Avoiding Visible Condensation Inside Automotive Tail Lamps

To prevent malfunctions and/or cosmetic defects in new tail lamps designs due to visible condensation, anti-fog coatings are a very advantageous solution in addition to venting systems. The paper outlines the fundamentals of condensation phenomena in lighting and the value and limits of venting systems. Beyond these limitations, a remarkable development has been achieved by applying nanotechnology in combination with sol-gel chemistry and series production technologies such as spray coating to solve this significant problem. In this paper we report about the automotive mass production experiences in coating transparent polymers such as PMMA, Poly(methyl methacrylate), with respect to design, quality and environmental considerations.