Most people do not realize the technology hiding behind it until they have to replace their windshield, St. Paul professionals often taking the time to explain to them why the glass used for the front window of the car is so important.
Windshield glass is very different from regular glass and it is specifically designed for cars in order to reduce the likelihood of injuries in the event of an accident. There are two types of safety glass used in manufacturing an automobile: laminated glass and tempered glass.
While tempered glass is traditionally used for the side windows and for the back shield, windshields are made of laminated glass, which offers a higher degree of safety.
Laminated glass basically consists of two panels of glass, which have a plastic layer, called polyvinyl butyral, between them. They are fused together using heat and extreme pressure.
Many people looking for windshield, St. Paul residents especially, do not really know the difference between these two types of safety glass and do not realize that buying the wrong type just to save a couple of bucks may prove disastrous.
Laminated glass is used for windshields because it is designed not to shatter apart during collisions. Furthermore, in the event of a collision, when the occupants do not wear their seat belts, the vinyl inside the windshield acts like a cushion and helps to protect the occupants from serious injury.
Being designed not to shatter apart, the broken glass remains stuck to the plastic between the two sheets, thus creating the spider web appearance that we are all familiar with.
Some automobile manufacturers use laminated glass not only for the windshield, but also for the rear window and for the side windows, to offer additional safety. Even so, the tempered glass used for the side and rear-windows of most cars is quite safe, since it does not shatter. On impact, the tempered glass breaks into tiny, blunt, pebble-like pieces that do not cut like regular glass.
Windshields only slightly vary in thickness, the average being of ¼ inches. Although windshields are really thin, they are very durable and they offer great safety to the occupants of the car, so, looking at laminated glass from an engineering point of view, it is probably one of the most impressive assets that go into the manufacturing of an automobile.
To sum up, keep in mind that when replacing any windshield, St. Paul professionals should use laminated glass, no matter how expensive it is, as the price difference could be your life, that of your loved ones or serious injuries.
Windshield St. Paul – If you are looking for quality windshield service in St. Paul, North Metro Glass provides quality service for all your cracked windshield repair and windshield replacement.
