Ford’s new 2016 Ford GT supercar will debut the Corning Gorilla Glass hybrid windscreen – a scratch-resistant window around 30% lighter than traditional glass, both companies claim.
Developed by Ford and Corning, the glass will be used for the GT’s windscreen and rear engine cover.
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“Gorilla Glass hybrid is a[n] example of how Ford works with suppliers in every area of our business,” said the automaker’s global purchasing group vice president, Hau Thai-Tang.
Once the technology was studied for the supercar concept the team decided there were real-world applications for the new hybrid glass.
A small group, comprised of purchasing and engineering employees from Ford and Corning, fast-tracked the technology to be introduced within four months.
“This successful collaboration is one of the reasons we spend research and development resources to develop innovations and solve tough problems,” said Corning CEO, Wendell Weeks.
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By GlobalData“Ford recognised the value of these light-weighting technology and committed significant resources to get it qualified for production applications.
“We worked with Ford to develop a glass that successfully withstood thousands of hours of durability testing and is now being used in a production vehicle.”
A traditional automotive laminated windscreen consists of two layers of toughened glass sandwiched around a clear, thermoplastic interlayer binding agent. Originally introduced in America by Henry Ford, the technology has been used in the auto industry for nearly a century.
The new hybrid glass uses a multilayer approach; a pane of toughened automotive-grade formed hybrid acts as the strengthened inner layer – while a noise-absorbing thermoplastic interlayer is in the centre with toughened glass as the outer layer.
The result is a windshield and rear engine cover around 32% lighter than competitive vehicles.
“During development, we tried different glass variations before we found a combination that provided both weight savings and the durability needed for exterior automotive glass,” said Ford body exteriors engineer, Paul Linden.
“We learned, somewhat counter-intuitively, the strengthened interior layer of the windscreen is key to the success of the hybrid window.”
The new Gorilla Glass hybrid window laminate is around 25% to 50% thinner and has equal to, or greater strength than traditional laminate. Traditional laminate glass ranges from 4mm to 6mm six in thickness, while Gorilla Glass hybrid window ranges from 3mm to 4mm.
The new technology was tested over stone and in rough road conditions and had to endure specific projectile, roll-over and wind tunnel testing.
“In addition to the new hybrid technology for exterior glass, we’re using a glass combination for the bulkhead panel between passenger cell and engine bay,” added Linden.
