Corning Incorporated has received the BMW Supplier Innovation Award in the lightweight construction category for the development of its Gorilla Glass for automotive use.
Gorilla Glass is used in the BMW i8 as an acoustic glass partition to shield sound from the rear engine.
“For Corning to be recognised by an innovative design leader like BMW, it is quite an honour,” said Dr. David Morse executive vice president and chief technology officer for Corning Incorporated.
“Our technical glass, along with other lightweight materials, enabled BMW to maximise performance and control rear-engine sound for the i8.”
Automakers around the world are working to reduce the weight of their vehicles to meet strict mobile emissions regulations. Corning Gorilla Glass for Automotive helps automakers meet this objective by enabling a weight reduction in glazing of more than 50% versus conventional soda lime glass.
Corning Gorilla Glass for Automotive can be used in all openings of a vehicle, including windshields, sidelites, sunroofs, and backlites. It can also be used in automotive interior touch panels.
Doug Harshbarger, business director, Emerging Automotive Innovations, Corning Incorporated, said: “Our glass helps customers reduce the weight of the vehicle, meet CO2 requirements, and consume less fuel. We are excited about our possibilities in this market.”
Corning Gorilla Glass was originally introduced to help protect consumer electronics from the scratches and bumps of everyday use. It has been designed into more than 2450 product models and is used in 2.7 billion devices by 33 major brands.
The thin, lightweight, durable, and optically clear qualities that make Corning Gorilla Glass so popular in consumer electronics continue to provide Corning with opportunities in adjacent markets, including household appliances, interior architecture, rail and aviation.
