Windscreens^Etc.

Vehicle glass is often overlooked until it gets chipped or smashed. But, it does more than keep the wind out of your hair and the bugs out of your teeth.

Modern windscreens, for example, contribute to your safety and to the structural strength of your car.

Plus, glass is becoming increasingly hi-tech and which impacts on aspects such as replacement time and cost.

Windscreens (windshields) are laminated glass. They are made from two sheets of glass with a thin layer of plastic - poly vinyl butyral (PVB) sandwiched between them. The 'sandwich' is heated and pressed to shape to form a windscreen.

The PVB layer is what stops the windscreen from shattering into a million pieces when it is damaged. It also prevents stones from penetrating the glass and stops you exiting your car head-first through the windscreen in the event of an accident..

Side and rear windows tend to be made from toughened glass which, when damaged, shatters into small pieces because they lack the PVB layer.

However, an increasing number of modern cars are featuring laminated glass in windows other than the windscreen for reasons of safety and sound reduction.

Solar reflecting glass to keep people cool, windscreens with rain sensors, windscreens that incorporate heating elements or antennae.

Windscreens and vehicle glass are growing in complexity. They are also becoming more complex in shape and larger too. All this means that fitting a windscreen is a more complicated and lengthier process.