Different auto glasses are used in your vehicle. These auto glass panels are not just used to add aesthetics to the vehicle but also provide structural support of up to 30%. So, have you ever wondered how these auto glass panels are made? Material used in that, and what are the different types of auto glass in Tulsa?
The rear and side windows in your car are made of different automotive materials than windshield glass. So, let’s understand what materials are used for Auto Glass manufacturing.
What is auto glass?
Auto glass in Tulsa is made of mixture of materials such as Sand or Silica, Sodium Carbonate, Lime or Calcium Oxide, Cullet, etc. Among all the materials, sand or silica accounts for 60% of all the materials used to make auto glass panels. Auto glasses are made to protect passengers and drivers and help them see on the road.
How is auto glass made?
Auto glass is made of a mixture of materials, including silica, lime, sodium carbonate, and Cullet. All these materials are put under extreme temperatures to melt down, so they can be used to create auto glass panels. When all these raw materials are mixed in the right quantity at the right temperature, the chemical fusion starts and a new substance called ‘glass’ starts taking place.
Here is the simple process by which auto glass is made in factories –
- First, all the raw materials are collected, mixed in the right ratio, and put together at a high temperature to start the process of glass creation.
- Once the glass melts, manufacturing starts. It follows the ‘float method’ to create glass panels. While going through the float chamber, the opening temperature should be at 1000 °C, while at the opening it is 600 °C.
- The machine makes the material into a uniform thickness of glass panels. These panels are cooled down to 200 °C and come ready for cutting and tempering.
- After cutting the glass to the desired size and shape, the glass is then tempered to improve its strength by quickly heating it and blasting it with cold air.
- To provide additional strength and protect from debris and other materials, glass goes through lamination process (specifically in windshield creation process).
Different types of auto glass
Auto glass in Tulsa is usually of two types: tempered auto glass and laminated auto glass.
Tempered auto glass is used in the side windows, doors, and rear windows of your vehicle. These glasses are treated with heating and sudden cooling. Tempered glass has the property to be scattered into thousands of small pieces, avoiding any severe damage to the passengers from harmless pebble-like pieces that do not have sharp edges.
Laminated auto glass is used for windshields. These glasses are made by the sandwitch’ method, in which a polyvinyl butyral is fused between two glass sheets to produce the laminated glass. Such glasses can take a heavy impact without shattering and will not fly into shards. Not just the automotive industry but other industries are using laminated glass extensively.
Also Read:- Common Auto Glass Repair Issues and How to Fix Them
Can auto glass be recycled? If yes, How?
It’s not as simple as you think. But YES, automotive glass can be recycled. However, the recycling process is different from that of normal glass. Especially laminated glasses that are used in windshields.
Recycling auto glass in Tulsa from windshields involves separating the PVB layer. Generally, in such a case, used or expired windshield automotive glass is crushed and pulverized. After that, using modern machinery, the PVB is removed from the rest of the glass. Then glass is processed into something called “glass cullet,” which is later used for concrete, fiberglass insulation, and other applications.
What makes windshield glass different from regular glass?
Unlike other types, windshield glass is made of laminated auto glass in Tulsa. Instead of being shattered into thousands of pieces, they can face a high impact. In cases of severe damage to the glass, rather than shattering, laminated glass sticks together in one to two large pieces to avoid any injury during any crash. As windshield glass is made of laminated glass, which is the fusion of two glass layers with PVB, it gives the glass extra protection and strength to endure more damage than ordinary glass.
Final Thought on Auto Glass in Tulsa:
Auto glass is made from a mixture of materials, including sand, lime, sodium carbonate, and cullet. The manufacturing process starts with melting the raw materials at high temperatures. Tempered auto glass is used for side windows, doors, and rear windows. Laminated auto glass is used for windshields. Auto glass in Tulsa can be recycled, but the process is different for laminated glass. The PVB layer must be removed before the glass can be recycled. Windshield glass is different from other types of auto glass because it is laminated. This makes it stronger and helps prevent it from shattering in the event of a crash.