Glossary Download the glazing manual (4.7 Mo)

Integrated antennas

Rapidly increasing communication tools have resulted in more and more antennas on modern vehicles. Thanks to its dielectric characteristic, glass is an excellent surface to install antennas.

Saint-Gobain Sekurit can develop integrated antenna systems in partnership with electronic antenna manufacturers. These systems, called SGS TENNAFIT® are optimized to suit each vehicle design and for required functionalities such as AM/FM radio, TV, keyless entry, remote control functions, satellite navigation, phones and others.

Advantages of glass antennas:

Vehicle Design: Vehicle design is clean cut without protruding rod antennas. Glass antennas are fully integrated in the vehicle and become almost unnoticeable.
No Vandalism/Breakage: Antenna breakage or theft problems are eliminated
Improved Vehicle Acoustics: Rod antenna vibrations and whistling noises are eliminated
Improved Vehicle Aerodynamics

Glazing for antenna integration:

Depending on the car configuration, antennas are usually integrated in the following glazing panels: Backlite, Fixed sidelite, Windshield

Antenna integration using wires (laminated glass):

Fine wires are embedded in the interlayer of a laminated glass to serve as antennas. The signal is fed by flexible flat connectors.

Wire technology may be used for classic AM/FM /TV antennas and other communication services. Its main application area is windshields.

Antenna integration by conductive coating (laminated glass):

Metallic coating used for heat reflection or heating functionality in laminated glass can also be designed to serve as an antenna that is either galvanically connected or capacitively coupled to a feeder cable.

Antenna integration by printing (tempered and laminated glass):

Antenna conductors can be printed onto the glass pane in the same way as heating grids. The heating grid can even be used to receive FM radio and TV signals. Other communication services such as AM radio, alarm, keyless entry,… usually use separately printed networks.

Antenna wire printing is used mainly on tempered backlites and fixed sidelites but can also be applied to laminated glass.

Example of a multifunctional integrated antenna backlite: