Advantages of acoustic windshields
In a rapidly urbanizing society, sound is one of the most important causes of stress and fatigue. The irony here is that sound is a silent killer and most people don’t know what it means. Sound alone is meaningless unless it hits us. Sounds at high intensity levels can cause fatigue and can also be extremely painful if people are exposed to them for a longer period of time. Normally, sounds over 60 DB start to affect us negatively.
Today, people spend a lot of time in their cars and want a calmer environment while driving. In an increasingly chaotic world that gets louder every day, especially traffic, there is a need for calm and quiet. Even more so inside the car considering the amount of time that people spend traveling and commuting.
Noise or sound is transmitted through: –
Vehicle glazing
Air impact on the edges of the vehicle body panels
Other vehicle and ambient noise.
Road noise and vibration
Wind / rain and traffic noise can distract drivers. It can also cause fatigue after long hours of driving. Today drivers and passengers want a quiet environment inside the car to be able to enjoy their music, read a book or have a pleasant conversation inside the vehicles.
One of the ways to reduce noise is to increase the thickness of the glass. This ad is not very effective and it also adds weight to the vehicle.
This is where automotive acoustic glass comes in. Acoustic glass enhances acoustic comfort, providing respite from noise by eliminating external sound. It does this by improving the performance parameters of the glass with respect to noise transmission, namely resonant vibrations and the coincidence effect.
There are three layers of PVB (polyvinyl butyral) film on acoustic glass
Two outer layers consisting of a normal PVB layer
An inner (core) layer with a specialized PVB composition that dampens acoustic and mechanical vibration
This special construction allows acoustic glass to perform better than normal PVB when it comes to eliminating noise and loss of sound transmission. Today, vehicles can be quiet and free from road and traffic noise. Acoustic windscreens ensure optimum comfort in the cabin, which rewards the health and safety of drivers and passengers.
In addition to noise cancellation, acoustic windscreens help reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
The special PVB layer with acoustic properties used in such windshields allows automakers to use thinner glass without compromising cabin comfort. A lighter windshield reduces the weight of the vehicle. This further increases MPG and reduces carbon dioxide emissions created by the engine.
