The Three Ways Automotive Glass Shatters, And Why They Shatter That Way

Posted on: 9 September 2018

Cars and trucks have three kinds of auto glass. Each one of these types of glass shatters a different way. There is actually a reason for the three types of glass, as well as a reason for each type of glass shattering the way that it does.

Traditional Glass

Traditional glass is the same type of glass used in the windows in your house. When it breaks, it breaks into shards. This is the type of glass frequently used in the windows in the vehicle's doors. It is not used in the windshield or in the rear window.

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass is two sheets of glass that are laminated together to reinforce the strength of the glass. It is used in the rear windshield, and sometimes in the door windows as well. When it shatters, it creates many bizarre but fascinating cube-shaped pieces of glass.

If you were to pick up one of these "cubes," you would see the lamination layer between the two layers of glass. Laminated glass shatters the way it does for safety reasons. It is less likely to impale people in the car that traditional glass. You may suffer some cuts, but nothing extremely lethal.

Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is glass reinforced through an intense heating process. The purpose of making this glass so strong is so that it cannot fly directly in the faces of the driver and front passenger when broken, and so that it cannot be broken as easily as the other two types of glass used in most vehicles. When tempered glass breaks, it takes a lot of force. Even then, it may crack, but it will not shatter into cubes or splinter into shards everywhere. Everything heavy, forceful, and powerful will hit the front windshield before it hits most of the rest of your vehicle. The tempered glass will hold fast and protect you. 

Replacing Glass

Tempered glass can be used on your home, as can traditional glass. You would not want to use laminated glass on your home because a flying ball or other projectile would shatter the entire window the minute the object hits. Replacing car window glass works the same way. Each type of glass is used for a specific purpose. You can easily smash a vehicle window if your vehicle is sinking in water (with the exception of the front windshield, which prevents you from drowning in this scenario). Each type of glass then has to be replaced with the correct type. Contact a service, like Ac glass Company , for more help.

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