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Accessories and Maintenance

Windshield Wipers: Major Safety Hazard Without Timely Replacement

BROADVIEW, IL, September 12, 2003 -- Consumers drive wiper blade manufacturers nuts.

Manufacturers know that under normal circumstances wiper blades can’t last more than six to eight months in today’s polluted, ozone-filled atmosphere. The attack of the elements, plus the wear from wiping dirty windshields clean, renders them only marginally effective at best after this amount of time.

Unfortunately many consumers continue to go years between wiper blade replacements, according to industry studies. They typically wait until it’s rainy or sleeting and visibility is near zero before they decide to replace their wiper blades. Even some of the best promotional and advertising campaigns by the biggest names in the industry seem to have not been effective in getting car owners to replace wipers on the six-month maintenance cycle.

A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD
Think of how annoying it was the last time your wiper blades needed replacement: the blade would smear the rain rather than clear it off the glass, or leave an annoying band of film at eye level. In winter, snow would sometimes jam the blade with ice, causing it to slide back and forth without cleaning the windshield.

It’s more than an annoyance, it’s a major safety issue. Poor visibility is a significant contributor to auto accidents, especially at night and when the weather and visibility can be at their worst.

All wiper blade manufacturers can do is attempt to improve the technology of their products to make them last longer and wipe better, and hope that consumers will become increasingly aware of the safety hazard of worn-out wiper blades.

AMAZING WIPER TECHNOLOGY
Some of the technology employed to make wiper blades more effective is remarkable. One example is the Robert Bosch Corporation’s “Ultra Performance” line of Micro Edge Excel wipers. Bosch has been manufacturing windshield wiper products since 1927, more than 75 years, and is the largest wiper producer in the world. Many of its products are original equipment (O.E.) on cars and light trucks, including domestic models.

The Micro Edge Excel technology actually uses two different kinds of rubber in the same blade. One specially blended rubber compound comprises the upper part of the blade. It is engineered to resist hardening of the rubber wiping element or “permanent set” blades are affected by after months of heat and ozone deterioration. Its dual rubber design improves the “flip-over” flexibility of the blade as it transitions from wiping in one direction to sweeping back. Micro Edge Excel is especially resistant to ozone, road chemicals and ultraviolet rays, the biggest enemies of wiper blade life.

A second blended rubber compound makes up the actual wiping edge. Its engineering properties are designed for improved wear resistance, less blade chatter and reduced hazing and streaking.

Bosch Micro Edge Excel blades also feature a fully enclosed metal tension spring, essentially a long, specially curved and treated strip of metal the length of the blade. Its job is to apply pressure forcing the wiper edge down onto the curved windshield, so that the blade will wipe every portion of the glass smoothly. Unlike other blades the spring is fully enclosed by the rubber wiping element to improve overall wiping quality while reducing the incidence of snow or ice buildup in the winter.

EVEN INSTALLATION IS EASIER
One of the most annoying barriers to wiper blade replacement is installation, a job most consumers envision as pinched fingers and frustration. Bosch has eliminated this problem with its exclusive DirectConnect™ system. Bosch determined that more than 90 percent of all wipers attach to the wiper arm using one of four methods. Bosch designed a single connector to easily fit all four of these attachment methods. Wiper replacement thus becomes a simple process of snapping the replacement in place.

Bosch also added a heavy-duty, aerodynamic steel frame with a special zinc dichromate primer for corrosion resistance, to deliver a high performance wiper blade designed to perform with maximum efficiency and safety.

Wiper blade manufacturers can’t do much more to improve safety and visibility for consumers who fail to replace their wiper blades on regular maintenance intervals, before they become safety hazards.

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