SABIC Innovative Plastics launches new high-end Lexan™ SD...

SABIC Innovative Plastics launches new high-end Lexan™ SD films for long-lasting, compromise-resistant electronic ID cards

Identity theft, border security, and other threats are expanding the use of electronic identity cards that can resist compromise, last for up to 10 years, and incorporate a variety of sophisticated graphic technologies, such as laser marking. To meet these requirements, SABIC Innovative Plastics has developed three new high-performance polycarbonate (PC) film grades for manufacturing electronic ID cards and security documents. These new products are part of the Lexan* SD film family and include a laser-markable grade; a bright white, opaque material; and a clear grade for the cover or intermediate layers of the ID card. SABIC Innovative Plastics launch of these three new products highlights its investment in new high-end film technologies that provide converters with new innovative solutions to meet today’s growing information security needs.

“The electronic security industry has been long seeking a polycarbonate plastic film that offers optimal performance, aesthetic, and processing benefits,” said Josh Ayer, global product manager, Film, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “There’s been a largely unmet market need for such a material until now. Today, SABIC Innovative Plastics’ new Lexan SD films can give electronic security card manufacturers all of these benefits and enable them to achieve tight gauge tolerances to simplify the manufacturing of cards within mandated thickness parameters and also produce exceptionally durable products without the need for adhesives.”

Lexan film provides several manufacturing advantages
SABIC Innovative Plastics’ new Lexan film solution – used for electronic security documents such as drivers’ licenses, e-passport data pages, border crossing cards, residency permits, green cards, smart card inlays, tachometer cards, healthcare cards, vehicle registration tags, and identity cards for government employees, military, police, and others – surpasses conventional materials in several ways. The Lexan films use heat and pressure to join all layers into a card that cannot be pulled apart, as compared to hybrid cards that require adhesives, increasing the likelihood that the card will be disassembled. A second major advantage is that SABIC Innovative Plastics’ films deliver very narrow gauge tolerances of +/- 2.5 percent. Compared to existing solutions with wider gauge variations, this property enables converters to consistently assemble multi-layer cards within the mandated thickness range. Further, it avoids the need to double-stock certain gauges to compensate for poor lot-to-lot consistency.

“When we developed this multi-film solution, one goal was to make card manufacturing easier for our customers,” said Bart Kiekens, European product manager, Film, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “Converters can now achieve the exact thickness they need by leveraging the tight tolerances of our films – no need for several trials or expensive adjustments to their process. A second goal was to create the best laser-markable film available. We achieved this through our extensive application development resources at the Polymer Process Development Center in Pittsfield, Mass., which features a Rofin-Baasel Powerline laser system.”

Full press release