KTM, a leading maker of off-road vehicles has unveiled its lightweight sports car X-Bow (cross-bow) has employed Bayer MaterialScience's Makrolon® AG2677 polycarbonate for its 70 mm high transparent wind deflector. The component was injection molded by plastic-design GmbH (Germany) and provides several benefits including 40% weight reduction, manufacturing cost savings and high impact strength over wide range of temperatures relative to the same manufactured using glass.
The X-Bow is characterized by standalone wheels, transparent technology and stripped concept, e.g. no roof, doors or windscreen. Bayer MaterialScience and its BayVision® team also contributed to the economical design of the transparent curved wind deflector by helping the project partners to engineer affordable mold technology suitable for series production. Measuring 110 centimeters in width and 27 centimeters in height, the curved wind deflector is colored transparent gray. It boasts a complex three-dimensional geometry that fits seamlessly into the car's design. Unique features of the deflector include a section, angled along a curve, that transitions up to the actual wind deflector, and a top edge that is rounded for safety and other reasons.
In addition, Bayer MaterialScience and its BayVision® team calculated the optimum position of the screw connections whereby the PC wind deflector is attached on the monocoque-style (single-shell) carbon fiber chassis with both materials having different coefficients of thermal expansions. They also conducted mold flow analyses to minimize component stresses and material orientation, shift flow lines to non-visible areas and determine the right size of the injection molding machine.
18-Dec-08 
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