15 October 1998: Two automotive innovations by US-based PPG Industries were honoured recently when the 100 most significant technological breakthroughs in new products and processes for 1998 were reco…
15 October 1998: Two automotive innovations by US-based PPG Industries were honoured recently when the 100 most significant technological breakthroughs in new products and processes for 1998 were recognized by R&D magazine. Officials from PPG representing the Sungate antenna windshield and automotive powder clear coat products attended a black-tie banquet to receive R&D 100 Awards, which have been dubbed the “Oscars of Invention.” The editors of R&D magazine and a team of as many as 70 experts, including professional consultants, university faculty and industrial researchers, judged the entries, which were received from researchers and corporations around the world. PPG“s Sungate antenna windshield helps keep the sun“s heat out of automobile interiors through the use of a high-performance coating incorporated within the windshield“s laminated layers. The coating also enables the windshield to operate as the vehicle“s radio antenna. The transparent coating keeps car interiors cooler than conventional tinted windshields, reducing the workload on air conditioners and improving fuel efficiency. The same coating that reflects heat also acts an antenna, capable of receiving the full range of signals for AM/FM radios as well as cellular telephones and navigation systems. PPG, Delphi Delco Electronics and General Motors, which uses the windshield in its minivans, submitted a joint entry for the R&D reward.