Glass has been around since the Early Egyptians. Glass has made many things since that time from pottery, windows and windshields. Glass is a huge automotive innovation and a enormous money maker. Automotive glass had been reengineered to accommodate the wear and tear of driving on the road. From rain, snow and blistering heat, windshield glass needs to be stronger and able to handle extreme weather conditions.
The strength of a windshield is important. The windshield has been created to with stand harsh hits pebbles and small rocks can throw at it. However, sometimes you windshield will meet its match and crack your windshield. When this happens, the designers have made the glass in a way where it will not shatter into small pieces and not allow debris to enter through the windshield endangering all who are in it.
One might have noticed how strong windshields can be. If you have ever seen a shattered windshield you understand the strength it has over a regular window in your house. The creation of a windshield starts with the driver and other passengers in mind. It is made stronger and in a way to prepare itself for a crash. The process of making a windshield starts in this order:
1. Mixing the base ingredients:
a. The ingredients that make up glass are mixed with water and broken glass particles to prevent segregation and add strength.
2. Cutting:
a. The glass is cut into diamond shape that makes the glass stronger than regular glass. The glass then is poured into a mold and heated to give the windshields its bow shape.
3. Laminating:
a. The laminating process gives the glass its strength. Two sheets of glass are attached by a layer of plastic that acts as a bond between the two sheets. The sheets are then made into one sheet by a process of heating and pressuring the glass.
b. In the United States and many other countries laminated glass is required for automotives.
4. Assembly:
a. The windshield is now ready for assembly and may have rubber and plastic attachments connected when assembled into a car.
When a windshield becomes damaged people use to have to replace the whole windshield, but this became very expensive. Now a day’s people are more prone to repair their windshield which is a cheaper option. Some insurance agencies actually have windshield repair in their policies. Repairing a windshield can cost up to $50.00 for the first chip then around $15.00 for any additional chips. A crack can be around $150.00 depending on size of the crack. These prices are still cheaper compared to $350.00 to $1,000.00 for a replaced windshield.
