Teijin Ltd. has co-developed polycarbonate glazing for vehicles that it claims provides a smooth, distortion-free surface.
Teijin of Tokyo worked with Nissan Shatai Co. Ltd. on the development. Teijin says the glazing is made by three-dimensional, thick-wall injection molding technology developed by Teijin, which it says is a world first. Glazing is hard-coated with Teijin's three-dimensional, double-sided flow coating system, also unique globally, Teijin claims. The processes achieve properties unattainable with conventional, thick-wall PC molding, according to the Japanese polymers major.
Teijin says an initial application of the PC glazing system is in Nissan NV200 taxicabs marketed in New York. The new glazing comprises driver-passenger partitions for in-vehicle security. Typically such partitions are made of acrylic resin which has low impact resistance and is flammable. Thick-walled PC substitutions, however, don't have a smooth surface and impair visibility through the partition, according to Teijin.
Teijin is ramping up commercial production of new glazing components in Japan. The company will mold PC glazing in its Mihara plant and hard coat the parts at its Matsuyama plant. PC glazing can reduce vehicle weight and cut fuel costs.
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