Your car needs to have nice, clear windows so that you can see everything that is going on so that you don't get hurt. But, the glass in your car windows needs to be more than just clear so you can see through it, it also needs to be strong so that you can be safe while you are in the car. That's why your car has two different kinds of glass in its windows.

Laminated Glass

The front and rear windshields are made out of laminated glass. Laminated glass is made out of two or more pieces of glass that are stuck together with a clear resin in between them. The pieces of glass are generally toughened before they become part of the windshield. Then the two pieces are stuck together and heated and/or put under pressure so that the two pieces become one solid piece. The windshields are also shaped at that point, depending on if they are going to be a front window or a rear window and what kind of car they are made for. Laminated glass is stronger than normal window glass would be because of the layers, and if one layer were to break, the adhesive and the other layer of glass will hold the broken pieces together and keep it from falling into the car.

Safety Glass

The glass in your windows is safety glass. The glass has been toughened either by using chemicals or heat or both. Toughened glass means that it's going to be harder to break and it can withstand the tension that glass will go through. The toughening process will do other things, including changing the crystalline lattice in the glass, so that if the glass were to break, it wouldn't shatter, which would cause injury to anyone in the way because of all the sharp edges. Instead, the glass would break into large chunks. The chunks are much less likely to hurt anyone in the case of an accident. You may still get a scratch from the broken pieces, but nothing like you would if the glass were to shatter instead. 

The windows in your car get subjected to a lot of pressures and potential damage. That's why you need to have special kinds of glass in your windows and windshield. With the right types of glass, you are always going to be able to see out of your car window.

To learn more, reach out to an auto glass service.

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