US – The multi-material lightweight vehicle (MMLV) features a polycarbonate (PC) glazing solution from the company’s Innovative Plastics business which reduces the weight of the rear window by 35% compared with a 2013 Ford Fusion.
The lightweight concept vehicle was developed by Ford under the US Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program, together with Cosma International, a subsidiary of Magna International. SABIC contributed PC glazing materials, advanced coatings technology and engineering design expertise for the development and manufacture of the rear window.
Although one millimetre thicker than the production glass window it replaces, the new window achieves a weight saving of 7.4lbs. The advanced PC solution combines LEXAN resin offering light weight, high optical clarity and impact resistance with EXATEC E900 plasma coating for glass-like scratch and UV resistance. Additional benefits include enhanced thermal insulation and design flexibility.
“To date, several OEMs have validated the technology for use on rear quarter windows and roofs on production vehicles,” commented Scott Fallon, general manager, Automotive, SABIC Innovative Plastics. He added that real-world demonstration programmes like Ford’s MMLV “are valuable to further highlight the performance gains that can come from an advanced approach like PC glazing and to ultimately help validate and speed up its wide-scale adoption”.