Automotive Blog

Automotive glass ceased long ago to be just a window. The opportunity to produce complex shapes and curves while maximizing visibility is there to be exploited by designers. Indeed, over the last three years, the design complexity of windshields and backlights has increased to a new level in terms of cross curvature and compound radii.

At Pilkington we are starting to identify physical limitations with these designs, particularly with windshields, in terms of meeting EC regulatory and customer optical standards. For example, even if it is feasible to manufacture the glass, there can be natural optical effects arising from the glass shape in the motorist’s view through the windshield causing them to see secondary images (figure 1). The EC legislation states that the distance between the two images should be no more than 15 minutes of arc in the primary vision area (see figure 2) but customer standards can be more restrictive.

The trends towards increased cross curvature of windshields can be seen by the fact that 10 years ago the average cross curvature of a windshield was 10-15mm, five years ago it was 15-20mm but now it can be anywhere from 20-50mm. Any designs that exceed 30mm need to be considered very carefully for secondary images. (continue reading…)

When most people shop for a new car, they focus on the price. Purchase price is an important factor but there are many other factors to consider insuring the best deal possible. New car dealerships may talk about selling at invoice price to entice the customer to purchase a new vehicle but other factors are involved that can have a dramatic affect on the value. Then there’s the question of which is better, to purchase or lease a new vehicle?

What’s better to Buy or Lease a New Car?

Determining what a better value to buy or lease largely is depends on driving habits and personal preference. If the vehicle is driven a minimal amount of miles per year, then a lease may be a better option. Some factors depend on how fast a particular model depreciates in value.

Vehicles that depreciate fast don’t lease as well as vehicles that have a slower rate of depreciation. (continue reading…)

Restoring and maintaining older vehicles has become more important than ever before, and can be a great help in both of those processes.

At present, banks and other lending institutions are awarding home and automobile loans to very few people. Even those individuals with decent credit are being faced with high interest rates or being turned away. Few people have the necessary capital to purchase an automobile outright, as well. The difficulty for individuals to procure an automobile loan in the current economy means it is imperative that they do whatever necessary to keep their older vehicles running properly. Maintaining older vehicles with higher mileage can become costly if the correct preventative measures have not been taken over the vehicle’s lifespan. Along with performing regularly scheduled maintenance, like fluid and filter changes, the use of can help to restore used vehicles to newer conditions and protect them from further mechanical failure.

Over time, the unburned fuel left in fuel lines and injectors degrades and forms deposits. The byproducts left behind from burnt fuel inside combustion chambers also form deposits. These harmful deposits build up inside fuel components, on intake valves, and inside combustion chambers. In older model vehicles, especially those with higher mileage, these carbon build-ups can clog fuel components such as injectors, lines, and filters. Insufficient fuel pressure or clogged fuel injectors can result in fuel starvation which leads to poor engine performance, diminished fuel economy, and many mechanical problems. It causes engine power to suffer and vital metal parts to wear prematurely. The use of helps to clean these components and keep the vehicle operating properly. Because they keep injectors spraying the correct amount of fuel evenly across every cylinder, less stress is inflicted on any one cylinder’s vital moving parts. Restore horsepower and fuel economy to near factory specifications, as well. (continue reading…)