How is Auto Glass Made?

As long as you go for high quality glass, the manufacturing process of showroom and aftermarket glass is relatively similar. Both fit perfectly, have the same outlook, life, and fit perfectly. In this article, we will take a closer look at how auto glass is made, be it for a front windshield replacement, back windshield, or window glass.

How Auto Glass Is Made

Much like any other piece of glass, auto glass is made of silica. To ensure it doesn’t shattered easily, the glass needs to be thick and tempered. Windshield glass goes through another step – lamination – to ensure that if it breaks or shatters, the glass does not come flying into the driver or passengers’ face.

The laminate is applied at the front and the back. High quality glass has several layers of lamination on it to ensure that even if the glass manages to puncture the first layer, the second catches as many small pieces as possible. There is also a cellulose layer in between that holds the two glass layers in windshields together.

The process is as follows:

1. The ingredients are mixed together and heated to 1450°C so that the different compounds blend together to create a simple compound. Ingredients include:
   1. Silica
   1. Soda Ash
   1. Limestone
   1. Dolomite
   1. Cullet (recycled glass)
2. The mixture is then turned into giant slabs of a chosen thickness (based on the type of glass being manufactured) and allowed to cool down slowly
3. Once cooled, it is shaped on a mold, heating the glass to make it malleable and cooling again rapidly. This process is called molding and tempering the glass.
4. The glass is then cut using a wet grinder or scribes.

At this point, auto glass is ready. If needed, two layers of molded tempered glass are combined to turn it into windshield or rear windshield. The glass is then shipped to assembly plants, showrooms, and auto glass repair shops, such as True Blue Auto Glass.

If you would like to learn more about the manufacturing process or need to get your windshield repaired or replaced, let us know. We’d love to help!