What is Laminated Safety Glass
What's In This Post?
In the 1950s plate glass was used in car windows as well as windshields, which would smash into dangerous shards upon impact. Many people were brutally injured, killed by decapitation, or suffered the loss of limbs in car accidents because of this unsafe windshield glass. Thankfully, the auto industry recognized the need to manufacture a safer windshield alternative in laminated glass and that revolutionary product has saved countless lives over the years.
Benefits of Laminated Safety Glass
Laminated auto glass has many excellent benefits and has been in use for several decades. This special type of glass is manufactured by combining two curved sheets of glass with an inner layer of plastic sandwiched in the middle using intense pressure and heat in an autoclave. During this process, the glass adheres to the plastic, so that when the glass is impacted, the pieces stay affixed to the plastic center.
Some laminated auto glass contains polyvinyl butaryl which effectively stretches inward or outward upon impact, while still holding the glass together. This resistance to breakage prevents objects from entering the front area of the car as well as preventing people from being ejected from the vehicle in a collision. The windshield also keeps the integrity of the car intact, preventing passengers from being crushed in a rollover accident. Improperly installed windshields can also prevent airbags from deploying properly. The NAGS site has some nice additional details on laminated glass.
Why is Laminated Glass Used For Windshields?
Since laminated auto glass does not break easily, it is used exclusively for windshields and not for side windows of vehicles. Side windows need to be easily breakable in the case of an accident or emergency, so that they can be broken out, allowing passengers to escape. Tempered glass is used for side windows because it breaks into many very small pieces, rather than shards which can cause serious injuries. Tempered glass is also referred to as “lite” glass or safety glass.
As laminated auto glass does not break easily, it is important that front-seat passengers wear safety belts, which will prevent them from coming in contact with the windshield, which can cause serious head and facial injuries. Passengers are also retained in the vehicle in the case of a rollover accident, which is one of the leading causes of death in car accidents.
Do Car Windshields Block UV Rays?
Laminated auto glass effectively prevents approximately 97% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays from entering the inside of a vehicle, which can preserve regular gas mileage in hot summer weather. This directly reduces the need for drivers to use their air conditioning, resulting in no increased gas mileage.
The transmission of high-frequency sound is reduced by the use of laminated auto glass. This ensures that stereo systems inside the vehicle sound better because the sound waves are kept inside of the car.
Vehicles can be made “bulletproof” by adding multiple layers of laminated auto glass.
Other Uses for Laminated Safety Glass
Other less widely known uses for laminated glass are in greenhouses, shower enclosures, and thermometers. Some office buildings or skyscrapers use this kind of glass because it will not break out and will not drop and shatter in the event of an earthquake.
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