How The Windshield Started

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How The Windshield Started
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Most early cars did not have a windshield, they
were manufactured with an open air design.
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Drivers wore goggles to protect their eyes from
the elements.
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The windshield became popular because it was an
improved way to protect yourself and your
passengers from wind and debris.
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The first windshields were made out of glass.
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Instead of helping people, the shattering glass
on impact would actually cause more injuries,
then the windshield was meant to protect.
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That is why auto manufacturers switched to using
tempered glass.
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Tempering is a special process which makes the
glass more shatter resistant.
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How A Windshield Is Made
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Most windshields are made using the float
method.
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A special formula consisting of silica, soda
ash, dolomite, cullet, and limestone mixed
together, and then sent through a chamber known
as the float chamber.
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The float chamber is made of a sheet of molten
tin, reaching a temperature of 1800 degrees
Fahrenheit, where the glass is passed above this
section of molten tin.
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The intense heat of the chamber causes the glass
mixture to float above the molten tin while
removing any impurities within the glass.
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As the glass exits the float chamber the change
in temperature causes the glass to harden just
enough to move into the next chamber.
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The next chamber, at around 400 degrees
Fahrenheit, is much cooler than the float
chamber.
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This temperature allows for the annealing
process where the glass is cooled slowly to make
it stronger.
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After exiting the last chamber the glass is
cooled to room temperature and is now ready to be
cut.
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The section of glass is now placed into a mold
that is heated to allow the glass to take the
shape of a windshield.
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Once the glass has taken its shape, the
lamination process begins.
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A layer of poly-vinyl butyral is sandwiched
between two sheets of tempered glass and heated
with an autoclave.
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The heating process turns all the layers clear
making it see-through.
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Windshields Have Improved
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New research is being conducted every day to
develop new ways to make glass safer and more
durable.
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Some glass can even resist UV light, fix
scratches on its own, and has anti-fog capability.
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Being shatter resistant and coated to reflect
some of the suns rays the windshield has now
become one of the cars most important designs
and safety features.