I. Core Properties of PVC Material: Why It Is the Preferred Substrate for Cards

1. Core Advantages

· Balanced performance:  (acid, alkali, salt resistance), electrical insulation and flame-retardant self-extinguishing properties (high chlorine content, self-extinguishes when leaving fire). It also features high mechanical strength, bending resistance, low deformation, and a service life of more than 3 years.

· Flexible processing: Can be formed by extrusion, calendering, lamination and other processes. Compatible with offset printing, screen printing, thermal transfer, inkjet and all printing methods. Supports personalized processing such as hot stamping, lamination and chip embedding.

· Cost advantage: Abundant raw materials (sufficient global PVC resin capacity) and mature production technology. Mass production cost is only 60%–70% of PC, PETG and other materials.

· Environmental compliance: Can meet RoHS, REACH and other environmental certifications through formula optimization. Some enterprises offer biodegradable PVC to reduce environmental impact.

2. Standard Production Process (Mainstream Lamination Method)

· Raw material formulation: PVC resin powder (mainly SG 5/S 1000) + plasticizer (DOP/DOTP) + stabilizer + titanium dioxide (for white color) + processing aids.

· Hot and cold mixing: High speed hot mixing at 100–120°C for full blending; cold mixing to ≤45°C to avoid agglomeration.

· Extrusion and calendering: Twin screw extrusion melting at 150–180°C; calendered into white sheets with thickness tolerance ±0.01 mm via 4 roll / 5 roll calender.

· Cooling and slitting: Shaped by cooling rolls, then slit into A4 or lamination specific sizes (e.g. 520×800 mm).

· Lamination: Multilayer sheets (protective layer + core layer + protective layer) hot pressed at 120–140°C under 100–150 kg/cm², then cooled to form full size card sheets.

· Die cutting and inspection: High-speed die-cutting according to ISO 7810 (85.5×54 mm). Qualified products selected via thickness, whiteness, surface defects and functional testing (chip / magnetic stripe).

· Packing and warehousing: Vacuum moisture proof packaging, stored in packs of 100 / 200 / 500 pieces.

3. Full scene Applications

· Identification: Social security cards, student IDs, access control cards, attendance cards, visitor passes, etc.

· Financial & consumption: Bank cards, membership cards, stored value cards, gift cards, public transport cards.

· Smart IoT: RFID/NFC cards, IC/ID cards, electronic tags, medical traceability cards.

· Special applications: Anti counterfeit cards, equipment identification cards, pet ID cards, temporary documents.

II. Core Analysis of the World’s Top 10 PVC Card Manufacturers

1. Guangzhou Jiezhong Intelligent Technology (China)

· Core advantages: 16 years of experience, 5,000 ㎡ factory, monthly capacity 50 million cards (annual 600 million), serves 131 Fortune Global 500 companies (China Mobile, Huawei, etc.). Triple quality inspection ensures zero defects.

· Main processes: Heidelberg UV offset printing, RFID chip packaging, magnetic stripe embedding, hot stamping / lamination. Supports customization (shaped cards, scratch cards, inkjet coding). 16 year accident free data security system.

· Core products: Financial IC cards, NFC smart cards, membership cards, access control cards, compatible with PVC / PETG / ABS.

2. Jiangyin Zhongka New Materials (China)

· Core advantages: Sino foreign joint venture founded in 2002, annual card substrate capacity 15,000 tons, exported to over 40 countries. Won National Golden Card Project Golden Ant Award. Thickness tolerance ±0.02 mm.

· Main processes: Wide width 5 roll calendering, adhesive film lamination, fully automatic computer lamination. Specializes in card base materials with strong adhesion and aging resistance.

· Core products: Bank card substrates, financial IC card substrates, SIM card substrates, inkjet card substrates, supporting PVC / PETG / PC.

3. Dongguan Ketian Smart Card Technology (China)

· Core advantages: 25 years of R&D experience, 14 core patents. RPVC products certified by UL, GRS, ISO9001. 99.98% delivery rate. Thickness 0.1–0.8 mm (tolerance ±0.01 mm).

· Main processes: Production of offset specific PVC substrates, one stop printing lamination die cutting service, customized printing parameters (ink type, drying temperature).

· Core products: Credit card substrates, ID/IC card substrates, dual interface financial card substrates. Eco-friendly RPVC is an industry benchmark.

4. Card Cube Group (China)

· Core advantages: 50,000 ㎡ factory, monthly capacity 20 million cards, 248 card dies + 2 CNC engravers. Supports shaped cards, flexible NFC cards and customized products.

· Main processes: Heidelberg offset printing, screen printing (signature panel / UV overprint), digital printing, cold pressing / low temperature lamination, dual inspection (appearance + chip function).

· Core products: Epoxy cards, large ID cards, coin cards, woven label cards, compatible with PVC / PLA / biodegradable materials.

5. B.F. Goodrich (USA)

· Core advantages: Founder of PVC industrialization (invented plasticized PVC in 1926), world leading chemical material supplier. FDA certified, leading in medical grade PVC card technology.

· Main processes: Suspension PVC resin polymerization, high precision calendering. Focuses on high end medical and financial card substrates with outstanding thermal stability and biocompatibility.

· Core products: Medical traceability cards, high end credit cards, special function cards, featuring temperature and chemical resistance.

6. Shin Etsu Chemical (Japan)

· Core advantages: Global leader in PVC resin, benchmark in suspension polymerization. Whiteness ≥95%, impurity content <0.01%, supplies 30% of the world’s high end card base raw materials.

· Main processes: High purity PVC resin production, precision calendering. Specializes in card base materials and customized formulas (high toughness, high printability).

· Core products: High end PVC card resin, white transparent card sheets, for financial and government ID applications.

7. Saint Gobain (France)

· Core advantages: Developed bulk PVC polymerization in 1956, European leader in card substrates. Advanced eco PVC technology, meets the strictest EU environmental standards.

· Main processes: Bulk polymerization PVC production, thin card calendering. Specializes in PETG/PVC composite substrates with strong weather resistance (stable from 40°C to 80°C).

· Core products: European transport card substrates, ID card substrates, high end membership cards, focusing on environmental protection and weather resistance.

8. Occidental Chemical Corporation (USA)

· Core advantages: World leading PVC polymerization technology supplier, cooperates with Sinopec. Covers North America and Asia Pacific. Thickness accuracy ±0.005 mm.

· Main processes: PVC production via ethylene oxychlorination, high precision lamination. Focuses on high end cards such as financial and social security cards.

· Core products: Bank credit card substrates, social security card substrates, highlighting wear and aging resistance.

9. Shenzhen Changrong Plastic Technology (China)

· Core advantages: Specializes in PVC modification, strong formula R&D. Products resist low temperature (no cracking at 20°C). Supports small batch customization with delivery ≤72 hours.

· Main processes: PVC blending modification, digital printing surface treatment. Focuses on shaped cards and temporary IDs. Surface coating improves printing adhesion.

· Core products: Temporary visitor cards, equipment labels, personalized creative cards, compatible with inkjet / laser printing.

10. HualiSi (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (China)

• Core Strengths:9 production bases with a monthly straw production capacity of 30 million pieces; equipped with a full-process automated production line covering extrusion, blister molding, molding and packaging, ensuring strong delivery capability. With 10 years of customization experience, it relies on mature extrusion, blister molding and injection molding technologies. Large-scale production reduces costs while ensuring product stability.

• Main Processes:Extrusion molding of acrylic, PET, PVC, ABS, PLA, PETG and other plastic sheets, customizable in thickness, width and transparency; supported by post-processing technologies including cutting, bending, printing, welding and assembly to meet finished and personalized requirements.

• Core Products:

· Sheet Products: Acrylic sheets, PET sheets, PVC sheets, ABS sheets, PLA biodegradable sheets, PETG sheets, PC polycarbonate sheets, card-specific base materials.

· Customized Products: Advertising displays, electronic packaging, household accessories, industrial plastic parts and other customized products.

III. Summary of Core Industry Trends

1. Technology upgrading: Environmental protection (biodegradable PVC), intelligence (RFID/NFC integration), precision (thickness tolerance ±0.005 mm) are mainstream directions.

2. Regional distribution: Chinese enterprises lead in capacity and customization (60% of global PVC cards made in China). European and American companies dominate high end raw materials and medical / financial special cards.

3. Process focus: Integrated offset printing + chip packaging, small batch digital printing, eco material substitution become core competitiveness.