Bayer MaterialScience Adds Two New Films for the Production of Plastic Cards

Bayer MaterialScience AG is adding two more products to its range of Makrofo ID films for the production of plastic cards that will make it virtually impossible for forgers to tamper with items such as security passes and passports. “These two new films are examples of how we pick up on market trends and new requirements for plastic cards, and respond to this by developing tailor-made materials either independently or in cooperation with partners,” explains Cengiz Yesildag, Head of Sales in the Films Unit of Bayer MaterialScience.

Twice the security – color personalization through laser printing
Bayer MaterialScience has developed this new Makrofol® ID film for laser printing in response to the recent rise in demand for cards that can be color personalized with, for example, a passport photo of the card owner. Images can be printed onto both the front and back of this polycarbonate film using commercially available color laser printers that use dry toners. Special laser printers are not required. The film is a modified monolayer. The print image is created directly on the polycarbonate surface, not on a separate functional layer. As a result, adhesive is not required when it is laminated with other polycarbonate films. Instead, the result is an inseparable composite film, i.e. a single piece of polycarbonate. This means that, once produced, forgers cannot change the print image inside the card without damaging the card itself.

The film can be used either as a transparent overlay or as a white substrate for decoration inside the card. “Our new product makes color personalization a useful addition to laser engraving, which is used to create black-and-white images inside cards. The combination of these technologies produces cards that offer twice the security,” says Yesildag. The new film is also cost-effective, because the use of commercially available color laser printers makes for fast personalization with low costs during each printing step. The inks adhere perfectly to the surface of the film. High-resolution print images can also be added with ease. The film is offered in transparent and opaque white designs in thicknesses of 100 and 200 micrometers.

Bayer MaterialScience also offers films and system solutions that can be color personalized using inkjet printers and the D2T2 process (Dye Diffusion Thermo Transfer). Makrofol® ID Dyefusion is one example. This established film comes with a special coating on the front that allows high-quality, cost-effective color printing using conventional card printers. An overlay can be applied to the print image to enhance the anti-counterfeiting properties of the card if required.

No way through for laser light
In theory, forgers could use laser manipulation to alter signatures and passport photographs on cards that have been personalized on the inside using laser engraving. However, considerable technical expertise is required, for example in the precise positioning of the laser, to ensure that forgeries are not spotted immediately. A special new film offers an effective means of combating this type of forgery as it cannot be penetrated by the light frequencies used in laser engraving. It can be laminated to finished cards once they have been personalized using laser engraving technology. Standard protective film laminators, such as simple roll laminators, can be used for this purpose. “The film adheres well to polycarbonate cards. It also boasts good abrasion resistance and excellent resistance to everyday chemicals, such as cleaning agents or the oils and greases in skin creams,” reveals Yesildag. It will be available in a colorless transparent design.