film.

Here at Diamond Coatings, we utilise the versatility of our ITO coating. ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) can be used to coat glass substrates as well as plastic substrates such as acrylic, polycarbonate or polyester film, for a variety of applications across many different industries in aerospace and healthcare.

ITO Polyester film has the ideal mechanical properties for processing, such as vacuum coating and laminating. Choosing to use ITO polyester film over other thermoplastics provides superior properties in regards to temperature range, tensile strength and density. Using polyester film also offers greater dimensional stability and oxygen permeability.

The properties that using ITO plastic films provide make it the perfect choice for certain product requirements and has resulted in its widespread use in many areas and applications.

Applications of ITO Plastic Films

There are many specific properties achieved by ITO coating on plastic film that enables its utility in a variety of areas and industries.

Our ITO plastic film coatings can withstand harsh environments and temperatures, ITO thin film strain gauges can be used in extreme environments such as gas turbines and even the engines of rockets and jets.

ITO plastic films have more similar uses in the aerospace industry, defrosting an aircraft’s windshield for example. This property is achieved by administering a voltage that generates heat and can be conducted by the indium tin oxide.

Diamond Coatings coated plastic film is chosen for a variety of specific applications in many industries because of its processing tolerance and suitability for engineering. These applications include:

⦁          Insulation Films

⦁          Antimicrobial Films

⦁          Packaging Films

⦁          Protective Films

⦁          Tamper Evident Films

⦁          Labelling

⦁          Printable Films

⦁          Photovoltaic Back-Sheets

Another added benefit of ITO coating polyester films is that they make the surface conductive while maintaining transparency. This unique property enables it to be applied in:

⦁          Electroluminescent Lamps

⦁          Medical Sensors

⦁          Electrophoretic displays

⦁          EMI/RFI Shielding

⦁          Resistive Touch Screens

⦁          Touch Screen Components

⦁          Smart Windows

Using ITO Coated Films

There is the option to directly deposit ITO coatings onto parts which may be just as suitable as ITO plastic film. Using plastic film can offer benefits and some disadvantages when compared to coating an existing substrate in terms of durability and cost for example.

ITO films are often used in touch screens across many different devices, which is a good example with which to outline some of the considerations when deciding if ITO plastic films are the best choice for an application.

It’s important to note that ITO films are only suitable for use on flat surfaces, but when ITO is directly deposited onto a part it can be applied to smooth, curved, 3D, grained and textured surfaces.

Choosing ITO film can, unfortunately, have some drawbacks, as it can be prone to problems like delamination, bubbling and subsequent functional issues.

Directly coated ITO parts are optically superior in comparison to ITO films. Every interface causes a reflection, and ITO films have twice the number of interfaces ITO coated parts have. Touch screens that use ITO films reflect more light and subsequently offer substantially lower rates of transmission.

It can also be difficult to achieve the conductivity required by capacitive touch solutions with ITO films.

Directly coated ITO parts can be offered at far more competitive prices than ITO film-based solutions, the production of which requires significantly more processing stages and labour costs.

Due to some of the limitations of using ITO film for capacitive touch light lenses, it can expose car manufacturers to the risk of leaving themselves open to warranty claims.

Whilst ITO plastic films do have some drawbacks, they are most suitable for other applications.

Polyester film (PET Film) is superior or comparable to other thermoplastic substrates in terms of:

• Melting point, density and elongation
• Dimensional stability, service temperature range and oxygen permeability
• Tensile and tear strength
• Insulation breakdown, dielectric constant and vapour transmission rate

If you require any assistance in ascertaining the most suitable coating, contact the team at Diamond Coatings to discuss your specifications or find out more about what we provide.