PPG Celebrates a Decade of Sungate Automotive Windshields
21 December 1999
PPG Celebrates a Decade of Sungate Automotive Windshields
PITTSBURGH--Dec. 21, 1999--With 1999 ending, hoopla about 2000 has overshadowed a significant automotive innovation's anniversary - the windshield's 90th birthday. In 1909, Henry Ford offered his Model T with a windshield as an option.The windshield soon became standard equipment, and today does more than shield drivers and passengers from wind. Tomorrow's windshields will do more still, according to officials of PPG Industries, North America's largest supplier of automotive windshields. They see future car owners connecting with their mobile phone service, keyless entry, garage door openers, toll collection devices, global positioning systems and even e-mail through their windshields.
Those functions will not be with ordinary windshields, but with PPG's Sungate solar-reflective windshields, according to Ernest Hahn, vice president, automotive glass OEM products.
"We are seeing demand for our Sungate windshields explode around the world," said Hahn. "PPG researchers, engineers and marketing people are working closely with car makers in North America and Europe to design windshields with coatings and features providing increased performance and remarkably expanded functionality."
PPG introduced the Sungate automotive windshield in 1989 on General Motors' APV minivans. Today, GM's minivans produced in North America and Europe sport the solar-reflective windshields, as do some Renault models in Europe, and several car makers are working with PPG on new applications.
PPG estimates that its proprietary Sungate windshields have been installed on more than three million vehicles worldwide to become the preferred solar-control automotive glazing, according to Hahn.
The Sungate solar-reflective windshield reduces heat buildup inside vehicles to keep occupants more comfortable and lessen the load on the air conditioner. As a result, smaller cooling systems can be installed for up to a half-mile-per-gallon improvement in fuel efficiency, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, Colo.
PPG enhanced automotive glass functionality with the Sungate antenna windshield, launched on GM's 1997 minivans. It was the world's first windshield providing solar reflectivity for fuel efficiency and comfort, while serving as the vehicle's radio antenna. The antenna windshield was named by R&D Magazine as one of 1998's most significant technological product and process breakthroughs. Since then, PPG has continued to explore additional-function applications for the proprietary windshield, based on its unique metallic coating.
Sungate windshields are produced from two pieces of glass with a vinyl interlayer sandwiched between. The outer glass has a transparent metallic coating that reflects solar infrared heat while transmitting visible light. As a result, Sungate windshields reflect or absorb about 60 percent of the solar energy striking the glass.
The aesthetics of the coating can be changed to give it more or less color to coordinate with a vehicle's paint.
PPG recently announced expanded production of Sungate coated glass for automotive applications.
"Global demand for our Sungate windshields should more than quadruple in the next five years," said Hahn. "We are introducing automotive glass with the Sungate coating for side and back window applications as well."
Internet: www.ppg.com