Why does this happen on vehicles?

[David Hammond]

The rear windows on the Caddy are quite convex, and what I think has happened there is they’ve used a cheap, possibly monomeric vinyl. It also looks similar to when people use a cheap monomeric laminate on top of a better (polymeric) vinyl, the laminate shrinks faster and causes these ripples and fingers, but the vinyl stays put.

That would be my guess, but I am sure there could be many other reasons and factors that contribute to it, eg outgassing.

[Leslie Anderson]

thanks david 😊

i did not think of it shrinking. i guess that rules out a pressure washer then. 😇🤣

[Colin Crabb]

one way vision on back? Cheap versions shrink horridly & at different rate to its laminate – even on flat panels I’ve seen edges as the two different layers move at different rate.

You can see the printed layer has shrank at different rate to top laminate area.

[Leslie Anderson]

thanks colin 😊

i was sitting alongside it in traffic but i dont think it had the vinyl with holes. just a black panel from what i could see.

[RobertLambie]

I would say that this is a graphics manufacturing fault, a “Solvent Outgassing” Issue.

You can see:

* On the side, the printed logo is failing along the top.

* On the rear, the entire panel on the glass is failing.
I think this is because the rear window probably started out as being 100% covered by a printed black panel with a logo and text, all in one.
However, due to the outgassing problem, it can create a micro-curl/ridge around the edge.
This ridge along the top of the panel, creates a gutter for dirty water to sit on and seep between the laminate and the printed panel, creating the veins running down from the top to the bottom between the two layers of vinyl.

When two veins collide, they normally create water blisters that fill and push the laminate further and further from the base/digital vinyl. if this happens, the area nearer the sides, you will see excessive shrinkage of the laminate, leaving adhesive behind on the face of the digital.
The blisters become brittle and burst or popped by the customer or some random kid. 😏

Vinyl that hasn’t outgassed properly will continue to warp and distort and pull in on itself in the ever-changing day-to-day temperatures.
The adhesive will become like a gooey gunk and as the vinyl is shrivelling in on itself, the glue gunk is excessive and left behind picking up dirt and grime.

Along the top
the top is considerably lower than the bottom has risen. this is due to the dirty water and gravity.
looking at the shape of the top, I think it is most likely the customer has been cutting away the bad curling and separating laminate vinyl. but this will never fix itself and continue to progress, so the “damage and fix” will get lower and lower along the top.
the curvature at the top left and right, indicates this also, because the water runs down each side, as well as into the middle and down the glass join, creating a V at the top near the centre.

You can see the side Logo is not as bad as the side. mainly because less dirty water runs down the side, but the back will constantly see the water running off the roof down the rear as the van travels.

It could be argued that the straight-lined bottom has not been cut back by the customer at all and that the black panel started 50mm in from the edge of the glass 360 degrees. even if so, the significant damage at the top leading down the edges and into veins tells us the material has continued to deteriorate over time.

[RobertLambie]

I should have added, that those veins, the shrivelling of the laminate and the severe glue left due to shrinkage will all still happen “with or without” the rainwater, it just takes a bit longer and less severe. But in this instance, the water running off the roof and down the back window, has accelerated the damage.

[Leslie Anderson]

Thank you Robert.

thankfully i have a HP latex so I’m guessing that outgassing is something i do not need to worry about. 😊😇

[Pane Talev]

Bad material choice.

Bad approach/ design.

Bad installation.

In Switzerland we are closing / sealing perforated vinyl with 15mm strip of white or clear notmal vinyl near the edge. (Cutting 5-7mm perforated from the edge)