VEVOR PEX Heat Transfer Plates, 100 pcs Box Radiant Heat Transfer Plates, 4 ft Aluminum PEX Heat Transfer Plates, 1/2 inch Heat Transfer Plates Designed for PEX Tubing

I wondered the same thing. I figured it doesn’t take that long to remove it.

I heard no, it does not need to come off. I left mine on, plates don't get hot enough to affect the plastic.

Since plastic is an insulator of heat, you probably don’t want plastic between the aluminum and pex tubing. The film is extremely thin so probably won’t be a big loss of heat transfer. Strangely, leaving the film between pex and aluminum sometimes you will hear weird sounds as the pex heats up and the aluminum expands. Be sure to punch slotted holes and leave mounting screws loose so plates can move with temperature changes.

I’ve installed about a thousand of these. I would say, in theory, the film doesn’t affect anything because the goal is to deflect heat upwards. But I removed all of the film. I did so AFTER cutting pieces to length, when applicable.