Mack Granite Gets Corning Fusion5 Windshield Standard in 2027

Mack will install Corning Fusion5 Glass windshields as standard equipment on the all-new Granite vocational truck when production starts in January 2027 at the Macungie, Pennsylvania plant. Orders open in the second half of 2026.

How much more durable is the Mack ImpactShield windshield?

Mack and Corning — the company behind Gorilla Glass smartphone screens — say the bonded curved windshield design improves durability compared with conventional glass, reducing unplanned service events and replacement costs over the truck's life. Corning calls Fusion5 Glass "an advancement in automotive glazing solutions, addressing breakage while providing economic benefits to customers," according to Mike Kunigonis, vice president and general manager of Corning Automotive Glass Solutions.

Mack has not released specific impact-resistance figures, replacement-cost deltas, or warranty terms for the ImpactShield windshield. The company positions the technology as a way to keep vocational trucks on the job longer between glass replacements — a pitch aimed squarely at construction, waste, and aggregate fleets where rock chips and debris strikes are routine.

What Corning Fusion5 Glass brings to heavy-duty trucks

Corning adapted the Fusion5 technology — originally developed for automotive passenger-car glazing — for heavy-duty truck applications in partnership with Mack. The material is intended to resist breakage from road debris better than standard laminated glass. Corning has not disclosed the glass composition or manufacturing process publicly, but the Fusion5 name refers to a five-layer laminate structure used in some of the company's automotive products.

The ImpactShield windshield uses a bonded curved design, which integrates the glass into the cab structure rather than relying on a rubber gasket seal. Bonded windshields typically improve cab rigidity and reduce wind noise, but they require adhesive curing time during installation and are harder to replace in the field without OEM-certified tooling.

When the new Mack Granite enters production

The all-new Granite — Mack's vocational platform for dump, mixer, and refuse applications — will be available for order in the second half of 2026. Production begins in January 2027 at Mack's Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania. The ImpactShield windshield will be standard equipment; Mack has not announced whether a conventional glass option will be available or what the cost delta would be.

"Mack customers don't have time for unplanned stops," said Tim Wrinkle, vice president and product owner for vocational and medium duty at Mack. "Partnering with Corning to bring Fusion5 Glass to heavy-duty trucking is about helping customers keep trucks on the job and control costs."

What this means for vocational fleets

Windshield replacement is a recurring line item for vocational fleets. A standard Class 8 windshield replacement runs $400 to $800 in parts and labor, depending on the truck and whether the job requires recalibration of forward-collision or lane-departure cameras mounted behind the glass. If the ImpactShield windshield extends replacement intervals by even 20 percent over a truck's first five years, the cumulative savings could offset a higher upfront cost — but Mack has not released pricing or durability data to validate that math yet.

The bonded design may complicate roadside or small-shop replacements. Fleets that handle glass work in-house will need to confirm whether their adhesive systems and curing equipment are compatible with the ImpactShield windshield, or whether Mack will require dealer installation to maintain warranty coverage. Those details have not been published.

Vocational fleets spec'ing the new Granite in late 2026 should ask Mack for replacement-cost estimates, warranty coverage on rock-chip damage, and whether the windshield can be replaced outside the dealer network without voiding the cab warranty. The answers will determine whether the ImpactShield windshield delivers a TCO advantage or just shifts glass costs from replacement frequency to per-incident expense.