Published: July 2, 2014 9:28 am ET
Updated: July 2, 2014 5:15 pm ET
Image By: Altuglas International
Altuglas International's ShieldUp acrylic/elastomer sheet is being used on the Kawasaki superbike ridden to victory at a race in Misano, Italy last month.
A nanostructured acrylic/elastomer sheet protected the winning rider in a superbike race in Misano, Italy, last month.
Tom Sykes, 2013 superbike world champion, raced for the Kawasaki team June 22 on a bike with a windshield made of Altuglas International’s ShieldUp acrylic/elastomer sheet. The sheet is comprised of polymethylmethacrylate and elastomer organized as a nanostructured mesh to improve performance.
Altuglas claims ShieldUp provides high impact resistance, transparency throughout temperature fluctuations and high chemical stability. The properties expand the potential uses of acrylic sheet into areas such as automotive, where Altuglas says it can replace glass, which is twice as heavy.
The elastomer content of ShieldUp significantly boosts impact resistance compared with conventional acrylic sheet, says the Colombes, France, company. Nanostructure details are measured on the scale of a billionth of a meter. | 
