 LaFerrari, the new limited-series special from the Prancing Horse of which only 499 examples will be built, is the first car to fit the new SGS Lightweight windscreen developed by Saint-Gobain Sekurit.
One of Ferrari’s objectives with the new model was weight reduction and Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s latest technology enabled the supercar manufacturer to save 1.3 kg on the windscreen alone.
Lower weight means lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions and, with ever-more stringent restrictions in the pipeline, introducing this lightweight innovation with a 4mm windscreen thickness reduces the glazing weight by 12% compared to current technology.
Traditional windscreens are mostly 4.5mm or 5.0mm thick. Safety glass for a 5mm windshield is generally made up of a sandwich with a 2.1mm outer pane, a 0.76mm PVB interlayer, and a 2.1mm inner pane.
Saint-Gobain Sekurit worked closely with Ferrari engineers to provide optimum safety, robustness and comfort while significantly reducing the weight of LaFerrari’s windscreen. The thicknesses of each layer of the glass sandwich with the 0.76mm PVB interlayer has been reduced to 1.8mm for the outer pane, and 1.4mm for the inner pane. The use of this asymmetric design provides an even better safeguard against stone impact damage compared to standard 5mm windscreens.
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Roberto Fedeli, Ferrari Chief Engineer: “For Ferrari the development of a limited- series special like the LaFerrari represents an opportunity to experiment with technological solutions that will later filter down onto our production cars. Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s lightweight 4mm windscreen contributes to the body’s overall weight reduction for maximum performance and lower emissions.”
Patrick Dupin, CEO Saint-Gobain Sekurit: “We are delighted to contribute to Ferrari’s weight-saving efforts with LaFerrari, the highest expression of technical excellence and driving thrills. Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s 4mm windscreen is a very important breakthrough for manufacturers seeking weight reduction to improve the total energy potential of a car. Ferrari represents the cutting-edge for new technologies, and has already adopted Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s innovations on previous models, like the FF with the low-emissivity roof. Once again, as the key driver for fundamental trends, Ferrari is paving the way with lightweight windscreens for weight and CO2 savings.”
With new lightweight design technologies for windscreens, Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s weight-saving structural glazing products pave the way for energyefficient cars of the future. Weight savings can amount to up to 7kg for a complete car set. Saint-Gobain Sekurit sees tremendous potential for this lightweight glazing solution for 4mm windshields as it spreads from the premium automotive segment to the wider market. This technology will be featured by four other car models due to be launched during 2013.
Also with a limited series, forerunners as Ferrari stress the importance of lightweight windshields for future cars. Saint-Gobain Sekurit’s windshield solution in 4mm are a must have for all car makers when it comes to weight reduction and the total energy potential of a car. The technical partnership can be seen on these web sites:
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