What Type of Glass is Used for Car Windows?

The side windows and rear windshield of a car are made of tempered glass, which is created by rapidly heating glass to more than 1000 degrees Fahrenheit and then rapidly cooling it to room temperature. This process, known as the tempering process, makes the glass many times stronger than untempered glass of the same thickness. Most vehicles use tempered glass for rear windows and doors, while the windshield is made of laminated glass. Laminated glass is made up of two pieces of glass, with a thin layer of vinyl between them.

The three pieces are laminated together by applying heat and pressure in a special oven called an autoclave. When a small object hits a piece of safety glass, usually only the outer layer of the windshield that is hit breaks. Tempered glass is extremely strong, like laminated safety glass, but it differs in a few key ways. When created, auto tempered glass is treated with rapid heating and cooling processes.

This causes that when the tempered glass breaks, it breaks into small pieces that mimic the shape of the pebbles. Automatic glass is tempered or laminated. Safety glass is used in all automotive glass and is designed to reduce the likelihood of injury should it break. In addition to being strong and safe, automotive glass also serves multiple purposes depending on consumer requirements.

Automotive glass is designed to be resistant to dust, dirt and impacts to prevent annoying particles from sticking to the glass and distorting the driver's line of sight. Automotive glass is also used for sunroofs; they are designed to be UV-resistant to help passengers enjoy natural light without harmful UV rays. Automotive glass is exceptionally durable and responsible for 60% of the car's structural integrity in rollover accidents, while absorbing 45% of the crash impact during a head-on collision. Allstar Glass Corporation provides automotive glass services, including windshield repair, replacement or tinting, at affordable prices. The replacement glass used was manufactured by the same manufacturer as the original glass and meets original safety and quality specifications.

For windshield replacement, you have the option of selecting a replacement made by a company that makes OEM windshields, or glass made by non-OEM manufacturers, known as aftermarket glass.