DuPont Automotive and Solutia Inc. announced the formation of the Enhanced Protective Glass Automotive Association (EPGAA) at SAE“s International Body Engineering Conference (IBEC) at Cobo Hall in De…
DuPont Automotive and Solutia Inc. announced the formation of the Enhanced Protective Glass Automotive Association (EPGAA) at SAE“s International Body Engineering Conference (IBEC) at Cobo Hall in Detroit, US on 28 September. The new association will educate the automotive industry about the benefits of new security and safety glass systems for side and rear vehicle windows. The organization, which will be composed of automotive OEMs and glass industry suppliers, will work to educate the automotive industry and the public about Enhanced Protective Glass (EPG), a new class of laminated glass technologies being developed for side and rear vehicle windows. EPGAA plans to announce the association details, introduce initial members and demonstrate the technology in October. EPG safety and security glass consists of a plastic interlayer or film composite that is factory laminated to heat strengthened or tempered glass. Developed specifically for use in the side and rear windows of automobiles, EPG is similar to the glass currently used in windscreens and provides four key benefits: security, safety, solar (ultraviolet and infrared) protection, and sound reduction and dampening. EPG technologies are currently offered in the US as standard equipment on the Mercedes Benz S-Class, Audi A8 and as an available option on the Volvo S80. In Mexico, EPG is offered on the DaimlerChrysler Cirrus and Stratus. In Europe, EPG is also available on the Audi A6 and Peugeot 206 and 607. According to the new association, EPG provides significant increases in intrusion resistance – enough to deter most would-be-thieves. This is because it takes repeated blows to break through the plastic layer, meaning side and rear windows can now offer an extension of the protective barrier currently provided by the windscreen. In the US alone in 1997, 1.3 million cars were stolen at an expense of US$ 7 billion, and 2 million more had contents stolen at an expense of US$ 1.5 billion, according to the FBI. In the UK, 423,000 cars were stolen, and 2.5 million thefts of possessions left inside cars, according to the 1996 British Crime Survey. Police documentation shows that 50% of all these thefts involved a thief breaking a side window to gain access to the vehicle. EPG also helps to reduce the risk of passengers being ejected from a vehicle in case of an accident. Because the glass tends to stay adhered to the interlayer, even when cracked, the window should stay mainly in the frame of a properly designed door system. Building EPG into a vehicle design extends the safety benefits similar to windshields. In addition, EPG blocks up to 95% of harmful UV light, helping to protect occupants – as well as interior materials – from the damaging effects of UV. With a complementary treatment to the glass or interlayer, EPG technologies can also significantly reduce interior heat build-up by rejecting up to 55% of IR light. According to glass industry testing, EPG with IR-reflective treatment can initially reduce the temperature in a vehicle sitting out in the sun by up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 22 degrees Centigrade. That can reduce the amount of energy used by the air conditioner, not to mention reducing the discomfort of getting into a car with a hot steering wheel or seats. Benefits in sound protection include up to four-decibel reduction in wind and road noise, giving drivers and passengers a quieter, more comfortable ride.