Session 7

Automotive Glasses

Session Speaker
Prof. C. Gopinath
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Session Objectives

At the end of this session the delegate would have understood

• Different types of automotive glasses
• Recent development in automotive glass design
• Importance of glass in car design
• Role of Glazing for Car Safety

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 Session Topics
1. Types of Automotive Glasses
2. Developments in Automobile Glass Design
3. Glass and Car Design
4. Recent Developments in Window Design
5. Role of Glazing for Car Safety

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 Major Function of Automotive Glazing
• Major characteristics and functions of automotive glazing :
• Better visibility
• Better protection from temperature changes
• Barrier to external noise.
• Help to significantly reduce car’s weight
• Display information about the interior and exterior of the car
• Increase safety
• Better aerodynamics

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 Glass and Car Design
• The major graphic element that defines the side of the car are :

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 Glass and Car Design
• Increased use of glass in modern car design
• Architectural design: brighter spaces increases people’s feeling of
happiness

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 Automotive Glass

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 Tempered Safety Glass

http://www.wh-yanhua.com/images/t.jpg

• Single - layer
• Installed in a thickness of ~3.15mm
• Effort are under the way to reduce the thickness to 2.5 to 2.1 mm
due to weight reduction

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 Laminated Safety Glasses (LSG)

• Double- layered, with thickness of 5 to 6 mm

• Two sheet of glasses thickness of 2.1-2.6mm with intermediate
plastic inner layer made up of PVB (Poly Vinyl Butyral)
• Effort are under the way to reduce the thickness to 1.6 mm
• Limited by mechanical property and stone impact protection

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 Laminated Safety Glasses (LSG)

Fixed side glass could be Movable side window have

reduced to 3.5 mm thickness of 5 to 6 mm

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 New trends in LSG

• In 80’s high end cars uses laminated backlights with embedded

tungsten wires for defrosting purpose
• Use of laminated side glass started with Audi A8(1994)
• followed by Mercedes S class (1996) and Volvo S80.

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 New trends in LSG

• Wires : antennae and defrosting/ demisting circuits:

• Started with antennae
• A fine metal wire was embedded in the PVB by use of a heated
needle before final lamination and provided radio reception
through the windscreen
• Defrosting system in the backlight by use of heating wires
• Similar design followed for defrosting
• Infrared reflective coatings:
• Metal oxide and infrared reflective coatings are applied to
reflect 60 -70 % of invisible solar thermal radiation
• Mechanical properties , noise behavior, interior and heating and
recycling problems must be considered .
• So the use is limited to smaller areas (rear quarter windows)

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 New trends in LSG

• Laminated glass with improved acoustical :

• Reduce the wind noise and traffic noise in cabin

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 New trends in LSG
• Plastic polycarbonate windshields:
• Scratch resistance
• Weight saving up to 15 to 40%
• Advantage of design freedom

http://youngwoo2007.blogspot.com/2007_08_06_archive.html
Peugeot 308 RC Z Concept
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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design
• Initially automobiles were
inspired by horse drawn carriages
• Car had no top and therefore no
windows.
• Occupants were compelled to
wear goggles and a leather
helmet to protect their face.

VOITURETTE RENAULT (1889)

http://ressources3.techno.free.fr/mecanique/automobi/images/
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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• A separate Passenger
compartment
• First change in the form of glass
aero screens

http://ressources3.techno.free.fr/mecanique/automobi/images/

VOITURETTE RENAULT (1889)

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• Saloon cars : equal comfort for

both driver and passengers

Alfa Romeo 24 hp torpedo

• Aerodynamics of saloon cars
• The curved windows and
panoramic windscreen were
identical in most of the car
design in that era.
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ALFA CASTAGNA(1913)
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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design
• Glazed roof for better interior lighting

http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/bugatti-models/t41-royale.html

Bugatti Type 41 Royal (1927)

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design
• Sloping windshields : modern and dynamic appearance

http://www.bugatti.com/en/tradition/bugatti-models/t50.html
Bugatti Type 50 (1932)

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• Automobiles produced before

the 1950's used flat glass for
the windshields and two piece
windshields were common
• Use of curved glasses at the
end of 50s
FIREBIRD III

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

http://www.swisscorvette.ch/history2.htm
Chevrolet Corvette (1953)
• Panoramic windshields and rounded rear window were mass
produced

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• http://www.usounds.com/category/automobiles
• Citroen DS19 ( 1955-1965 )

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• In Sixties, Seventies and

eighties : glass design
suggest greater power and
security but often lacked
interior brightness.

http://www.forum-auto.com/renault_2014.jpg
Renault 14

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• At the end of 70’s : The

surface glazing on vehicles
has been increased
• The average glaze surface
increase for the Fiat
production car was from
2.5m2 (‘70) up to 3.2 m2
(‘85 )

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• Roundish shape bodies, show that the average increase in the total
glazing of the windshield and backlite can be nearly 10%.

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• New driving force in early 90’s: leads to increase in transparent

areas in cars
• The personalization of any car
• Stronger wish to drive in a better relationship with the external
ambient

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

• The driving concept is based in four approaches:

• Lateral window wrapping horizontally

• Windshield and backlite

wrapping vertically the roof
and horizontally the front and Mazda CU-X
back lateral windows

• Backlite wrapping horizontally

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

Toyota PRIUS
http://www.hobbieautocenter.com

• 2. An additional front lateral window for better forward and back

vision

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

4. Transparent roof or Larger or double sunroof

• Designers were looking for transparent roofs, bigger windshields
and backlights.
• Invincible interface between the driver and the outside world
• Multifunctional glazing

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design

Multifunctional Glazing

• Glass roof with electrotransparent panoramic roof and solar module

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 Developments in Automobile Glass Design
• Multifunctional Glazing

• Night illumination • Daylight illumination

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 Recent Developments in Window Design
• A case study on Renault cars
• Bubble rear
window

Renault Fuego
http://www.diariomotor.com
• Renault focus on brightness and visibility, with “cars for living”
philosophy.
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 Recent Developments in Window Design

• The Modus concept car: Bubble Windscreen for allround visibility

in an urban environment for greater manoeuvrability and safety.

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 Recent Developments in Window Design
• Panoramic visibility
• Solar cells along the transparent
roof panels
• Complex-shaped rear window with
built-in aerodynamic spoiler.

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 Recent Developments in Window Design
• A case study on Renault cars

http://www.forum-auto.com/automobile-pratique/section1/sujet194551.htm

• Designed for conviviality and the pleasures of family travel by

better visibility

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 Recent Developments in Window Design

• Glazing systems to become structural members of the automobiles

and significant percentage of the total automobile weight.
• The use of new products such as
• composite glass,
• tempered thin glass,
• glass/plasticid-layers
• allow a substantial decrease in glazing thickness, thus providing
an opportunity to further reduce total automobile weight.

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 Role of Glazing for Car Safety
• During a frontal crash, the
windshield strengthens the body
in white (BIW) and helps to
ensure structural integrity
• The windshield has to support the
passenger airbag.
• The geometry of the windshield –
in conjunction with the shape of
the dashboard – is an important
parameter determining the
exhaust direction of the Airbag

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 Role of Glazing for Car Safety

• Influence of glazing on structural integrity in a crash

• At the time of roll over :
• The windshield has great influence on the strength of the roof in
the event of a vehicle rollover
• Tested by quasi-static roof crush test and the dynamic rollover
test.

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 Role of Glazing for Car Safety
• Influence of glazing on structural integrity in a crash

www.glassfiles.com

• Quasi-static roof crush test Dynamic rollover test

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 Role of Glazing for Car Safety

• Windshield as a part of Airbag System

• Contact surface of airbag-
windshield
• Air bags are positioning in the
dashboard and its large volume, the
airbag is supported to a considerable
extent by the windshield at the time
of impact

www.glassfiles.com

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 Role of Glazing for Car Safety

• Windshield as a part of Airbag System

• Ratio of forces at the

front passenger
airbag

www.glassfiles.com

• The windshield, acts as a force reducing element in the airbag system

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 Summary / Conclusion

• Different types of automotive glasses and recent development in

automotive glass design have been discussed
• Importance of glass in car design and role of Glazing for Car Safety
have been illustrated

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