Windshield Origins

1
Most early cars did not have a windshield they
were manufactured with an open air design.
2
Drivers wore goggles to protect their eyes from
the elements.
3
The windshield became popular because it was an
improved way to protect yourself and your
passengers from wind and debris.
4
The first windshields were made out of glass.
5
Instead of helping people, the shattering glass
on impact would actually cause more injuries,
then the windshield was meant to protect.
6
That is why auto manufacturers switched to using
tempered glass.
7
Tempering is a special process which makes the
glass more shatter resistant.
8
Most windshields are made using the float
method.
9
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.
10
The float chamber is made of a sheet of molten
tin, reaching a temperature of 1.800 degrees
Fahrenheit, where the glass is passed above this
section of molten tin.
11
The intense heat of the chamber causes the glass
mixture to float above the molten tin while
removing any impurities within the glass.
12
As the glass exits the float chamber the change
in temperature causes the glass to harden just
enough to move into the next chamber.
13
The next chamber, at around 400 degrees
Fahrenheit, is much cooler than the float chamber.
14
This temperature allows for the annealing process
where the glass is cooled slowly to make it
stronger.
15
After exiting the last chamber the glass is
cooled to room temperature and is now ready to be
cut.
16
The section of glass is now placed into a mold
that is heated to allow the glass to take the
shape of a windshield.
17
Once the glass has taken its shape, the
lamination process begins.
18
A layer of poly-vinyl butyral is sandwiched
between two sheets of tempered glass and heated
with an autoclave.
19
The heating process turns all the layers clear
making it see-through.
20
New research is being conducted every day to
develop new ways to make glass safer and more
durable.
21
Some glass can even resist UV light, fix
scratches on its own, and has anti-fog capability.
22
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.
23
With this information drivers are able to better
understand the origins of the windshield, and the
benefits that they provide drivers every day.