Car Lighting Systems
Plastics are rapidly updating car lighting systems. Glass headlight lenses have been virtually replaced by transparent polycarbonate plastics. These plastics are designed to resist high levels of heat, are shatter-resistant, and can be molded into almost any shape. This gives car designers and engineers far more flexibility in the styling and placement of headlights. Plastics' versatility also allows auto headlights to incorporate high-tech focusing designs in the lenses, providing the benefit of increased highway safety.
Tail lights, turn signals, cornering lamps, back-up lights, and fog lights are all made of polycarbonate plastics or, in some cases, acrylic plastics. These lenses have similar design and engineering advantages to auto headlight lenses, and incorporate reflective optical surfaces too.
Major changes in the future of both head and tail light systems are imminent, with the incorporation of plastic-based LED (Light Emitting Diode) brake-light systems and 'lightbox' systems, whereby an easily accessible, single light source is used to provide exterior lighting for the car via acrylic fiber-optic wires. The incorporation of "light box" LED car lighting technology will eliminate the need for high-heat resistant plastics in auto lighting systems, allowing substitution for even lighter plastic lenses that retain the ability to resist impacts.
Images provided by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers International (SPE), a not-for-profit engineering society.
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