THE Finn Lamex windscreen guide
Welcome to your guide to Finn Lamex windscreens. With Finn Lamex, every customer gets the same first-rate windscreens manufactured with quality raw materials. Learn all about them here.
1. The benefits of laminated glass
The quality of Finn Lamex’s laminated windscreens start with high-quality raw materials from the leading suppliers in the industry, which are then crafted using their unique expertise and custom-built production line. With Finn Lamex, every customer gets the same first-rate windscreens manufactured with quality raw materials — which are then customised for the unique needs of each customer.
Finn Lamex uses only laminated safety glass in their windscreen production. During the lamination process, two sheets of glass are fused together with PVB film to prevent shattering in the case of a break, increasing safety for the driver, passengers, and pedestrians. The laminated glass blocks more than 90% of the ultraviolet radiation for example.
One important point in the windscreens is the reflection and blocking of sunlight energy. Sunlight consists of light energy, infrared light and ultraviolet energy which are reflected and blocked depending on the glass tinting and composition.
COLOUR OPTIONS:
Clear glass. For maximal clarity
Tinted glass in a wide range of colours. Naturally blocks light energy.
Green or grey tinted glass are the most frequently chosen options which reduce the amount of light energy transmitted. This keeps the passengers and driver more comfortable and cuts down on the amount of energy needed for example for air conditioning.
“One of the differences between clear and tinted glass is the LT – or light transmission – values. For windscreens, the light transmission must be above 70%. Clear glass has a high light transmission value – between 85 and 90% – and tinted glass can achieve more comfort in the cabin, with lower light transmission from 70% to 85%. For non-windscreens, light transmission of less than 70% is allowed. For example, in a double-decker bus with an upper glass of 10% light transmittance, only 10% of the light energy from the sun will pass through.”
Aleksi Hannukoski, Quality & Production Manager
“At Finn Lamex, every customer is important and Finn Lamex high quality is what every customer gets.”
2. SOLAR CONTROL
In addition to the reflecting and blocking nature of laminated and tinted laminated glass, Finn Lamex offers a Solar Control PVB lamination foil to absorb sunlight energy and further increase comfort in the cabin. This further reduces energy consumption used by the air conditioner, for example.
Image: A comparison of transmission values between different combinations of windscreen glass colour and laminated film.
In general, a tinted laminated windscreen is better for the cabin comfort and a Solar Controlled windscreen increases the comfort even more by reducing the light energy coming through the windscreen. This is why a clear glass, although it may seem the obvious choice, may not always be the best option.
“Customers often want clear glass with Solar Control, but even with Solar Control it’s worth using tinted glass. This provides both the benefits of tinted glass, and the light energy absorbing properties of Solar Control lamination foil. The combined benefit of the two is greater. A tinted glass is only slightly tinted concerning windscreens. A tinted windscreen is almost unnoticeable after installation and appears as clear.”
Aleksi Hannukoski
Reducing solar energy in cabins also protect the long-term health of drivers, as well as their day-to-day work capacity.
Laminated glass windscreens consist of three layers: an inner-facing layer, an outer-facing layer, and a middle PVB interlayer. A standard, clear PVB interlayer film can be used, which filters most of the ultraviolet (UV) light itself – or it can be enhanced with protective properties to block infrared rays (IR) and the total solar energy transmitted through the windscreen.
S-LEC™ Film, developed by Sekisui and commonly known as Solar Control, provides this solution: a PVB interlayer that blocks solar energy and IR light while maintaining visible light transfer of 70% or above. This results in better heat blocking and reduces the sensation of burning or irritation of the skin, for example.
BETTER SUN PROTECTION INCREASES COMFORT AND REDUCES RISK
The light spectrum is made up of UV light, visible rays, and IR, existing on a scale that ranges from 0 to 2500 nanometres (nm). Infrared rays from 1450-1900 nm stimulate the nerves on the skin, and so are responsible for the sensation of heat.
Solar Control Film cuts down on the infrared rays from 1500-2100 nm that result in an uncomfortable feeling on the skin.
Practically, this increases comfort within the vehicle. Both the driver and passengers experience a 5-7 °C reduction in the perceived ambient temperature – and the driver’s risk of suffering harmful skin effects, which accumulate while driving, is also reduced. The same goes for vehicle components like the steering wheel and dashboard, protecting your vehicle investment over time.
COOLING ON THE MOVE
The Solar Control PVB interlayer also provides a cooling effect while driving, outperforming metal-based coatings in reducing the amount of heat generated inside a vehicle at highway speeds. Solar Control Film absorbs wind to cool accumulated heat in the glass – so the faster the vehicle moves, the greater the cooling effect. This is important on long trips for your bus fleet or motorhome range.
SOLAR CONTROL FILM CUTS DOWN ON THE INFRARED RAYS FROM 1500-2100 NM THAT RESULT IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING ON THE SKIN.
SOLAR CONTROL SAVES ENERGY
Using Solar Control saves about 20% (or 0.11 kWh) of energy consumption by the air conditioning system in 60 minutes of driving. This translates to an increase of 4.6km in driving range. This effect is even greater in buses and motorhomes, making Solar Control a popular choice for electric vehicle manufacturers, for example, to save energy.
GREATER CONNECTIVITY
Metallic windscreen films cause electromagnetic interference (EMI), which negatively impacts the use of internet-connected devices. On the other hand, Solar Control film allows free transmission of electromagnetic waves. This means that the connectivity of cell phones and other internet-connected devices – as well as proximity-based road tolls and parking spaces – used in your drivers’ line of work will be unaffected.
At Finn Lamex, we offer S-LEC Solar Control Film L. The best protection is provided by a combined solution of green or grey-tinted glass with an added Solar Control interlayer, which we offer in all our windscreens.
Are you interested in the increased comfort, connectivity, safety and efficiency of Solar Control? Don’t hesitate to contact us for a customised windscreen solution for your business.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SOLAR CONTROL:
What is Solar Control – and why should you use it in your windscreens?
3. ELECTRIC HEATING
Finn Lamex also provides electrically heated windscreens, an effective way to get rid of snow, frost, or fog on the windscreen. This is a great security factor on the road. Compared to relying on a fan — which only affects a limited area — or heating the entire bus, it’s more efficient and sustainable for the windscreen itself to eliminate ice and fog.
Electric windscreen heating maximizes demisting of the windscreen, which is especially important for commercial vehicles. When passengers board, moisture builds up, causing the windscreen and windows to start misting.
A dry, fog-free windscreen is more comfortable for all on board, and safer for the driver and increases the operation time of the vehicle without starting delays because of a foggy windscreen. Efficient removal of ice and fog also means the driver can get moving sooner, ensuring smoother and safer journeys that stick more closely to their timetable.
HOW HEATED WINDSCREENS WORK
Our heated windscreens are powered by thin tungsten filament wires suspended in the PVB coating between the two panes of laminated glass. These wires are supplied with power by the vehicle battery, and typically invisible to the naked eye – although they can be spotted by close examination.
LEARN MORE:
Why choose heated windscreens for your vehicle fleet?
4. EXPERTLY CURVED WINDSCREENS
When it comes to producing curved windscreens, Finn Lamex has the production equipment and know-how to execute the best results for its customers. Their comfort and skill at producing difficult curves offers a clear competitive advantage — but why choose curved glass in the first place?
Simply put, a curved wrap around glass offers the best combination of aerodynamics, visibility, and design. A curved windscreen enables the A-frame support to be moved further back, improving the visibility to the sides, and eliminating blindspots.
“A lot of design needs to be done to improve aerodynamics, achieve the best visibility for the driver and get the desired appearance to meet the customer’s needs.,” says Production Manager Aleksi Hannukoski.
Finn Lamex has a thorough understanding of the end use cases of their windscreens and takes that into account in everything they do. It’s one of the unique benefits of Finn Lamex that they can produce more visually striking and tailor-made curved windscreen solutions for customers. At the same time, they take a realistic view on the physical limits of glass as a material.
“Just like we have the courage to take on challenging projects, we also have the courage to say if something is not technically or physically possible.”
5. A WIDE RANGE OF OEM-CERTIFIED PRODUCTs
Finn Lamex is in a constant process of research and development to meet the growing needs of their customers,
“We have long working relationships, so our skills and technical expertise are constantly being strengthened alongside the growth of our customers,” says Hannukoski.
Finn Lamex windscreen selection is composed of nearly 100 active and accepted structures of thicknesses and colours — backed up with certified OE-quality parts to support customers, who often have very specific requirements.
The end goal for each customer is first to provide them with the best windscreens possible, then tailor them for their specific needs.
A word from Managing Director Tero Toivanen
Finn Lamex quality is strongly rooted in technical excellence. With our decades of experience, we understand our customers’ needs and can offer them the best possible solution.
Potential problems are, of course, best addressed proactively – that’s why we support our customers from the planning stage onward. We haven’t yet encountered a laminated windscreen shape we couldn’t achieve.
Our service orientation is a point of pride for us. We’re easy to approach and collaboration with us is simple and straightforward. This is evidenced by several long-term customer relationships that have emerged over the years, and cooperation with many large companies began during Finn Lamex’s founding stage.
As a company, we’re just the right size: not too small, but small enough that we can react to customer needs with speed and agility. We’re able to make quick decisions because we’re a local and partly management-owned company.
Read more about Finn Lamex’s service orientation:
“EVERYTHING WE DO AND THINK ABOUT STARTS WITH THE QUESTION ‘WHAT’S BEST FOR THE CUSTOMER?“
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