Occupant Retention Glazing for Automotive Sidelites

This paper summarizes joint efforts by Monsanto Company and Excel Industries to develop a cost effective integrated system for automotive sidelites to achieve improved occupant retention. A cost/ performance analysis of a proprietary polyurethane RIM attachment system in combination with two candidate laminate structures (Monsanto “experimental plastic”/ tempered bilaminate + annealed glass/polyvinyl butyral/ annealed glass trilaminate) was completed. While both systems yielded high energy containment capabilities, the trilaminate system was rated higher because it showed superior membrane characteristics after impact and significantly lower fabrication costs. It was determined that such a system could be implemented for an incremental cost of < $100 per vehicle.