Prague, May 31, 2007
Safety-enhanced adaptive headlamp system from Valeo uses DuPont™ Zytel® HTN
Valeo, the world leading manufacturer of automotive lighting products, uses DuPont™ Zytel® HTN PPA for its Xenon Dynamic Bending Light (DBL), which is, among others available in vehicles such as the Citroen C4 or the VW Passat. This adaptive headlamp system optimizes illumination of road curves at night-time for enhanced road safety and driver comfort. The housing for each headlamp unit is molded from a glass-reinforced and heat-stabilized grade of Zytel® HTN PPA, selected for its resistance to both high temperatures and humidity while displaying the excellent dimensional stability required for this application.
The adaptive headlamp system developed by Valeo consists of a Bi- Function-Xenon elliptic projector headlamp, together with an electronic actuator and electronic control unit. Controlled by a microcontroller linked to the vehicle’s data network, the system operates the swiveling of the Bi-Function Xenon lamp by up to 15º more than the standard “straight-ahead” position. Designed for medium- to high-speed driving in both high and low beam mode, the system doubles the driver’s visibility distance in road curves, and maximizes his forward visibility. Moreover, the significant increase in night-time illumination minimizes driver stress and fatigue in road curves and at intersections, improving driving comfort in all weathers and road conditions.
A cost-effective alternative to metal, a glass-reinforced and heat-stabilized grade of DuPont™ Zytel® HTN PPA was used to create the headlamp housing because it offers high stiffness even at temperatures of around 150ºC, and hydrolysis resistance at 130-150 ºC for 95% RH. The material displays low outgassing, good creep and fatigue resistance, combined with relatively low moisture absorption and excellent assembly flexibility with regards to the integration of snap-fits and rivets.
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The housing for the adaptive Xenon headlamps, with bending light technology, developed by Valeo for a number of vehicles, is made of a particularly heat-resistant and dimensionally-stable grade of DuPont™ Zytel® HTN.