3M Unveils New Cooling Film

PRINTING United Expo Exhibitor 3M (booth C311) announced the market launch of 3M Cooling Film, a new performance film technology designed to help fleet and rail operators manage heat buildup across transportation assets. Available as of Aug. 17, 2026, 3M Cooling Film is engineered for applications including last-mile vehicles, refrigerated fleets, railcars, locomotives and passenger transportation.

Credit: 3M

The launch gives graphic manufacturers a new way to expand beyond traditional fleet branding and visual identity. By adding functional heat-management solutions to their portfolio, graphic manufacturers can open new conversations with fleet and rail customers around comfort, cargo protection, operating efficiency and sustainability.

As extreme heat events become more frequent and fleet operators face growing pressure to protect people, cargo and equipment, heat management is emerging as a critical operational challenge. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that heat waves in major U.S. cities have become more frequent, longer and more intense over the last several decades.¹ Vehicle heat buildup can also happen quickly: a peer-reviewed study published

in Pediatrics found that vehicle interior temperatures can rise approximately 19°F within 10 minutes and 34°F within 30 minutes under tested conditions.²

3M Cooling Film is designed to help transportation operators respond with a durable, film-based solution that reflects solar radiation and helps reduce heat load where it matters most - on roof surfaces exposed to direct sun.

“Behind every well-run fleet and rail operation are people working to keep vehicles moving, cargo protected, passengers comfortable and systems operating efficiently,” said Marc Bagley, Senior Marketing Manager, Graphics and Personal Auto at 3M. “3M™ Cooling Film brings 3M’s material science and transportation expertise together in a new way - helping customers manage heat without adding complexity to their operations.”

3M Cooling Film reflects over 85% of solar radiation and can help lower interior vehicle temperatures by up to 10°F / 5.5°C, depending on application and conditions. For refrigerated fleet applications, the film helps reduce heat transfer through the roof, supporting temperature-sensitive cargo and helping lower cooling demand. For rail applications, the film helps reduce heat buildup in railcars and locomotives, supporting passenger and operator comfort while helping reduce demand on HVAC systems.

The film is also designed to help fleets get vehicles back on the road quickly. It can be installed efficiently using familiar 3M technologies, including 3M Controltac and 3M Comply adhesive technologies, to help minimize installation time. It includes a durable hard coat that resists dirt, chemicals and wear while maintaining high reflectivity over time and is backed by a 5-year warranty, including reflectivity performance.

Elevating the graphic manufacturer’s fleet offering

For graphic manufacturers, 3M Cooling Film represents a new category of fleet value: performance film solutions that help customers solve operational challenges, not just brand their vehicles.

For fleets seeking a more complete heat-management approach, 3M Cooling Film can also be paired with 3M™ Automotive Window Film Crystalline BLK 80, formerly known as CR90, to help address heat from both the vehicle roof and cab glass.

Together, the products create a differentiated roof-to-cab heat-management solution. 3M Cooling Film helps reduce heat buildup through high-exposure roof surfaces, while 3M Automotive Window Film Crystalline BLK 80 helps reject solar heat through cab glass while maintaining high visible light transmission.

Crystalline BLK 80 has a net visible light transmission, or VLT, of 72% on auto glass. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidance permits coloring or tinting of windshields and the windows immediately to the right and left of the driver on commercial motor vehicles, provided that luminous transmittance through the tinted glazing is not less than 70% in those portions of the windshield or windows.⁴ Laws on window tint vary by state or province, and customers should check applicable laws and regulations before installation.

“Fleet graphics have traditionally helped companies stand out on the road,” says Nicholas Barbera, Graphics Field Marketer. “With 3M Cooling Film and 3M Automotive Window Film Crystalline BLK 80, graphic manufacturers can help fleets do more than brand their vehicles. They can offer a more complete solution that helps manage heat from the roof to the cab, creating new revenue opportunities and new reasons to reengage fleet customers.”

In a 2018 3M thermal study conducted in Phoenix, Arizona, in average daytime exterior temperatures above 100°F, the product formerly known as CR90 - now Crystalline BLK 80 - reduced interior cab temperatures by up to 11°F compared with an untreated control cab.⁵ The same study found that Crystalline Series films helped improve air-conditioning effectiveness by reducing solar heat load during vehicle cool-down cycles.

Crystalline BLK 80 also blocks up to 99.9% of UV rays, earning the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation, and rejects up to 90% of infrared light, helping provide added protection and comfort for drivers.⁵

For fleet customers, the combined roof-and-window approach can help support:

• Driver comfort in high-heat conditions
• Cab heat reduction
• Cargo-area heat reduction
• UV protection for drivers
• Reduced cooling demand
• Fleet uptime
• Sustainability and efficiency conversations
• A more complete vehicle film solution from a single trusted provider

Built for high-value transportation applications

3M Cooling Film is designed for several high-priority transportation environments where heat can affect people, cargo, equipment and operating costs.

For refrigerated fleet operators, heat management can directly affect cargo quality and operating costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that perishable foods are most at risk when held in the temperature “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F, where bacteria can multiply rapidly.³ By helping reduce heat intrusion through the roof, 3M Cooling Film gives refrigerated fleet operators another tool to help manage cooling demand and protect temperature-sensitive cargo.

For last-mile fleet operators, 3M™ Cooling Film helps reduce heat buildup in vehicles that may face frequent stops, direct sun exposure and repeated door openings throughout the day. When paired with Crystalline BLK 80 on cab glass, fleet operators can also help address the driver experience inside the cab - an increasingly important consideration as fleets compete to attract and retain drivers.

According to the American Trucking Associations, the trucking industry projected the need to hire roughly 898,000 new drivers over a decade, or an average of 90,000 drivers per year, underscoring the importance of driver retention and cab experience in a competitive labor market.⁶

For rail operators, 3M Cooling Film provides a film-based alternative that can help reduce heat buildup on high-exposure surfaces while supporting comfort and efficiency. In rail applications, film installation may also result in reduced VOC emissions compared with conventional painting processes, while allowing for easier removal when required.

“3M has a long history of bringing innovation to industries by starting with customer needs,” said Bagley. “This solution is no different. Through collaboration with the world’s leading fleet managers, 3M™ Cooling Film expands the role of film from visual impact to functional performance - helping transportation operators address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: the sun.”

For graphic manufacturers, that shift creates a new avenue for profitable growth. By extending film technology beyond graphics and branding, 3M is helping graphic manufacturers bring performance-based solutions to fleet, refrigerated transport and rail customers seeking ways to manage heat, improve comfort and support operational efficiency.

3M Cooling Film is part of 3M’s broader portfolio of transportation and graphics film solutions, combining decades of film innovation, manufacturing experience, technical support and application expertise.

Source: 3M