5 Ways Plasma Treatment Will Change Automotive Technology Forever
Posted October 22nd, 2015 in Uncategorized
Future Cars
5 Ways Plasma Treatment Will Change Automotive Technology Forever
Automotive technology is changing fast! Tesla, Google, Apple, Uber…
These are nothing like your grandfather’s car companies. Let’s take a look at how these Silicon Valley tech companies will change the way we get from A to B forever.
Electrical Components
Computers will soon be driving our cars for us. The number of computers in our cars is increasing each year with navigation, web browsing, Bluetooth cell phone access, and more.
As cars begin to do more of the driving for us, we will have even more electronics on board to keep us entertained.
The problem is cars are a harsh environment for electronics: hot, cold, wet, dry…
In order to have the most reliable computer components last the life of a car, the best manufacturing processes available must be employed.
Plasma etching the printed circuit boards is the most reliable way to build computer components for future vehicles.
Plasma has the ability to dry etch circuit boards in a directional manner, meaning the plasma can etch a circuit board straight down with no side to side removal.
Dry etching is the most reliable way to etch a circuit board, and reliable circuit boards mean reliable cars.
Plasma surface activation also increases the bond strength of components such as air bag sensors and accelerometers that aid in computer driving.
Windshields
That’s right, windshields. How would we get anywhere without them?
Windshields are made up of multiple layers of tempered glass. This allows them to be shatter proof, so we don’t end up covered in glass if we hit a falling pine cone at 60 mph!
But how do you put multiple layers of glass together without any dust in between? You guessed it, plasma.
Traditional methods of cleaning involved harsh chemicals, dangerous working conditions, and lots of waste.
Traditional methods can also leave a film behind so you don’t have a perfect window.
Plasma can not only clean each layer of a windshield without any harsh chemicals, but it can also activate the surface to form a stronger, better bond between the materials!
Plasma allows us to create better windshields with less impact on our environment!
Headlights
Headlights in today’s cars are treated with plasma to keep them working after years of service.
A plasma polymer is applied to the reflective surfaces using a plasma coating technique.
This keeps the aluminum in the reflective surface from corroding and from reducing the effectiveness of the headlight.
Dim headlights are dangerous! Thanks to plasma, we can all see a little better at night.
Paint
Painting or bonding to plastic is much more difficult than metal.
Painting plastic parts requires a perfectly clean surface in order for the paint to bond properly and evenly to the plastic.
Plasma cleaning is able to fully clean the plastic and allow the painted plastic to match the painted metal surfaces.
Plasma also activates the surface to keep the paint from peeling off later!
Windows
Plasma treated plastics will become scratch resistant enough in the future that we will most likely see plastic windows in our cars.
The plasma will coat plastic with a scratch resisting polymer, preventing the plastic window from scratching or hazing with age.
Plastic is lighter than glass and will therefore save energy.
The Future
Most folks don’t realize the role that plasma plays in our everyday lives.
As our cars are electrified and computerized, plasma will play a large role in the automotive space.
There are exciting things happening in the car industry. Keep your eyes open for new ways that plasma is making our world safer and cleaner!