Corning Introduces AutoGrade Glass Solutions for Automotive Interiors
Corning Incorporated introduced two new auto interior glass solutions to customers at the recently held 2019 CES in Las Vegas. As automakers respond to consumer demand for more integrated and interactive displays, Corning’s new Gorilla Glass for automotive interiors solutions are designed to address these trends, delivering the highest product performance and superior system economics.
“Consumers want a more connected and immersive driver experience in the cockpit. Automakers are responding by deploying displays that are larger, longer, shaped, and more integrated,” said Michael Kunigonis, vice president and general manager of Corning Automotive Glass Solutions. “As a result, an auto-specific use-case has emerged to address these trends and to challenge today’s incumbent cover materials, which can fail up to one-in-three times during industry reliability tests, increasing supply chain costs.”
Kunigonis said that is why Corning scientists developed the industry’s first two AutoGrade cover glass solutions for auto interiors, in two-dimensional and 3-D formats. The 2-D cover glass is optimized to pass industry reliability tests 99 percent of the time, while preserving its authentic feel, superior durability, and advantaged optics for flat applications, according to the company.
Corning’s 3D glass was developed for shaped or curved applications. It delivers the same reliability performance, when bent to shape, as the 2D cover glass, according to the company.
“One of the most striking attributes of Gorilla Glass for Automotive Interiors 3D is its ability to bend at room temperature, precisely covering the curved surfaces in modern auto interiors without compromising the reliability of the cover glass,” said Fabio Salgado, commercial director for Corning Automotive Glass Solutions.
Corning’s proprietary ColdForm technology reduces shaped cover-glass part costs by up to 40 percent versus comparable hot-formed parts while sustaining exceptional optical performance and delivering AutoGrade reliability, according to the company.
“We’ve been extremely pleased with manufacturer interest in Gorilla Glass for Automotive,” Kunigonis said. “More than 50 new models representing over 25 automakers around the world are designing our glasses into their vehicles, and last week we had an outstanding automotive industry response to our newest innovations.”
AutoGrade(TM) Corning Gorilla Glass for automotive interiors 2D and 3D will be available for mass production in this year, with automakers already working it into their designs for the 2020 model year.
