3M ULTRA S800 Safety & Security Window Films

Protect People & Property

3M ULTRA S800 is an 8-mil thick clear safety and security film that was introduced in 2014. Since then, it has been used throughout the world for those looking to protect people, property, and continuity of operations from the dangers associated with broken glass. Independent testing has shown that when installed in conjunction with 3M’s Impact Protection Adhesive, 3M ULTRA S800 reduces the harms associated with broken glass due to bomb blasts, blunt force traumas, active shooters, seismic events, windstorms, and spontaneous glass breakage.

3M Company holds the original patent to safety and security window films (also known as fragment retention films) dating back to the late 1960s. Originally developed at the request of the UK government in response to IRA terrorist bombings, 3M has innovated the product significantly over the past 50 years.

At a Glance

School Safety / Delayed Entry

Incredible Tear Resistance

PET-Based Clear Invisible Protection

Warrantied by 3M

Is a Thicker Security Film Better?

Tear resistance is a significant component to a security film’s performance. It was generally accepted that a PET-based film’s tear resistance increased as its thickness increased. As other window film manufacturers sought to produce films more than 10 mils (.010”) thick, 3M understood that such thicker films present three fundamental problems:

Installation Difficulties

A safety film that is not installed properly will not perform to the manufacturer’s or client’s expectations. Thicker PET-based security films are more difficult to install than thinner films. They are more difficult to handle, cut to size, and squeegee (the process to remove the requisite installation slip solution) which require the installer to have great physical endurance throughout the day. That can be a challenge as the installer moves from one window to the next over the course of an eight-hour workday.

Increased Optical Distortion

Thick window films cause optical distortion from both sides of the window in a fashion similar to that of a thick pair of eyeglass lenses. This reduces an occupant’s ability to see outside with visual clarity and alters a building’s cosmetic appearance.

Loss of Film Elasticity

A bomb blast has two phases – a positive phase, where the glass is pushed away from the source charge, and a negative phase, where the glass is pulled back toward the source charge. These two phases subject glass to significant stress. A film with low elasticity provides little cushion during the shock. Consequently, thicker PET-based films can provide less protection throughout the course of a bomb blast.

3M’s Response: A Multi-Layer Technique

Without sacrificing blast protection (according to third party testing) or building aesthetics, 3M developed a thinner security film consisting of an industry-unique and patented system of interwoven composite polyester layers.

A multi-layered manufacturing technique creates product elasticity to allow the film to “give” with the glass during some sort of trauma (bomb blast, blunt force, windstorm, etc). This “give” provides the glass with a cushion during the related stress and shock.

The main benefit afforded by cross-weaving polyester fibers is that tear resistance is maximized. Regardless of how a window breaks, the applied film will be torn against its grain. Consequently, an 8-mil thick 3M ULTRA film is more difficult to tear than an 8-mil thick standard film. This strong, thin film increases occupant safety without creating the associated optical distortion of thicker films.

Product Information

Architectural Specifications	3M ULTRA S800 Architectural Specification
Technical Data Sheet	3M ULTRA S800 Technical Data Sheet
Warranty	Commercial/Government Warranty Residential Warranty
Family Card	3M ULTRA S800 Family Card