What Type of Glass is Most Commonly Found in Cars?

Laminated glass is one of the most widely used types of glass in vehicles. It is composed of two separate sheets of glass that are glued together with PVB (polyvinyl butyral) and then melted at high temperatures. Tempered glass is also commonly used in car doors or windows, and is often the preferred choice for rear windshields due to its lower cost compared to laminated rear windshields. Automotive glass can be either tempered or laminated.

The glass typically used for rear windows and front and rear door windows is made of tempered glass, while the windshield is made of laminated glass. Tempered glass is created by treating it with rapid heating and cooling processes. This causes the tempered glass to break into small pieces that resemble pebbles when it shatters. Tempering produces a hardened piece of glass that is four to five times stronger than before the tempering process.

The tempered glass of the final product is more difficult to break, and is most commonly used in passenger windows of cars, while laminated glass forms the front and rear windshields most of the time. When tempered glass breaks, it is designed to break into small pieces that are less likely to cause additional injury or damage. The glass generally used for the front and rear door windows and the rear window are made of tempered glass, while the windshield is made of laminated glass. Now that you know all about the importance of high-quality automotive glass, let's take a look at the two leading automotive glasses dominating the market:Laminated Glass - A fool-proof century-old design, laminated glass consists of two strong sheets of glass that become a single thick sheet by sandwiching a layer of polyvinyl butyral in the middle. These layers are bonded together using high temperatures to provide us with an incredibly strong and durable automotive glass that won't break in the event of an accident. Although it can break, the PVB interlayer protects passengers, as the glass pieces adhere to the adhesive rather than fly and increase the chances of injury.

Due to its unique non-shattering properties, laminated glass is the most widely used for windshield manufacturing. It acts as a cushion and prevents passengers from being ejected from the car in the event of a head-on collision. It is used on both the front and rear windshields of a vehicle to provide maximum strength and greater structural stability.

Tempered Glass

- Tempered glass is also equally safe, as it disintegrates into small pieces and blunt edged cubes rather than shards to protect passengers from damage. In addition, laminated glass can be repaired, but tempered glass breaks completely in an accident and requires a complete replacement.

And since it does not provide any type of cushioning like laminated glass, it is only reserved for windows and not for windscreens. Some premium cars, such as the Mercedes Benz S350, use all laminated glass, including the door glass and rear windshield. This tempering process induces compressive stress on the surface of the glass and gives it strength and durability far beyond normal glass. Laminated glass is created by bonding several layers of glass together under pressure and heat, with a resin called polyvinyl butyral (PVB). The difference between laminated and tempered glass is that the latter is more susceptible to breakage. Although laminated glass is widely used in the automotive industry, it can be used for any application where there is a potential for impact by a person.

Glass, in this case, refers to side windows, deflector glasses, ventilation glasses, and glazed roofs (if applicable). Laminated safety glasses are created by heat fusing multiple layers of PVB sheets between two curved sheets of glasses. In addition, tempered glass has more strength than laminated glass and is therefore less susceptible to breakage by stones or debris. Vehicles often have different types of glasses because each type has a different purpose. Allstar Glass Corporation has been proud to serve Houston since 1990 with automotive services such as windshield repair, replacement or tinting at affordable prices. Typically, modern windshields are created from laminated safety glasses which are treated glasses that typically combine two curved sheets of glasses with a laminated layer of plastic between them for added safety.

However, the most important type of automotive glasses remains the windshield which is made from laminated glasses. The second type of aftermarket automotive glasses comes from OEMs but was created on a different production line.