Teijin's PC glazing in New York taxicabs

Nissan Motor Company is using plastic glazing made with Panlite? polycarbonate (PC) resin from Teijin Limited for the driver-passenger partition in its new NV200 taxicabs based on the NV200 compact cargo vehicle. Nissan has begun marketing the vehicle to taxi operators in New York City. 

The plastic glazing, jointly developed with Nissan Shatai Co. Ltd., a Nissan group company that handles vehicle development, is achieved by moulding Panlite? PC resin using the world's first three-dimensional thick-wall injection-press technology developed by Teijin. The glazing is then hard-coated with Teijin's three-dimensional double-sided flow-coating technology, also a world's first. The result is a smooth, distortion-free surface, which has not been achievable with conventional thick-wall PC molding. 

In New York City, a vast majority of taxis are equipped with driver-passenger partitions for enhanced in-vehicle security. The partitions are generally made from acrylic resin, which is flammable and has low resistance to impact, making it unsatisfactory. PC resin has been used as a substitute, but it does not achieve a smooth surface in the thick-wall molding, resulting in impaired visibility through the partition. 

To meet the growing demand for PC glazing in products such as Nissan's NY200 taxicab, Teijin will begin commercial production of PC glazing parts in Japan. Moulding will be handled at the Mihara Plant in Hiroshima Prefecture and hard-coating at the Matsuyama Plant in Ehime Prefecture. Teijin aims to achieve PC glazing sales of about $100 million yearly fiscal 2019. 

In the effort to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles, the automotive industry is turning to lightweight plastics for vehicle windows and bodies. Teijin has developed various PC resin solutions for panoramic roofs, quarter windows and luggage door garnish trim, etc. Recently, the demand for larger plastic parts, such as rear doors and fenders, has been expanding. Plastic glazing is especially in demand due to its favorable combination of low weight and strong resistance to impact. 

The automotive industry is a primary market in the Teijin Group's strategy for medium- to long-term growth. The group is accelerating the development of lightweight, low-carbon solutions for vehicles, as well as other products, by leveraging advanced technologies and materials.