Pass/Fail Judgment of Automotive Window Tint Film Using the Spectral Evaluation Function of LabSolutions™ UV-Vis Software

Importance of the Topic

Window tint films are essential in automotive applications for reducing ultraviolet (UV) and visible light transmission, helping to protect interior components and passengers from harmful UV exposure and glare. Routine quality control of these films requires reliable determination of their transmittance properties to ensure consistent performance and compliance with regulatory or customer specifications.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study aims to demonstrate a streamlined pass/fail evaluation of commercially available automotive window tint films using the spectral evaluation function built into the LabSolutions UV-Vis software. Two tint samples and a bare glass control were tested to confirm that UV transmittance between 270 and 350 nm remains below 2 %.

Applied Methodology and Instrumentation

Measurements were conducted on a Shimadzu UV-1900 UV-Vis spectrophotometer with the following conditions:

• Wavelength range: 220–780 nm
• Scan speed: medium
• Sampling interval: 1.0 nm
• Slit width: 1 nm
• Light source change wavelength: 340 nm

Before acquisition, the spectral evaluation function was configured to detect the maximum transmittance between 270 and 350 nm, with an acceptance threshold of 2 %. The software automatically performs peak detection, calculates the evaluation value, applies pass/fail criteria, and records results in a color-coded table immediately after each measurement.

Main Results and Discussion

Both tinted samples exhibited maximum UV transmittance well below the 2 % threshold (sample 1: 0.1 %; sample 2: 0.4 %) and were marked PASS. The bare glass control showed significant UV transmission and was marked FAIL, highlighted in red in the results table. The immediate visual feedback and export options enabled rapid decision making and simplified report generation.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Using the spectral evaluation function delivers:

• Automated analysis and pass/fail judgments that reduce manual data processing
• Clear color-coded output for rapid assessment
• Straightforward export to spreadsheet formats for quality documentation
• Consistency in acceptance testing of window tint films across production batches

Future Trends and Potential Uses

Advances in UV-Vis instrumentation and software evaluation features may extend automated pass/fail testing to multifunctional films with additional requirements (e.g., IR blocking, thermal regulation). Integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and cloud-based data analysis could further enhance throughput, traceability, and remote monitoring of quality inspections.

Conclusion

The example demonstrates that the LabSolutions UV-Vis spectral evaluation function enables efficient, reproducible, and user-friendly pass/fail assessment of automotive window tint films, significantly improving workflow in quality control environments.

Used Instrumentation

• Shimadzu UV-1900 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
• LabSolutions UV-Vis Software with spectral evaluation function