• Premiere for Webasto ProTec® glass • Series production startup with Mercedes Benz R Class and S Class
Stockdorf/Munich. - Large roof systems and panorama roofs have been very much in trend for some years now and have firmly established themselves as integral elements of car design. Right at the top of the priorities list in terms of quality are the tough demands made on the glass used in their construction. True to the motto “Good is not good enough for us“, Webasto is starting in late 2005 with production of the first large roof systems equipped with Webasto Glas ProTec®.
Glass is a material that has to be specially conditioned for use in roof assemblies. For instance, the flexural strength of the glass employed for such applications is three times as high as that of the windscreen glass. The two sorts of glass predominantly used in car production today are the single-pane safety variety (SPSG) and laminated safety glass (LSG). Webasto took up the challenge of combining the positive characteristics of SPSG and LSG and developing additional desirable functions. SPSG is stable and yet elastic while LSG remains laminated and does not splinter in the event of damage. Webasto Glas ProTec® basically comprises glass pane, foil and a special bonding. A key task was to ensure that this system combination with all desired characteristics will stand up to even the highest levels of stress. These characteristics have not been available in this form in the market until now.
Webasto Glas ProTec® – “the gentle glass” – offers car passengers the following advantages:
In the event of external impact leading to breakage of the glass, the resultant shards of glass are kept in the roof by the foil, so the roof’s smooth, elastically stable inner surface remains in place. In addition, a high degree of retardation against exterior and interior influences is achieved, and this effect is up to eight times better than specified by recognized standard tests. Webasto has invested in a whole series of intensive and comprehensive tests aimed at ensuring that the material combination meets even the highest quality standards in the automobile industry.
This Webasto innovation will be given its global market premiere with the new S and R Class models from Mercedes-Benz. Webasto anticipates that the customers will be convinced and impressed as to the additional benefits afforded by Webasto Glas ProTec® and can equip other roof systems as well with this technology in the future.
