A car screen changed the glazing bill of materials. What is interesting is not the display but the consequences for the supply chain that now has to supply it.
From a window to a component
A bonded display module is a laminated optical assembly with tight tolerances and an electronics supply chain attached. Automotive suppliers can make them; glass companies historically have not wanted to. That is changing through joint ventures.
Yield, not optics
The constraint is yield. Optical distortion requirements combined with a curved laminate over a large area make scrap expensive, and scrap rates have been the differentiator between the suppliers who are scaling and those who are not.
Thermal management
Dark displays heat up the laminate and, through it, the cabin. The glass specification and the display specification are now one engineering decision.
