After more than a century, we at last have wiper blade developments that can really be recognised.
At first glance, Car Wiper Blades seem the same nowadays as they looked when Mary Anderson first patented them in 1903. Since then, there’ve been quite a few improvements along the way, e.g. Vacuum and later Electric Power overtaking hand cranks, new materials in the form of Silicone Wiper Blades, Rain Sensitive Controls and many others.
Yet, until very recently, a passing glance at Car Wiper Blades could easily leave you with the sense that nothing much has changed. This all altered recently with the introduction of Flat Wiper Blades
Lack of space between the trailing edge of the bonnet and the windscreen, cost reductions, product reliability, aero-dynamic drag, image, pedestrian impact laws, have all pushed car designers & their counterparts in the component industry to come up with something radically new. At last there is an innovation that we can recognise; Flat Wiper Blades or Beam Wiper Blades as they’re often called within the manufacturing companies.
Serious projects by car makers, are under way to dramatically reduce car fuel consumption. This means windscreens are becoming more raked back, and this calls for longer Wiper Blades, which in turn need more powerful motors & transmission systems, all with a reduced weight & occupying less space than previously.
Flat Wiper Blades have a lower profile than classic Car Wiper Blades, making them more aesthetically pleasing as well as ensuring they are aerodynamically much more efficient, both in terms of cutting drag and improving contact with the windscreen, particularly at higher speeds. Flat Wiper Blades don’t have joints that are prone to seize or clog with ice and snow in cold conditions. This guarantees a much safer and clearer wipe on those cold dark and dangerous winter mornings. If you combine the technology of flat Wiper Blades with Silicone Wiper Blades, you will have an excellent winter wiper blade, thanks to the jointless design & silicone’s low temperature flexibility and resistance to the solvents used to prevent screen wash freezing.
Most European car makers are specifying Flat Wiper Blades on all new models, and have been doing this for a few years now. At first motorists were faced with some outrageous prices for renewing Flat Wiper Blades because there was no competition to drive the prices down to acceptable levels. Moreover in the last 2 years, we’ve seen many manufacturers coming into the market place with Flat Wiper Blades both as replacements for the Original Equipment, and also as retrofits which permit owners of cars with traditional Wiper Blades to modernise the appearance, Performance and safety of their car.
Maybe the next important innovation will be the first car to be equipped with Silicone Wiper Blades as original equipment. The average working life of a rubber wiper blade is 6 months, but the average European motorist will make his Wiper Blades last at least 3 times that. Silicone Wiper Blades normally last 3 to 5 times longer than rubber Wiper Blades, and can be bought at similar or slightly lower prices than branded rubber Wiper Blades.
