Corning Gorilla Glass Partners with Ford for the Ford GT
Corning Gorilla Glass is making huge, state-of-the-art changes in the automobile windshield industry with their lightweight, durable glass. Corning Gorilla Glass is unlike traditional windshield glass. Corning first began making their glass for the tech industry and it currently used in the majority of smartphones and tablets on the market, as well as some televisions. Corning worked with Ford to produce the first automotive windshield with Corning Gorilla Glass. Many consumers think a windshield is a windshield – how different can it be? The answer – very! Corning explains what sets Corning Gorilla Glass apart from traditional windshields, “Since the Gorilla Glass inner layer measures about a half-millimeter, its thickness is reduced up to 76% compared with conventional inner layers. As a result, the weight of the overall laminate can drop as much as 40%. This means that cars with lightweight Gorilla Glass in the windshield, sunroof, or other windows can have better fuel economy, performance, acceleration, handling, and braking, as well as lower CO2 emissions… Uniquely thin, flat and uniform, Gorilla Glass is known for its optical clarity in industry-leading smartphones and tablets. Translated to automobiles, it simply provides clearer, brighter and inherently safer car windows. Additionally, such exceptional optical clarity enables next-generation Head-Up Displays with a three times larger and brighter viewing area that won’t sacrifice image sharpness.”
Corning teamed with Ford to work on creating a Ford GT complete with Gorilla Glass. This advancement brings state-of-the-art technology right to the consumer. In the new Ford GT, the Gorilla Glass is used in the windshield as well as the rear window, bulkhead, and a separation window. Ford has long been an automotive industry leader and their new Ford GT supercar with Gorilla Glass saves more than 12 pounds in vehicle weight. The implementation of Gorilla Glass in the Ford GT offers vehicle owners window glass that has five times the strength of traditional window glass. As standards for fuel efficiency become more and more stringent, implementing Corning Gorilla Glass will become more important for many automobile manufacturers. Corning elaborates on the exciting advancements of the Ford GT supercar complete with Gorilla Glass, “Weight reduction is a key means for automakers to meet increasingly stringent fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions regulations. Lightweight windows can also improve handling and driving performance by lowering the car’s center of gravity. Unlike conventional float glass, Gorilla Glass for Automotive has no optical draw lines, making it ideal for steep windshield applications like the GT. Ford is also using Gorilla Glass for the rear window and as an acoustic separation wall in the bulkhead.” Ford’s GT supercar is the first production car to offer this technology and it will be exciting to see what manufacturers follow suit.
