Guardian: Glass coating that improves visibility

And while RainBan Hydrophobic Glass won't blow the snow off driveways, it will make clearing snow, ice and dirt from vehicle windows much easier.

RainBan works by repelling some of nature's elements, like water and ice, from vehicle windshields, side lites and back lites. Its strength is the result of a unique material make-up and its chemical vapor deposition production process. Developed at Guardian's new Science and Technology Center in Carleton, Mich., this proprietary coating is applied at the factory during fabrication and allows for durable and consistent application, an important quality consideration.

Current polymer-based aftermarket products that perform similar functions to RainBan are applied by hand, so the performance of these treatments can be spotty. In addition, these coatings soon wear off with exposure to the elements and wiper use, said Steve Markevich, senior vice president for Guardian Automotive. RainBan Hydrophobic Glass is engineered to withstand the elements and the wearing action of windshield wipers.

Currently, several passenger car and heavy truck manufacturers are evaluating the coated glass for both current and future models. Application efforts with these customers could result in the use of RainBan on heavy truck windshields and passenger vehicle back lites. Also, RainBan will be available on replacement windshields for a limited number of heavy truck models.

"Guardian Automotive is anticipating customer and consumer needs with the development of RainBan", says Markevich. "In fact, we have a host of innovative products launching in the near future that will add value and functionality to the performance of our glass products."