Diamon Fusion for windshields

I leased a new Volvo for my daughter, and was told they offer this product which is
like "Rain- X on steroids". Put it on windshield and water flows off, keeping windshield much clearer. I'm all into whatever safety feature I can get for my daughters vehicle. Hence, the Volvo. They charge $300 to apply it. I negotiated with them to put it on my car and my wife's car for the same $300. 3 cars for $300. The question is, if for $100 per car the stuff is worth it?

Don't think so.

I would say no. Save your money and buy several bottles of Rain X instead. The product reportedly wears off and has to be reapplied every 3 or 4 months. Check out the below review:

http://www.dalehenninger.com/archives/3

Originally Posted by bikerboy

I leased a new Volvo for my daughter, and was told they offer this product which is
like "Rain- X on steroids". Put it on windshield and water flows off, keeping windshield much clearer. I'm all into whatever safety feature I can get for my daughters vehicle. Hence, the Volvo. They charge $300 to apply it. I negotiated with them to put it on my car and my wife's car for the same $300. 3 cars for $300. The question is, if for $100 per car the stuff is worth it?

Don't pay. This stuff lasts about 6 months max.

Better idea is to use Aquapel which also lasts 6 months and which is also substantially better than Rain-X. I use Aquapel and am constantly amazed how good it is when I am driving in the rain. At higher speeds, I just switch off the wipers.

One Aquapel can cover a windshield, but I would recommend you buy the 12 pack for $35 on Amazon. I did all my windows, and have a stash for when it begins to wear out in about 6 months.

Aquapel will work just the same or better. Don't waste your money on dealer installed accessories.

Hello,
I am a representative from Diamon-Fusion International. We regret the negative experience some of you seem to have encountered with our product and the incorrect information you may have received from various dealers and installers, and we'd like to help clear up any misinformation you might have been given. I hope it’s ok if we answer some of the what seems like are the most confusing points.
-Basic background: Diamon-Fusion® is a low-maintenance, not a no-maintenance, coating for silica-based surfaces (glass, porcelain, tile, granite, & quartz). Using most brand name cleaners on the market to clean DFI treated glass is harmful because they are acidic and harsh. Diamon-Fusion® is easily cleaned with just mild soap and water, so no harsh chemicals are needed.
-Because it is a patented product and is typically professionally applied, it has not been generally available to the public through retail outlets. We are the owner of the technology, therefore, all dealers and applicators set their own pricing and warranty policies. Many variations of coverages, price points, etc. exist. As with any product purchased, care must be taken to thoroughly read and understand what is being offered and covered.
-Independent testing has proven that Diamon-Fusion® makes windshield glass ten times harder to pit, chip, or crack. That is only one of the other benefits, besides water repellency, that it provides. We’d love to talk to you about them and many others, and invite you to revisit our website—or better yet—give us a call toll-free at 1.888.344.4DFI(334).
-Without detracting from competitors or trying to explain the nuance of each difference, we believe we are the only patented glass coating we know of that has had the extensive testing for safety that we have, will help to keep your insurance claims down by not having a relatively small claim when a full warranty is purchased, and is guaranteed not to haze, peel, or yellow.
-As one reviewer noted, simply because the properties of the coating diminish somewhat, it does not mean that the coating is gone. Yes, there is maintenance needed; we know of no other coating that has none at all. As also noted, however, the little time it takes to Revitalize Diamon-Fusion®, is well worth the small amount of effort that would need to be done anyway, and with less superior products.
I hope this response has helped give you more concrete information about Diamon-Fusion®. Please contact us soon and let us do our best to share with you how to avoid a potential problem that may seem relatively minor now, but that could become costly and a big inconvenience in the future.
Thank you all for your input, especially to those that tried to point out differences and share their positive experiences. We also greatly value the opinions of those with less than perfect experiences as this is how we learn and improve. We hope to have the opportunity to have you as Diamon-Fusion customers in the future.

Honestly, I don't care if your product is the best thing since sliced bread. If it's being marketed through the dealer, they're marking it up too much and I'll never buy it.

Please state your patent number, and the name of the independent laboratory along with the publicly available test report number or title.

Thank you.

Hi,

Yes, happy to let you know our Patent number is 6,245,387 and may be looked up at the USPTO (US Patent &Trade Office) website.

The Institute for Glass Science and Engineering at Alfred University, New York was the independent test lab and the full results may be seen on our Diamon-Fusion website listed at the bottom under Products and Services, then *Test Results.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

... If it's being marketed through the dealer...

Nuff said

It is a shame that a product doesn't get the recognition it deserves, only because an involvemenr of a"stealership". IMHO

This is the part that bothers me, "... makes windshield glass ten times harder to pit, chip, or crack". My dealer said something similar to this to me about your product. But he was quick to say, "but that isnt guaranteed". So what good is saying it then? What proof do you have that it makes the windshield 10 times harder to pit, chip, or crack?

We all hear those grandiose statements regarding additional cost items such as leather protection, paint protection, undercoating, etc... If you wont guarantee it, then it costs way too much.

Could have been worse...at least you got three cars done for that price

Originally Posted by NASA43

This is the part that bothers me, "... makes windshield glass ten times harder to pit, chip, or crack". My dealer said something similar to this to me about your product. But he was quick to say, "but that isnt guaranteed". So what good is saying it then? What proof do you have that it makes the windshield 10 times harder to pit, chip, or crack?

We all hear those grandiose statements regarding additional cost items such as leather protection, paint protection, undercoating, etc... If you wont guarantee it, then it costs way too much.

I don't think the dealer would guarantee it because the. The dealer is on the hook if your windshield gets chipped or cracked. They probably don't want the liability that would go along with that.

Originally Posted by Diamon-Fusion

-Independent testing has proven that Diamon-Fusion® makes windshield glass ten times harder to pit, chip, or crack. .

See, this is the thing that I don't agree with. Unless you have additional testing other than what you show on your website, you're basing this claim on theoretical static load resistance based on the contact angle. Now, I'm not a materials scientists, however I do have scientific training. Your claim is, in my mind, tenuous at best. Your static load needed to crack the glass is based on a formula, not actual results. Assuming that this formula is correct, you then make a jump from a static load to "harder to pit, chip or crack". But as we all know, an automotive windshield is rarely subjected to a static load. Loads are impact related, not static.

Sorry, whether or not your product does make surfaces more water resistant, I'm not sure how you can make the claims regarding pitting, chipping and cracking.

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

See, this is the thing that I don't agree with. Unless you have additional testing other than what you show on your website, you're basing this claim on theoretical static load resistance based on the contact angle. Now, I'm not a materials scientists, however I do have scientific training. Your claim is, in my mind, tenuous at best. Your static load needed to crack the glass is based on a formula, not actual results. Assuming that this formula is correct, you then make a jump from a static load to "harder to pit, chip or crack". But as we all know, an automotive windshield is rarely subjected to a static load. Loads are impact related, not static.

Sorry, whether or not your product does make surfaces more water resistant, I'm not sure how you can make the claims regarding pitting, chipping and cracking.

Agree.

But it seems there is another company called Prestige Films which makes a windshield film called Diamond Fusion Windshield protection film which is like a clear bra for the windshield. I would believe that might prevent chips since film applications have surface tension.

http://teamspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63333

Hello again,

Our product was invented by a retired chemistry professor, Dr. Don Hayden. Upon entering the auto windshield market we had the problem of trying to quantify, what we could clearly see are, the benefits that the coating provides.

For instance, as you can see in YOUTUBE videos, we took pieces of laminated glass similar in thickness to a standard windshield and we treated half of it with Diamon-Fusion®. We then took that glass and set it against a tree at the same approximate angle it would be if it were in a vehicle. Next we stood back about 40 feet, and using a BB-Gun Air pistol, shot each side with 10 shots, alternating sides.

The results were that on the untreated side, 9 of the 10 shots broke the glass badly, and the one that didn't was not a repairable break. The treated side had 2 breaks, both of which were repairable, and 8 bounced off. This real world test has been repeated many times with the same, or similar, results.

While that evidence was empirical, we decided to send our coatings to the only Professor of Glass Science we could find, who was at Alfred University in New York. The test he used with a glass indentor, proved that the coefficient of friction of Diamon-Fusion® treated glass was so much lower that objects not hitting the glass perfectly perpendicular, which rarely happens on a windshield, were now sliding across the surface because of the low COF. Since the capped silicone film treatment had taken away the microscopic peaks in the glass, they were not there to get caught or tugged by the object, so the glass remained undamaged.

After 15 years, we have many testimonials from people who couldn't believe their glass didn't break when it was hit with something after it had been treated. Dr. LaCourse, who performed the tests, quantified the results by saying an object that would cause damage to a windshield under a certain set of variables, would have to weigh 10x more to damage a Diamon-Fusion® treated one than an untreated one.

The fact is that the BB Gun test and testimonials are more convincing than the Professors words.

Thanks again to everyone for their posts, we appreciate the opportunity to discuss our product.

I am at a loss as to why your company would choose to market this through auto dealers. Not only is their reputation suspect(and therefore any products that they market), but they employ some of the least skilled folks when it comes to quality of application. Detailing comes to mind as an example. An independent detail shop will do a better job of detailing than a car dealer 90% of the time. Why would Diamon-Fusion not choose this route?

I also do not go for the dealership up sell items. But, it sounds like Diamon-Fusion has a good product. Best of luck to them.

As SP mentioned Aquapel is very good.

Another glass product that I have been using is Wolf's Glass guard. Easier application process then Aquapel as you dont have to remove before it dries as you should with Aquapel. Its out of stock right now at Detailers Domain (forum sponsor.) They usually get some in every few weeks. You use so little that the 150ml bottle will last a long time. I'll be applying it to my shower glass door and our new home windows when they are installed in a few months.