Written on 02.08.2012 - Technology
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Liquid silicone rubber ensures a clear view in rain

The rain/light sensor from Weber Formenbau is made from five components

If the windscreen wipers turn on automatically when it rains, this will doubtless have something to do with liquid silicone. As in the case of the rain/light sensor made from five components by the German company Weber Formenbau. The rain/light sensor is mounted on the car windscreen in the same area as the mirror mounting and consists of PC lenses, a PBT base plate, and a silicone pad.

The purpose of the silicone is to compensate for any irregularities in the surface of the windscreen. The rain/light sensor must be completely flush with the windscreen and the entire silicone cushion must exhibit no visible imperfections, such as scratches, bubbles or spots. In order to produce the complete plastic part of the rain/light sensor, two hydraulic Arburg Allrounder 470 C machines with Multilift V robotic system were combined to produce a linked production unit. After the first production phase, the production of the thick-walled lenses from three components, the robotic system transfers the parts to the second Allrounder, where they are integrated in the PBT base plate. The soft silicone pad is injected in a final step. This rain/light sensor shows impressively how to produce complex parts with high production efficiency.