Lightweight glass for the automotive industry as a means of reducing fuel’s consumption and for the accomplishment of Euro 6 regulation

As from the eighties the weight of every new vehicle’s generation have been increasing between a 5% and a 10% in relation to the previous one. This increase is directly related mainly with the increase of the vehicle’s size, the % of glazed surface, the increase of insulating acoustics, and the increase of comfort and entertainment equipment.

The technical innovation which have made possible the fuel’s consumption have seen their impact limited because of this continuos increase of the weight. An study of MIT shows that in the last 25 years the reduction of fuel’s consumption has been situated around 60% (in front of the real 15%) in the case of the vehicles had preserved their initial weight.

The trend seems to have changed; the last vehicles are showing weight reductions, up to 10%, because of two main reasons:

• the refined design of each part of the vehicle, and
• the use of new materials and the evolution of the existing ones.

Concerning the vehicles of colective transport (buses and coaches mainly) the use of new software simulation tools have made possible the conception of chassis and racks which look for an aerodynamic improvement and the weight reduction of the total weight to reduce the CO2 emissions to satisfy the new Euro 6 regulation of imminent implementation.

The glass applied to vehicles of colective transport has become strategic regarding design, visual comfort, acoustic, climatic and spatial perception, but especially important is his future contribution for the reduction of weight of the vehicles for the adequacy of buses and coaches for the Euro 6.

The Vidurglass’ proposal to their customers in this sense it happens by the gradual thickness’ decrease of the glasses and consequently the weight’s reduction of this component.

Over other competitors that have technical limitations for the correct glass manufacturing and toughened of 3 mm, Vidurglass works this thickness as standard way for any form and geometry ensuring his exact replication but also his planimetry with the absence of optical distortion and reaching the required NHV level (noise – harshness – vibrations).

The thousands of vehicles of the main european bodyworks which have Vidurglass glasses of 3 mm since five years ago are our best warranty. The weight improvement that is achieved by the substitution of glasses of 4 mm for glasses of 3 mm, Vidurglass supposes a reduction of between 70 and 100 kg per vehicle.

The Vidurglass I&D department is now working on supply to the colective transport with glazed solutions of 2 mm, one more time moving forward the rest of the market.

For more information vidurglass@vidurglass.es

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