Paccar Australia has developed an improved impact-resistant windscreen which
exceeds local standards by more than 300% – making it what the company
believes is the toughest truck windscreen in the world.
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Paccar has been developing the new generation windscreen for over six months
and the Kenworth Safe T Screen will now be available as an option on most of
its truck models by the end of 2001.
"The US and Europe have similar windscreen standards to Australia. Our
technology lifts the impact-resistance bar to a new level worldwide," said
sales and marketing director Joe Rizzo.
The new development was spurred on as the result of a recent driver fatality
which sent shockwaves through the Australian industry. A truck driver travelling
on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne was killed when a rock thrown
from an overpass smashed through his windscreen.
Following the incident, the freight company contacted Paccar who were developing
a windscreen that could withstand impacts of this nature.
Engineers have since been working intensively on methods to improve the glass
and the construction of the windscreen. The result is a screen with significantly
increased strength and resistance to breakage from rocks, stones and other road
debris.
Australian Standard AS 2080 is the basis for windscreen material used Down
Under. All truck windscreens must meet the specification which is based on an
impact-test 2.25kg ball, dropped from a height of 3.6m (this is equivalent to
30km/h and 79.5J of energy).
"Our tests have enabled us to develop a windscreen that exceeds Australian
standards by 300%," Rizzo said.
The Kenworth Safe T Screen has been tested to the equivalent of 101km/h impact
speed and 900J energy levels, with the 2.25kg standard ball. In all cases there
was some splintering of the inner glass layer, but no penetration of the test
object through the glass.
