Glass Coating in the Automotive Industry
We all know glass is a material used in various industries including packaging, healthcare, construction, etc. What we need to learn more about is its transformation in the automotive industry, especially in the manufacturing of vehicles.
Precedence Research reports that the global coated glass market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.21% from 2024 to 2033, reaching approximately USD 84.53 billion by 2033, up from USD 40.79 billion in 2023.
But before that, let us discuss what glass coatings are.
Glass Coatings
As the name suggests, it's a durable coating applied on the surface of the glass to make it withstand harsh conditions. Not only is its durability enhanced, but it also lets glass achieve protection against scratches and attain properties like anti-glare and self-cleaning properties.
Types of glass coatings
According to Thomasnet’s findings, there are various types of glass coatings used in vehicles but some of the very prominent ones are as follows:
1) Low emissivity (low e-coating) - These types of vehicle coatings are given to shield the walls of the cars from heat, and harmful ultraviolet rays and help the vehicles retain their energy back.
2) Self-cleaning coatings - Have you seen a glass that easily cleans itself with little effort? Such coatings on the glass surfaces make this happen. These coatings employ photocatalytic and hydrophilic properties that help dirt float away from the surface.
3) Tinted glass coatings - These are the coatings on glass surfaces that impart certain colors to them making the inside environment cool and unaffected from heat.
4) Security coatings - Vehicles tend to get damaged in an accident, no matter how big or small the accident is, it causes a certain level of damage to the glass. Via these glass coatings, an additional level of security gets locked and breakage is reduced.
Where are these glass coatings found in the vehicle?
In a vehicle, let’s take a car’s example to understand better. A car is divided into two parts - it has an exterior body and an inner look.
The exterior body of the car has glass windows, a windshield, and a sunroof. Cori Coatings explains certain ways in which glass coatings are done on cars.
● Surface Cleaning - The glass surface on which the coatings have to be applied should be thoroughly cleaned and free from debris.
● Coating Application - Exterior glass surface coating can be applied via a microfibre cloth or a spray bottle. In many cases, glass coatings in automation are applied using an applicator pad.
● Buffing - It simply means to even out all the coating to every corner of the glass and remove the excess.
● Final Overview - To see whether the coating has settled or not is also a big task. The difference is visible after the coating has been applied but monitoring it at least once is important.
In the interior surface of a vehicle (car for example), the glass coating is applied to windows and mirrors.
The reason why glass coatings are applied are
1) Improving Clarity - Glass coatings reduce any amount of dirt that settles on the surface of the glass as well as is easier to clean.
● Block out UV Rays - It is quite interesting that when a thin film is applied on the surface of any vehicle, it blocks UV Rays from entering and color of your vehicle to fade away due to oxidation.
2) Shield Against Chemicals - Glass coatings add a certain protective shield for the vehicle’s exterior body and chemical attacks will be less effective on them.
3) Helps the Drivers - Since the coatings that are done on glass, better clarity is achieved - not letting the dirt sit on them. Proactive coatings allow the light to fall on the glass without hampering the vision of the driver.
4) Easy Maintenance - With a good glass coating, a protective shield ensures that there is no contamination and the vehicles tend to appear new for years.
5) Extra Layer of Smoothness - Glass coatings not only add extra shine and protection to the vehicle but also add smoothness to the surface. This adds another value to the body - no water or residue remains and flows down easily. This makes maintenance very easy.
So now we know what are the benefits of car glass coatings and why a car owner must ensure it is properly done. Glass coating not only enhances overall glass durability but also protects the surface of the vehicles against UV protection, glare reduction, scratch resistance, thermal insulation etc.
Not to forget that glass is a sustainable substance and through the glass coating, vehicles use less energy which contributes to a safer environment.
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