Exatec (Europe: Bergisch-Gladbach / Germany; www.exatec.de) and vacuum technology specialist Ulvac (Methuen, Massachusetts / USA; www.ulvac.com) are to collaborate on the high volume production of weatherable, scratch-resistant, plasma-coated “Lexan” PC resin for vehicle windows. The companies’ combined technologies will help the automobile industry replace heavier glass windows with resin glazing – see Plasteurope.com of 12.02.2009 – and auto manufacturers will be able to order machinery to expand their PC window production from Ulvac.

The resulting reduction in CO₂ emissions will contribute to meeting up-coming legislation in the US and Europe, Exatec says. In the US, new regulations dictate that vehicles must achieve an average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. In Europe, mandatory reductions of CO₂ emissions aim to reach 130 g of CO₂/km in 2015 for the average new car fleet, and 95 g/km by 2020.