Superficially, wiper blades appear the same today as they did when the first electrically-powered windscreen wiper system appeared in 1926. However, technical advances by the major wiper manufacturers since then have centred on improving two performance characteristics: silence and wiping quality. While the principles of the humble wiper system have remained the same for the past 80 years, a host of innovative products are making continuous improvements. Matthew Beecham reports.
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In addressing both characteristics, flat blades are being increasingly fitted to European vehicles and now spreading to the North American market. Flat blades have a lower profile than conventional wiper blades, making them more aesthetically pleasing as well as giving them better wind resistance, especially at high speeds. In addition, the fact that flat wiper blades don’t clog with ice and snow causing them to bend and break also leads to fewer warranty claims for manufacturers.
In 1999, the Mercedes-Benz CL was the first car launched in Europe with flat blades. Since then, the OEM demand for flat blades has been phenomenal. Indeed, the sheer rate of growth surprised some wiper manufacturers, far exceeding their original modest fitment forecasts.
Although the US market lags behind the Europeans in this respect, it’s catching up fast. “The biggest trend we are seeing is the push toward flat blade technology,” said Mark Sullivan, Vice President, Global Ignition & Wiper Operations, Federal-Mogul, in an exclusive interview with just-auto.com. “They are very low profile blades without the traditional structure. Although these blades are already popular in Europe, the market is still in its infancy in the US. The North American OEMs are still wading into the water on flat blades. They are showing more signs of heading in that direction, but currently is at a slower pace than in Europe. We’re also seeing reversible wiper motors becoming more of a standard. Concerns for pedestrian safety are also a major design concern in the European market. A higher percentage of wiper systems in Europe and North America are coming equipped with rain sensors, too.”
Other factors triggering different wiper blades include more complex and intricate glazing designs. As windscreens become larger and more raked, the wiper blades required to service them have also changed. The popularity of SUVs and minivans has also led to longer blades. “Arms and blades of wiper systems are required to have innovative styling designs,” said Hiroshi Uchiyama, senior managing director of Denso Corp’s sales group, in an exclusive interview for justa-uto.com. “In addition, the blades are required to improve the wiping performance and reduce noise and chattering. At the same time, motors and linkage mechanisms need to be lighter and smaller. We are working on complying with these requirements while reducing cost.”
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By GlobalDataIn the wiper motor department, Bosch is supplying the world’s first electronically controlled reversing twin-motor wiper system for the Volkswagen Phaeton. Each wiper arm is driven by its own motor. The wiper arms are synchronised electronically eliminating the need for a mechanical linkage. Claimed benefits include driver convenience and controlled wiping frequency depending on the force of the rain. Bosch also claims that by controlling the deceleration of the wiper arms immediately before they reach their reversal points reduces the reversing noise and increases the service life of the wiper blade element. When the wiper is turned off, the wiper arms disappear under the hood, thereby improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics and reducing the risk of injuries during collisions with pedestrians.
In a break with tradition, Fiat’s new Altea, launched at the 2004 Geneva show, features novel windscreen wipers developed by Bosch, the first-ever to park vertically in the A-pillars. The position of each arm is controlled by sensors to allow precise parking of the wipers behind the A-pillar capping. The system is also capable of detecting any jam or overload on each of the wipers, (such as a build up of snow or ice) and each wiper will then independently clean as much area as possible while the motors are protected from overloading. The design also features twin wiper motors, dropping the traditional mechanical linkage and creating more space in the engine bay. “As the wiper arms can now be driven independently, both of them can be parked precisely behind the A-pillar cladding,” said Dr Arnold Ewald, head of Bosch’s wiper systems business. “Due to the existing tolerances and safety clearances, this was impossible with previous systems featuring only one motor.”
Turning to the headlamp washer systems, such cleaning systems are already a mandatory requirement for high intensity discharge headlamps (HID). HID lamps (sometimes referred to as Xenon) offer lower power consumption, higher light output and a far longer life. Compared to a halogen lamp, a HID unit uses xenon gas to produce more light for less power. Spain’s Ficosa has developed a new headlamp washing system for vehicles fitted with xenon front lighting. Claimed advantages over conventional systems include a reduction of around 50% per washing cycles in the consumption of liquid, reduced size and weight. It’s also cheaper. Ficosa estimates that as well as having achieved an important reduction in terms of space required for the package, this system is 20% cheaper than conventional systems.
Another fine windscreen washer innovation has emerged from US-based supplier Microheat Inc. The company has developed a new system that heats windscreen-washer fluid and controls wipers to more effectively clean grease, dead insects and frost from the glass. Its so-called HotShot can de-ice the window automatically by the push of a button. “You can have hot fluid on demand,” said Gary Pilibosian, CEO, Microheat. “It also means that the nozzle won’t freeze up as the initial spray ends a two-second jet of steam through it which also cleans the nozzle. And it improves personal security, too. Now you can get into your car at night, lock your doors and then de-ice your windscreen in just 90 seconds. And in warmer climates, hot water cleans bugs off the screen better than cold water. It’s a game-changing technology. A true paradigm shift.”
The company’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Slava Evanov, is a former Russian Space Agency scientist. Although the innovation is undeniably revolutionary, it’s surprising we haven’t seen it introduced earlier. “What we have done here is something the carmakers have been trying to solve for over 80 years,” added Pilibosian, “There have been a lot of different attempts and technologies out there but they haven’t yet addressed all of the things that we have been able to.”
The company’s HotShot system is already being supplied to Webasto and General Motors and will feature on the 2006 Buick le Sabre and Cadillac DTS. Webasto is already distributing the system through its global replacement parts network. The company believes HotShot will become standard equipment on all cars soon, and it claims to have other products in the pipeline. “We are looking at about a 12% market penetration by 2009,” said Pilibosian. “That equates to 11 million units worldwide. The prospects are all there. We are currently being tested by 22 different OEMs across all car segments on three different continents. In 2009, about 55% of that volume will be sold in the US, 31% in Europe and the rest in Asia. But it depends on China. China is a wild card. Once we get it into China, it could grow to 14 million very quickly.”
Pilibosian adds that the system was originally going to come out as a winter package option, but consumer dictated otherwise. “We are already moving from a 17% to 30% penetration on the option level. And we have already gone to 50% plus on some vehicle lines. And now they are moving it on 100%. So as it grows and evolves, it is becoming a standard feature on some vehicles. By 2014, we believe that it will be a standard item on every vehicle in the world.”
The Hotshot could also mean that our wiper blades and motors will last that bit longer thanks to its hot wash system.
During the 1990s one the problems that the glass industry focused on was the need for manual intervention by the driver to activate the wipers. As a result, two solutions recently entered production. The first was an optical sensor that automatically starts the wipers when moisture is detected. The other was rain repellant glazing. While rain repellent glazing helps the rain run off more easily, helping the wipers to do their job, some windscreens have been developed that can eradicate the need for wipers altogether. The Acura TL Concept was unveiled at the 2003 New York motor show. Instead of using windscreen wipers, the luxury sedan uses jet nozzles, located in the cowl area, to shoot high-pressure air onto the windscreen to keep it free of rain and snow.
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