Have you ever thought about what's in the wiper blade? How are they manufactured, and how can manufacturers balance performance, durability, and cost?
If you have ever suffered a heavy fall in a car, or encountered snow on the windshield when you are about to go out, then you have probably thanked the wiper for clearing the way for you.
Although they seem to be a simple accessory, it is not just a superficial thing-there is a lot of thought and science behind the construction and design of the humble wiper blade.
Of course, the critical moment for any wiper blade is when you really need them, so to speak, when the rubber hits the windshield. At this time, the performance of the wiper blade will depend on all the decisions made on its structure. Specifically: what are they made of? Also, what coating is used?
Although natural rubber has many advantages, it is not suitable for use as a windshield wiper. Since they are at rest for most of their lives, natural rubber wiper blades tend to be permanently "fixed" on one side. But in order to be effective, the windshield wiper needs to be turned when the wiper mechanism switches direction. The "fixed" blade cannot be turned over, as a result, the blade creaks and cannot clear the windshield.
Synthetic (EPDM or EPDM) rubber will not coagulate, and their overall performance in terms of heat aging, UV resistance, ozone and tearing is better than natural rubber.
However, the performance of natural rubber in cold conditions is indeed better than synthetic rubber.
Therefore, manufacturers have begun to combine natural rubber and EPDM rubber materials through a co-extrusion process to have excellent performance under all conditions.
Regardless of the material selected, natural rubber and synthetic rubber will slowly deteriorate over time due to heat, ultraviolet radiation, oxygen, and ozone.
One way for manufacturers to deal with this problem is to add coatings. The coating not only reduces the friction between the blade and the windshield, but also maintains the wiping quality and reduces noise during the entire life of the blade.
Some manufacturers, such as the French company Valeo, are using graphitized coatings to maximize friction performance and durability.
Unlike molding, extrusion is a continuous process that can be used to produce various products, such as pipes, profiles, and plates.
Extrusion plays an important role in the plastics industry because it allows the production of objects with a fixed cross-sectional profile. It is also an efficient and high-yield structure, which is very suitable for the production of wiper blades.
The wiper blade extrusion line is usually a 130-meter-long machine and consists of the following parts:
Major manufacturers like Valeo recommend replacing the wiper blades as soon as they show any signs of wear and the wiper effectiveness is reduced, or at least once every 12 months.
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