SABIC and ULVAC Announce Availability of New ULGLAZE System for High-volume Plasma Coating of Automotive PC Glazing Components

Published Oct 11, 2012

TOKYO, Japan, Oct. 11, 2012- SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business, a world leader in engineering thermoplastics and advanced material solutions, and ULVAC Inc., a leader in mass-production vacuum technologies, today announced the commercial availability of the new, state-of-the-art ULGLAZE system for high-volume production of plasma-coated polycarbonate (PC) components for automotive glazing applications. The ULGLAZE machine is manufactured at ULVAC’s facility in Chiagasaki, Japan and was developed as part of a two-year collaboration between SABIC and ULVAC. Optimized for LEXAN™ resin and EXATEC™ plasma coatings from SABIC, this unique solution now enables automotive OEMs and tiers to mass produce lightweight, durable and aerodynamic glazing components – like rear quarter and side windows, backlite windows, rear spoilers and sunroofs – that deliver exceptional performance and aesthetics over the life of the vehicle. The availability of this technology marks a significant milestone in enabling automakers to take full advantage of PC glazing to create lighter vehicles for improved fuel efficiency and performance. In addition, this achievement demonstrates the power of proactive collaboration between two technology leaders on behalf of the automotive industry, which now has the tools to adopt PC glazing cost-effectively and on a broad scale.