How a windscreen is manufactured - National Auto Glass

Over the last few months, aBr Magazine has covered a series of articles on the importance of fitting a windscreen correctly and how to repair windscreen chips. In this issue and the next, we will focus on the windscreen manufacturing process.

Windscreens first appeared around 1905 as cars started going faster and faster. These first windscreens were made of annealed glass which shattered on impact causing much injury. Eventually it was replaced by windscreens made of laminated glass—a multilayer unit consisting of a plastic interlayer surrounded by two sheets of glass. In all countries today windscreens are required by law to be made of laminated glass. Laminated glass can deflect slightly under impact, wont shatter like annealed glass and prevents penetration of the glass by flying objects. These qualities reduce the risk of injury to the car's passengers.