Types of car windshields

The majority of the glass used in car glass or auto glass is tempered for the safety of passengers. Included in the description “car glass” are the side windows, vent glass, quarter glass, and the glass roof, if any. In most cars, there is a glass run channel that helps keep it in place. This can help to hold glass pieces and fragments if it is ever broken.

 

There are two main types of glass that are used in making cars and are currently dominating the market today.

 

 

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass consists of two strong sheets of glass that are converted into a single thick sheet by sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) in the middle. These layers are bonded together using high temperatures to provide an incredibly sturdy and durable auto glass that does not shatter in the event of an accident. As it holds up to impact quite well, making it perfect for front windshields!

 

Although breakable, the PVB interlayer protects the passengers as the pieces of glass stick to the adhesive instead of flying around and increasing the chances of injury or passengers being thrown through the windshield. Even when the car gets involved in a head-on collision, the laminated glass will act as a cushion in case a passenger gets slammed into the window.

 

Aside from windshields, laminated glass is also commonly used for shop windows (where glass can be broken during a burglary), skylights, glass roofs and floors, aquariums, or any application where the likelihood of impact is high!

 

 

Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is processed to be 10 times stronger than regular glass. Most cars Most vehicles utilize tempered glass in the rear and door windows. Curved glass or float glass that has been heated to extremely high temperatures followed by a rapid cooling procedure known as “quenching” is used to create durable tempered glass. This makes it so that when tempered glass breaks, it breaks into small pieces that mimic the shape of pebbles. However, these pieces are not sharp and will not cause bodily harm if they fall onto a person’s body.

 

The main difference between the laminated and tempered glass is that tempered glass is more susceptible to shattering upon impact. That aside, laminated glass can be repaired, but tempered glass shatters entirely in an accident and requires a complete replacement.  Even a small crack or chip in tempered glass from something like a fallen rock cannot be repaired. The entire glass will need to be replaced. The difference in cost between the two can also be quite drastic, as laminated glass is generally three to four times more expensive than tempered glass!

 

No matter what the differences are, both types of auto glass provide nothing but the best in safety for you and your passengers!