Makrofol®ID – the best card in the pack

Makrofol ID – the best card in the pack
®
MAKROFOL® ID
Secure identification
with Makrofol ® ID
The business activities of Bayer MaterialScience are
focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for
products used in many areas of daily life, in accordance
with Bayer’s mission “Science For A Better Life.”
Identity documents such as ID cards, passports and
driver’s licenses are one of these areas. Bayer Material
Science develops polycarbonate films and innovative
solutions for the card and security market, which is
a specialized and high-tech industry. It is one of the
focus segments for our Functional Films business.
Bayer MaterialScience is globally oriented and has set
up a films team close to its customers that takes care
of market requirements in the different regions. The
team is supported by a global network of technical
competence centers.
Bayer MaterialScience aims to be a prominent part of
the solution in tackling the effects of megatrends such
as globalization. A major challenge for card manufacturers in this respect is forgery. Makrofol ®ID enables
the incorporation of a whole range of security features
in ID cards. The higher the requirements with regard
to security features, the more intense are the developments that need to be carried out.
Our company is working closely with many partners
in the global ID cards business, and is aiming
at long-term cooperation in the different regions.
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Makrofol ® ID – no end
to the benefits for maximumsecurity documents
No matter how stringent the demands made
Makrofol ® ID is used if security is an issue.
on future documents, you can be sure that you will
It gives the documents outstanding properties and
always be on course for success with the
specific advantages.
Makrofol ID film range when manufacturing high®
quality documents.
Makrofol ® ID films have been used for national identity
cards, passports and driver’s licenses for many years.
Forgery prevention is a big issue with these documents,
and this is where the benefits of Makrofol ® ID come
into play, namely its suitability for laser engraving and
the integrity of the fused layers of film.
When it comes to cards with an integrated chip for
contactless data transfer, the principal criteria in favor
of using Makrofol ® ID are the material’s unsurpassed
durability and high wear resistance.
© Trüb AG, Switzerland
3
MAKROFOL® ID
© Smartrac N.V., Netherlands
MAKROFOL® ID
Passport
Driver’s license
ID card
Other documents
© CCD GmbH, Germany
Documents in Makrofol ® ID
are used in more than
50 countries worldwide
The advantage our polycarbonate films have over other
popular card materials is that they can be laminated
without the use of adhesives. The separate layers are
bonded so firmly together that the card to all intents
and purposes becomes a single piece of polycarbonate.
This prevents forgers from tampering with the print
image and the laminated security features without
damaging the card or leaving clearly visible marks.
4
© Gemalto Oy, Finland
© Trüb AG, Switzerland
© Bundesdruckerei GmbH, Germany
© PWPW S.A., Poland
5
MAKROFOL® ID
Made to last – cards made
of Makrofol ® ID
The benefits with Makrofol ® ID:
– High-contrast laser engraving
special grades
– High scratch resistance
– Colored personalization
– Approved durability
– Wide service temperature range
– Forgery resistance
– Least shrinkage during lamination
– Excellent clarity of the transparent grades
(light transmission)
– High stiffness
– Excellent bending resistance
Makrofol® ID
PVC-oriented PET
PETG-PVC
PVC High Vicat
PVC
-20°C
-10
0
20
40
60
80
100
6
120
140
Unique – the
Makrofol ® ID range
Makrofol ® ID films are made from Bayer’s Makrolon
polycarbonate resins, manufactured by extrusion
in single or multi-layer films.
Thickness (μm)
30
(a)
7
50
100
150
200
250
300
Surface textures: 2 = very fine matte, 4 = fine matte, 6 = fine velvet
The chemical and physical characteristics of Makrofol ®ID
make it the ideal material for manufacturing cards. The
long-term flexural strength of Makrofol ®ID is far superior to that of traditional card material. It is highly resistant to thermal stress, offering heat resistance of up
to 147°C.
However, the major advantage of Makrofol ®ID is that
the layers of film can be optimally laminated together.
When laminated at high temperature and pressure,
several layers of Makrofol ®ID are bonded inseparably
without requiring an adhesive. This means it is no longer possible to gain access to the inside of the card
without causing damage.
Consequently, cards made of 100 % Makrofol ®ID offer
unsurpassed protection against copying and forgery,
not to mention an almost unlimited service life.
Service life and service
temperature range of various
card films
Years
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Makrofol ®ID films are manufactured to extremely tight
tolerances in order to satisfy even the most exacting
requirements. Our application-specific know-how together with laboratory and technical center support
enable us to develop specific problem solutions in collaboration with our customers.
Makrofol ®ID is manufactured as a white core film, as a
transparent film and as a transparent, laser-optimized
overlay film in standard thicknesses from 30 µm to
300 µm (see overview). We are happy to provide other
film thicknesses upon request. White core films are
available covering films in two different white shades.
Coextruded films are made up of two different grades
of Makrofol ®ID. The film typically has a total thickness
between 150 µm and 300 µm. Makrofol ®ID films can
be supplied in rolls or as sheets.
Standard roll widths are 1,000 mm and 1,200 mm.
Makrofol ® ID films are available with a variety of surface textures.
Grade of film
Surface
texture
Color
(a)
Core films
Makrofol ® ID
4-4
Pearl White
Makrofol ® ID
4-4
White
Makrofol ® ID
6-4
Pearl White
Makrofol ® ID
6-4
White
Makrofol ® ID
6-2
Transparent non-laser
Makrofol ® ID
6-2
Transparent laser
Makrofol ® ID234
6-4
Pearl White/laser
Makrofol ® ID236
6-2
Transparent non-laser
Overlay films
Duplex films
MAKROFOL® ID
Unbreakable –
Makrofol ® ID
The Makrofol ® ID product portfolio offers a broad selection of films for card applications. Because of the
greater bending fatigue strength of transparent films
compared with white films, the number of individual
layers has a positive effect on a card’s durability.
By restricting the white films to the middle layers of
the card, they are subjected to a reduced load when
the card is bent. The highly flexible transparent films
making up the outer layers of the card are better able
to withstand the elevated tensile and compressive
stresses.
Improved security with
laser engraving
Laser beam
Laser beam
Front side
Structure of a
Makrofol ® ID Card
Antenna
Chip
Reverse side
Laser personalization inside
8
Tactile laser engraving
Offset
printing
Transparent non-laser
Transparent laserable
Transparent non-laser
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MAKROFOL® ID
Processing advice for
Makrofol ® ID cards
Printing:
Embossing:
Special, commercially available inks can be used to
Cards made of Makrofol ® ID can be embossed and
achieve excellent printing results on Makrofol ID in
have good flatness following embossing. In contrast to
offset and screen printing processes. Makrofol ®ID can
conventional card plastics, cards made of Makrofol ®ID
also be printed without problems using the following
exhibit no microcracking in the embossment.
printing techniques:
The intact condition of the embossment makes it pos-
a) Ink jet, solvent-based and UV-curing inks
sible to realize high-gloss, raised structures through
b) D2T2 printing (special Makrofol ® ID grades)
the application of high-gloss metallic colors using the
®
thermal transfer process.
Fitting a microchip:
Due to the good mechanical properties of the film,
Transfer adhesives, adhesive films coated on both
higher strength embossing dies must be used to em-
sides or reaction adhesives can be utilized to fit micro-
boss Makrofol ®ID.
chips in cards made of Makrofol ID. The use of flexible
®
adhesives is recommend in order to better withstand
Recycling and disposal of Makrofol ®ID cards:
bending loads.
Single-sort material is essential for successful recycling, meaning the card should consist only of PC.
Laminating:
The small amount of ink can be ignored. Together with
Several layers of Makrofol ®ID are bonded inseparably
a company specializing in material recycling, Bayer
when laminated at high temperature (180 °C - 190 °C)
MaterialScience has demonstrated that recycled
and pressure (up to 400 N/cm). This means it is no long-
Makrofol ®ID card material is suitable for re-use in in-
er possible to access the inside of the card without
jection molding compounds.
damaging it. No special measures have to be taken
Makrofol ®ID can be disposed of in domestic refuse
during lamination to prevent Makrofol ID adhering to
landfill sites and waste incineration plants. Land filling
the laminating plates.
does not lead to additional environmental pollution, as
Once the lamination process is complete, separating
Makrofol ®ID is not readily degradable and is inert un-
the films from the laminating plates is easy. The result
der these conditions. As a result, it does not contribute
is shorter make ready times on the laminating press
to the contamination of leachate. With regard to com-
and a reduction in waste.
bustion, emissions of pollutants from waste incinera-
®
tion plants are not significantly affected. Makrofol ®ID
Die-cutting:
cards can be chemically recycled or incinerated with
Makrofol ID permits clean die-cutting with sharp edges.
energy recovery. Labeling complies with DIN EN ISO
It can be die-cut with full-section tools.
11469 .
Personalization:
Storage of Makrofol ® ID:
Manufacturers can achieve any gray tone they re-
To the best of our current knowledge and experience,
quire in high resolutions on cards with laser-optimized
the product properties as referred to in the product
®
Makrofol ID films by varying the intensity of the laser
specifications remain within the specified range dur-
beam. Choosing the appropriate intensity and focus
ing a storage period of up to 2 years, provided that the
of the laser beam enables cards to be personalized
products are stored properly and the following storage
either as a relief structure on the surface of the card,
conditions are met and ensured:
or inside the card without modifying the surface.
Storage temperature: maximum 30 degrees Celsius
Combining embossing and laser engraving allows per-
Rel. humidity: maximum 50%.
sonalized CLIs (changeable laser images) and MLIs
Absence of sunlight and other UV-sources. Absence of
(multi laser images). Special Makrofol ®ID overlay films
chemical compounds capable of degrading the prop-
enable colored personalization of the cards using ink
erties of polycarbonate, such as ammonia, amines,
jet, thermal sublimation and transfer printing.
aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.
®
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MAKROFOL® ID
Contact:
Bayer MaterialScience AG
Functional Films
51368 Leverkusen, Germany
Europe, Middle East,
Africa, Latin America
Bayer MaterialScience AG
Phone: +49(0)214/30-1
www.makrofol.com
films@bayer.com
Asia Pacific
Bayer MaterialScience Limited
Phone: +852 2894 7122
www.makrofol.com
films@bayer.com
North America
Bayer MaterialScience LLC
Phone: +1 (512) 990-0043
www.bayerfilms.com
info@bayerfilms.com
This information and our technical advice – whether verbal, in writing or
by ways of trial – are given in good faith but without warranty, and this
also applies where proprietary rights of third parties are involved.
The information is provided by Bayer MaterialScience AG without
assumption of any liability. If any of the above mentioned regulations
change after the date of declaration, this declaration is no longer valid.
Bayer MaterialScience AG will strive to keep this information up-to-date.
Our advice does not release you from the obligation to verify the information provided – especially that contained in our safety data and technical
information sheets –, to check for updates of any information provided
by us and to test our products as to their suitability for the intended
processes and uses. The application, use and processing of our products
and the products manufactured by you on the basis of our technical advice
are beyond our control and, therefore, entirely your own responsibility.
Our products are sold in accordance with the current version of our
General Conditions of Sale and Delivery.
Edition: 2011-09 . Order-No.: MS00056180 . Printed in Germany
Bayer MaterialScience AG
51368 Leverkusen
Germany
+49(0)214/30-1
films@bayer.com
www.makrofol.com