Vision Systems (Booth B3101), which has 20 years of dimmable-glass expertise, is displaying a selection of windows and accompanying flipping, sliding, and jettisonable mechanisms at Heli-Expo. According to the company, the products offer excellent mechanical properties, resistance to vibration and impact, and high optical quality and are aimed at various helicopter types.
“Vision Systems will also showcase its electronically dimmable windows, a high-end shading and privacy system using SPD (suspended particle device) and PDLC (polymer dispersed liquid crystal) smart glass technologies,” it said. SPD allows glass or polycarbonate to turn from opaque dark to transparent in milliseconds to regulate daylight, glare, and heat entering an aircraft.
“PDLC solutions provide an instant switch between transparent and opaque white without blocking visible light for immediate privacy while enjoying daylight,’ noted the company. “Both technologies can be combined into one window, with or without segmentation (such as a Venetian shade effect) for various customizable possibilities. They enhance visual, thermal, and acoustic comfort for a greater passenger experience.”
The company claims its dimmable windows offer many advantages over other systems, such as allowing infinite variable shading and instant response time and automatically switching to their darkest possible state when unpowered. This keeps the interior of the rotorcraft cooler on the tarmac and reduces air conditioning consumption. “An integrated IR barrier further strengthens heat blockage,” Vision Systems said.
The windows also block out more than 99.9 percent of harmful UV light, even in transparent mode, to protect passengers and prevent interior equipment from fading. Fabrication involves multiple layers of noise-attenuating films to keep the cabin quieter.
“These smart shading systems provide a strong competitive advantage in terms of aftermarket,” Vision Systems said. “They use ultrathin, lightweight, scratch-resistant composite glass, saving interior cabin space and delivering superior optical performance. Furthermore, in addition to being silent, light, and compact, these solutions have no moving parts, reducing maintenance and downtime compared to shades.”
Vision Systems will also present one of its latest innovations for ambiance creation and personalization of passenger space, a smart-glass partition between pilot and passengers, consisting of a switchable projection display showing messages, images, or videos. “When nothing is displayed, this divider can remain transparent or opaque (white or dark) to offer more privacy,” it said.
Tel Aviv, Israel-based Gauzy, a material science and nanotechnology developer, acquired Vision Systems in February 2022. The Gauzy subsidiary is based near Lyon, France, with production and sales facilities in Florida, and trade offices in Singapore, Dubai, and Montreal. It is a supplier that designs, produces, and markets bespoke solutions for the aerospace, land transport, and marine industries.
“Vision Systems has developed a comprehensive know-how to create built-to-spec robust, compact, lightweight, plug-and-play solutions with various options for customization,” it said. “The company masters different processes such as resin transfer molding, thermocompression, thermoforming, and draping, alongside being specialists in mechanics and electronics.”
Its product range includes cyclic sticks, interior linings, sun visors, electric composite footsteps, bad-weather windows, jettisonable composite frames, electronically dimmable windows, and smart partitions.