Illuminated logos Moulded PMMA components highlight design innovation in Opel’s new electric SUV

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Röhm GmbH

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The new Opel Grandland Electric features illuminated Plexiglas moulded lettering in place of traditional chrome elements. Developed in collaboration with Röhm and Hella, the design reflects current trends in lighting technology and materials use in automotive manufacturing.

The Opel “Blitz” lightning bolt glows white at the front, and brand name in signal red letters at the rear. The new Grandland Electric SUV is Opel’s first series model to feature the new exterior design without chrome elements. Instead, the brand insignia are made from Plexiglas and are illuminated. With this illuminated lettering, parent company Stellantis is taking a definitive step in modernizing and electrifying this traditional German car brand.

Integrated into the slimline rear light strip that extends across the entire width of the vehicle, the Opel lettering is discernible even from a distance. The lighting specialists at Hella Lighting produce the multi-part rear light of the Opel Grandland Electric using Plexiglas moulding compounds, the brand polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) from Röhm. “It’s a well-known material for us at Hella. We know and appreciate the properties,” says Samuel Tomka, head of the Optical Development Department at Hella Slovakia.

The three-dimensional lettering is injection-moulded in one piece. The letters are approximately 30 millimeters high and long, and 10 millimeters deep. “The challenge is to achieve uniform thickness and avoid cracks and sink marks,” explains Tomka. “Plexiglas molding compounds have the potential to mitigate these risks to a minimum, so we can produce the lettering with the highest precision and ensure that the aesthetics and functionality meet the highest demands.”

Rafal Czokow, Senior Business Manager in Röhm’s Molding Compounds business unit, describes the characteristics of the moulding compound used here: “This Plexiglas product is characterized by maximum optical purity and excellent light-guiding properties, as well as a high heat deflection temperature and mechanical stability, making it a great choice for use in vehicle lighting components. Thanks to its well-balanced melt viscosity, the molding compound is very well suited for injection molding and offers great freedom of design.”

Targeted light extraction at the surface

Since the lettering is part of the rear light, it has to comply with the international regulations for vehicle lighting. This is why the Opel brand name is also illuminated in signal red, the required colour for rear lights. The optical properties of the brand PMMA enable designers to create spectacular lighting effects: Thanks to a fine surface structure, the red light of the LEDs is emitted only through the front of the otherwise crystal-clear letters. In daylight, the Opel lettering stands out beneath the rear light cover thanks to its elegant 3D effect.

Hella also produces the transparent cover from Plexiglas moulding compound. This is because, in addition to its high transparency, the material also has excellent UV and weather resistance, and does not turn yellow over time. As a result, the signal colours required by the relevant standards are reproduced perfectly, and the Opel brand name is highlighted with sharp and crystal-clear brilliance.

In Europe, illuminated emblems and logos on vehicle exteriors have only been allowed since 2023, and they are subject to strict requirements in terms of dimensions and colours. When it comes to vehicle interiors, however, lighting designers have virtually free rein. In his role at Hella Lighting, Tomka has noticed that ambient lighting is increasingly coming into focus in automotive design, and that both the showcasing of the brand and customizable lighting scenarios are set to play a major role in future. “This opens up exciting new opportunities for us, and relieves bonds from creative minds,” says the newly appointed Head of Program Management for Interior Lighting in the International Segment.

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