How Windshields are Made

The inside view of how they are made

Starting with a plain sheet of glass an automated plotter moves a cutting wheel over it and the wheel scores the glass. Then a robotic arm uses a torch and moves along the score line and the thermal shock completes the cut. Next, a robot suctions up the cut piece of glass and transfers it to the next station, where all the sharp edges of the glass are sanded. This stage of the process is referred to as seaming.

Now a conveyor belt takes the glass through some soapy water to clean it up. Then nozzles spray the glass with a mix of talcum powder and water, this will prevent the glass from sticking to a second sheet of glass. A robot now sets a second piece of glass on top of the freshly sprayed one. The two sheets of glass are layered this way for processing, but will be pulled apart later.

"Trivia Question" Mobile, Stanfield, Red Rock and Picacho Residents: Why do all windshields have a black border around them?  Answer: To hide any imperfections caused by the urethane.

The glass is now silkscreened with black paint around the border of the glass, which will eventually be the inner part of the windshield. Automated arms carry the glass to a station where samples of the glass are visually inspected. Then rollers transfer the glass to automatic squaring pucks, which position them. Then a robot lifts the sheets of glass and carries them to four metal pins. The pins recede and the glass falls onto a bending iron, the bending iron is shaped like a specific windshield.

The conveyor takes the bending iron with the two glass sheets into an oven called a bending Lehr. The Lehr heats the glass sheets to 750 degrees Celsius causing the glass to sink into the shape of the bending iron. Then the glass goes through a slow cooling cycle to anneal or toughen the new shape. Next, a robot picks up a sheet of vinyl cut in the shape of a windshield. Then it takes the vinyl sheet to one of the newly shaped pieces of glass, just separated from the other piece. Then another robot lowers the other identical piece of glass onto the vinyl.

"Trivia Question" Mobile, Stanfield, Red Rock and Picacho Residents: What is the purpose of the vinyl in your windshield?  Answer:  As the glass breaks into small pieces, the vinyl holds the glass together, preventing injury to the occupants of the vehicle.

At this point, there is no clear view through the windshield until it goes through the machine called a nipper. The nipper presses the windshield through a series of rubber rollers squeezing out any air pockets in it. As the air is removed, the view through the vinyl gets a bit clearer. Now squaring pucks position the windshield so robots can attach the bracket for the rear view mirror.

Finally, the windshield is placed in a big blue chamber called the autoclave for one hour to remove any remaining air pockets in the windshield. Before the glass is finished, it undergoes one last visual inspection to make sure there are no chips, blemishes or defects in the windshield. In the event of an accident, the windshield is designed and manufactured for safety due to the laminate used as a safety feature. (Two pieces of auto glass with a layer of vinyl between).

Video: How It's Made - Windshields

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SunTec Auto Glass is a family-owned business located in Arizona, serving most of Maricopa and Pinal counties and outlying areas such as Mobile, Stanfield, Red Rock and Picacho. We are auto glass repair professionals and specialize in windshield replacement, auto glass repair, window tinting and glass etching. SunTec Auto Glass understands the importance of using only the best quality auto glass available for your vehicle and more importantly for the safety of you and your family. Contact us to handle all your auto glass needs.

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