SABIC Explores Integrated Lighting Features

SABIC has released information on its development of polycarbonate (PC) windows with integrated lighting. While the company states that lighting can be decorative, it can also serve a few other purposes. SABIC showcased its new windows at the Symposium on Automotive Lighting in Germany this fall.

One use, a company press release notes, is a lighting component built into a lightweight polycarbonate window indicates the battery status of an electric or hybrid vehicle, from green for fully charged to red for critical condition. This feature could allow the driver to understand the state of battery charge without any need to enter and start the vehicle.

The company believes that lighting integration could serve as a way to provide other information to the driver. In addition to its new concept windows, SABIC current offers material families such as LEXAN, ULTEM, VALOX and STAMAX for the application.

“Our customers are always looking for new ways to surprise and delight consumers,” said Scott Fallon, senior director of SABIC’s automotive business. “Combining PC glazing with lighting technologies opens up a whole new range of possibilities to help them do this. Our long-standing expertise in each application space and our capabilities to support product creation lend themselves perfectly to help automakers develop unique solutions and set new trends in vehicle design.”

For more information, visit SABIC.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.