What is frit? Frit is an business term for the paint that is applied around the perimeter of the automotive glass parts. One of the key ingredients in frit is a glass ceramic particle that fuses to the glass outside making it a very durable and scratch unyielding surface.
Why is frit (paint) on the glass? Frit serves two roles on the glass. First, it is a cosmetic highlight that is used to hide interior trim and pinchweld details. Early model vehicles used wide moldings to obscure what would otherwise be exposed areas. As moldings became smaller to the point of nonexistence on several current models, the frit had a greater role in outside unfinished areas of the vehicle. Secondly, the frit inhibits Uv degradation of urethane adhesives. While the frit will not wholly block the Uv rays from passing straight through the glass, it does significantly reduce Uv light transmission. Most urethanes are not Uv stable. If urethane is left exposed to sunlight for continued periods of time, it will yellow and turn chalky. Nearnessy of the frit will increase the lifetime of the urethane adhesive system.
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How many types of frit are there? There are hundreds of types of frits advanced for automotive glass applications. The most base automotive glass frits we use are black, gray and white although other colors are available. Frit pastes are advanced to work in mixture with the processing requirements needed for a definite part. Each paste is advanced for the definite furnace time and temperature parameters used to produce parts at a manufacturing location. It is not uncommon for a glass manufacturing installation to work with a dozen dissimilar frit pastes.
How is frit applied to the glass? Frit is applied to the glass utilizing a silk screen method. It is very similar to the method used to silk screen T-shirts. An image of the frit produce is advanced for the glass in the bent or curved shape. Then the image is unwrapped and flattened. A silk screen is made to allow the frit to pass straight through openings in the screen. The openings correspond to the final produce image. The frit is a thick paste that is put onto the screen. Squeegees are used to push the frit paste straight through the screen openings and onto the glass. Frit is applied to the glass while it is in the flat position before it is processed straight through the furnace. The furnace helps to cure the frit and to fuse it to the glass surface. Every part with each dissimilar produce has a unique silk screen. Silk screens are constantly being maintained throughout the life of a part. Because of the fragile nature of the screens, they will wear out and commonly need to be remade throughout the lifetime of a part in production.
What is Batch glass? Batch is a glass reference term that identifies a part of the manufacturing process. The raw components of glass are properly proportioned and mixed in batches for delivery to the furnace. Even though glass is made in a continual process that runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year, the raw materials are added as needed in batches. To state that a glass is batch glass, it implies that there is not any post manufacturing materials, i.e. A film or coating, applied to the glass. Batch glass gets all its characteristics from the raw materials that are used to make the glass. In the case of privacy or solar batch glass, the dark colorants and Uv inhibitors are mixed in with the original ingredients in the batch to make the glass.
What is Float glass? Float glass refers to the glass manufacturing process. The raw components of glass are melted in a furnace between a temperature range of 240Of to 2850 F. A continual process is established as the molten glass is moved from the furnace to the tin bath where it is supported on molten tin until the glass cools from the slurry state to a temperature where the glass becomes solid. The float process was advanced by Pilkington while 1950's and is now determined the original state of the art process for manufacturing automotive and architectural glass.
What is the tin side and what is the air side of glass? As mentioned earlier, the float glass process involves floating molten glass on.molten tin. The molten tin is flat sufficient to give glass its flat surfaces. The tin and glass are like oil and water, they don't mix. However, the side of glass that is in caress with tin while the float process does pick up a itsybitsy layer of tin. This is determined the tin side of float glass. The top side of glass is called the air or atmosphere side. To detect the tin side of glass, hold an Uv light at an angle to the glass surface. The tin side will glow and the air side will not.
What is Soft-Ray and what is Solar-Ray'? Soft-Ray and Solar-Ray are Gm Trademarks for the glass used in their vehicles. It identifies the Type of glass used for construction and can appear on whether laminated or tempered glass. Lof uses E-Z-Eye glass for the yield of Soft-Ray parts and Ezkool solar operate glass for Solar-Ray parts. Ppg uses Solex and Solar Green respectively. Deep Tint Solar-Ray is an additional one Gm trademark that appears on dark colored solar operate parts.
What is a monogram? A monogram is often referred to as the bug or trademark. Every automotive piece of glass is required by law to have an identifying mark on the glass that will be visible once that glass is in the correctly installed position in the vehicle. These marks are normally painted on the glass, but they can also be sand blasted or acid etched into the surface.
What is in a monogram? For automotive applications, there are definite governmental items that must be in the monogram including a group of communication (Dot) number, the model (M) estimate and the glass type (As-1, As-2, As-3 etc.) Monograms can also include data such as the brand name of the glass, the firm name that made the glass, the firm logo, the country of origin and a date code identifying when the glass was manufactured.
Is there anyway to determine what a part is by the monogram on the glass? Unfortunately, the majority of monograms do not have any data in it to help determine what an unmarked part is. However, we are beginning to see more parts marked with the Nags estimate in the Monogram. As more of this is done, it will be easier to correctly recognize unknown parts.
2-What is the disagreement between As-1, As-2 and As-3 glasses codes? For automotive applications, the three most base types of glass are As-1, As-2, and As-3. All windshields must be marked with the As-1 code which is on laminated glass having light transmission greater than 70%. All tempered glass that has light transmission above 70% is marked with an As-2 code. All glass, laminated or tempered, that has less then 70% light transmission will have an As-3 Code.
What is a Dot code? The Dot estimate identifies the glass manufacturer. The acronym Dot stands for group of Transportation. Each glazing produce must apply for a Dot estimate in order to sell glazings for vehicles in the United States of America. Each Dot estimate is assigned by the government and is unique for every manufacturer. Every piece of glass that is made must include that Dot code if it is to be sold in the automotive market.
What is an M number? The M estimate is a model estimate that is assigned by all glass manufacturing companies. Each firm establishes their own M estimate law that is unique to that organization. The M estimate identifies the definite glass construction. It can recognize the glass details used to produce a part such as glass color and thickness. One Model estimate might apply to 50 dissimilar part numbers. Each Model estimate is tested every year for compliancy with the governmental regulations. Most of the time, a part estimate cannot be determined by the M number.
How can I determine whether the glass in a car is original or a replacement? If you don't know the history of the car, one-way to recognize a piece of glass is to check the monogram on the glass. If you, knew the manufacturer of the original glass, check the Dot (Department of Transportation) estimate on the glass in the car. If the Dot estimate doesn't belong to the Oe glass supplier, then the part was a replacement. If the estimate does match, then check the date code on the glass. Most manufacturers mark the monogram with a means of identifying the month and year of glass production, sometimes even the date and shift! Since each firm does it differently, you'll have to caress the standard manufacturer for their date code conventions, which can include combinations of letters, numbers or even dots over varied letters. By comparing the date of the glass with the date of the car assembly, you can determine if they are the same vintage. If the glass date intimately matches the vehicle assembly date, chances are the glass is original.
Which side of the vehicle is the right hand side? The Right hand side of the vehicle is the Passenger'S side of the vehicle. The Driver'S side of the vehicle would be the Left-hand side. Rule of thumb, right and left sides are determined by picturing yourself sifting in the car.
When should a non-conductive adhesive be used? If the adhesive will caress the antenna or defroster lines when the part is installed, use a non-conductive adhesive. Non-conductive adhesives preclude interference with antenna systems and heated defroster systems that are contained in the glass. Many new glass parts have the antenna, defroster connections or buss bars around the edge of the glass in the same area that the adhesive is applied to setup a glass part. Using a conductive adhesive will sway the carrying out of the electrical system. several adhesive manufacturers offer a non-conductive product for these glass applications. Be sure to effect the manufacturers definite instructions for the adhesive law you use.
How do installation methods cause stress cracks? installation related cracks normally effect from a short cut out method, where all of the old urethane bed is not removed prior to installation. If the shape and form of the new glass is not selfsame to the old urethane bed, the glass could have spots of interference on the adhesive that lead to breaking. installation related stress could also be formed by using adhesives that are too rigid and don't offer the compression and flexibility required of the adhesive system. Usually, installation related stress cracks would produce over time after the adhesive has been allowed to fully cure.
What is tempered glass? Tempered glass is a singular piece of glass that is strengthened straight through a rapid cooling process. This cooling process tempers the glass by blasting both the top and bottom surfaces with air. The outside surfaces of the glass cool faster than the core of the glass. This activity sets up a balance of strains between the surfaces and the core which adds critical power to the glass. Tempered glass is difficult to break, but if broken it breaks into small granular pieces.
How are tempered parts made? Glass of the specified thickness is cut to the desired size. Any artwork or paint produce is applied to the glass while it is in the flat position. This includes any heated grid lines or antenna lines required on the final part. The glass is loaded into a furnace and is heated to temperatures of 12,000 F. There are complicated processes that could be used to bend the glass as it exits the furnace including roll.
How much force is required to break a tempered backlite? While the power of tempered glass can seem very high, it is leading to recognize that the manner in which tempered glass is broken will sway the strength. Tempered glass is highly difficult to break with dull, blunt objects. Tempered glass can have a rupture power of up to 24,000 pounds per square inch. Recall that tempered glass is produced by rapid cooling of the outside glass surfaces which sets up a stress / strain balance.
Why do the heated grid lines on heated backlites sometimes have a redbrown color and other times have a yellow color? The color of the grid lines is predominately determined by the outside of glass that they are printed on. The lines will have a dark appearance when printed on the tin side of glass. The lines will have a brighter yellow or amber color when printed on the air side of glass. Other colors, such as white or light gray, may indicate a inherent manufacturing question with the heated grid lines such as an under fired condition or too much silver. These can effect in a heated backlite that does not function correctly.
Is it a defect to see discolored spot patterns on tempered glass? No, the discolored spot patterns on a piece of glass are beyond doubt a phenomenon of the tempering process. while tempering, air is forced onto the glass straight through hundreds of nozzles. The spots are areas where the cool air contacts the glass. The temper spot pattern can indicate how well a piece of glass is tempered. The size and consistency of the discolored areas will vary with the exact process used, but they are present on all tempered parts. The potential to see these patterns is dependent on the angle ' of installation and the lighting conditions. For example, it is easier to see the patterns on a sloping piece of glass at dusk than it is to see them on a vertical piece in enthralling sunlight.
What is an Innershield? The innershield is a layer of plastic on the innermost piece of glass which was most commonly used on the windshield. The innershield prevented lacerations on an occupant's head and face if they came in caress with the windshield in the event of an accident. The innershield was a popular choice on deluxe vehicles about ten years ago.
How is a shadeband put into a windshield? The shadeband is pre-tinted onto the plastic that is located between the glass plies. The plastic comes in rolls and one end of the roll has the shade color. while processing, it may be required to warp the plastic to curve the shadeband so it will match the curve of the top of, the windshield. After warping, the plastic is cut to size and it is ready to use.
What is delamination? Delamination is the disjunction of the glass plies and plastic layer in a laminated product such as a windshield. This is also known as an unbonded area (Uba) or an oil blow. Old autoclaving process used hot petroleum to laminate windshields and the oil could seep into the edges causing the windshield to delaminate.
What is bullet proof glass and how is it dissimilar from bullet unyielding glass? Bullet proof glass is glass that will stop a bullet. Any bullet. To make a glass bullet proof, every type of bullet from every type of gun must be taken into consideration while the produce of the glass. Bullet proof glass is beyond doubt a composite of glass and plastic layers laminated together to perform a strong composite that will stop a bullet. Bullet proof glass will be three or more inches thick. Bullet unyielding glass is designed for applications with a resistance to a range of definite bullet calibers. Bullet resistance glass can be obtained in a 3/4 inch thick composite of glass and plastics laminated together. On vehicle applications, the environmental end use is determined for the glass design. If a vehicle is outfitted with bullet proof or bullet unyielding glazing, all the interior trim must also be reworked to accommodate the thicker glass.
What are stress cracks? Stress cracks are breaks from the edges of laminated glass, such as a windshield, that happen without an impact point or noticeable damaged area. While this phenomenon can occur with seemingly no apparent cause, there are however, two major factors that have a role in creating stress cracks. The stress crack can be caused by a manufacturing defect within the glass or it can be attributed to the installation methods.
How do glass defects cause stress cracks? Stress cracks can occur if the two plies of glass used to make the laminated part are not wholly homogenous with each other. Stress cracks can be a condition of tension or compression that exist within the glass. Stress can also be caused by incomplete annealing or temperature disagreement between the plies. Manufacturing processes include complicated potential checkpoints for every personel part while yield to recognize and eliminate defective parts. Even so, it can be difficult to predict a stress crack due to manufacturing conditions.
I have often heard of a windshield outside referred to as the estimate 1, 2, 3 or 4 surface. What do these numbers mean? The windshield outside estimate refers to the glass outside of the personel glass plies in the laminated composite. A basic windshield construction is composed of two pieces of glass with a plastic layer in between. The surfaces are counted from outside the vehicle. Therefore, outside estimate 1 is the outside outside of the outside glass piece that would be exposed once installed in the vehicle. outside estimate 4 is the innermost outside which would be on the interior of the vehicle once installed. outside estimate 4 is the outside that is prepped with primers, cleaners and or activators required for installation. outside # 2 and 3 are interior surfaces that are in caress with the plastic.
What is laminated glass? Laminated glass is constructed of two pieces of glass with a piece of plastic in between the glass plies. One type of plastic innerlayer used is Pvb or polyvinyl butyral. Laminated glass is required to make windshields in the Us.
How are windshields made? Two isolate pieces of glass are cut to size. While the glass is flat it is printed with the artwork produce (frit) that's required. The glass is put straight through a furnace to soften the glass and fire the frit to the glass surface. Once the glass reaches the right temperature, it is molded into shape and then cooled. After shaping, the glass/ plastic/ glass sandwich is put in a clean room and then put into an autoclave. An autoclave is like a giant pressure cooker. The high pressure squeezes the glass and plastic together. The higher temperature softens the plastic, which bonds the glass and plastic layers together. Once the glass exits the autoclave, any excess plastic is trimmed and the mirror mount is applied to the glass. The glass is inspected and cleaned several times throughout the entire process to make sure it has been manufactured to the top potential standards. After a final inspection, the concluded part is now ready to ship.
What is the Breakaway Bracket? several new Gm and Ford windshields have a Breakaway Bracket. This refers To the mirror button on the windshield. This style mirror button allows the rearviewmirror to snap off when the passenger air bag is deployed. If the rear view mirror did not snap off, there is a possibility that the mirror could puncture the air bag rendering it ineffective. The accessory tool used to take off these snap off rearview mirrors is the Mb-4. Tip: Put Breakaway rearview mirrors back on the glass before installing the windshield. This will preclude enthralling a newly installed windshield out of place with the force required to snap the mirror on the glass.
How is a windshield glass molded into shape? There are two base practices for shaping a windshield, gravity bending and press bending. Gravity bending has been used longer than press bending. For gravity bending, two pieces flat glass ride straight through the furnace on a mold contoured like the concluded part. As the glass softens, the force of gravity pulls the glass into shape. This pair of gravity bent glass is then kept together throughout the rest of the windshield process. In a press bending operation, the singular lites of glass go straight through a furnace on a flat outside of high temperature unyielding rollers. As the glass exits the furnace it is swiftly pressed into shape between a male and female mold contoured like the concluded product. The glass is then cooled and moved to the next process.
How can I determine if a diversity or non-diversity antenna backlite is needed? The diversity antenna will use a mixture of antennas in order to perform efficiently. Most diversity-antennas are offered with vehicle upgrade packages. A standard car model may only have the mast antenna, whereas the deluxe luxury package may merge a diversity antenna in the backlite with the mast antenna. How to determine the need for a diversity antenna will differ depending on the vehicle. The current Toyota Camry has extra speakers (6 total) on the vehicle that uses a diversity antenna and only 4 speakers on the vehicle that uses the non-diversity antenna.
Can an antenna or heated backlite clip be reattached to the glass if it has fallen off? Clips, or tabs, can be reattached to the glass. In order to determine if the association is repairable, the outside of the glass must be evaluated. If there are any chunks of glass (called spalls) missing from the surface, the repair should not be made and the glass should be replaced. Spalls will weaken the glass and could eventually effect in glass breakage. Next, take the adhesive to be used to reattach the clips. There are a few associates that produce a conductive adhesive law that can be used to reattach the tabs. The adhesive must be conductive so it will allow the electrical current pass between the lines on the glass and the vehicle. effect the manufacture's directions for the repair. Regular super glue adhesives will not work because they are non-conductive. Hint: Be sure to clean both the glass outside and the clip outside of old debris. Also, let the repaired part sit for the recommended cure time so the adhesive bond is fully developed.
Will a broken heated grid line on a backlite sway the carrying out of the antenna? Many new radio and cellular phone antenna designs are incorporated into the heated grid produce in the backlite. If a heated grid line is broken it will sway the carrying out of the antenna. The line break will become more noticeable with the general public as diversity antennas gain popularity and reduce the need for original mast antennas. There are aftermarket grid line repair systems ready which can restore both the heating and the antenna characteristics of the grid line.
What is a Rain Sensor windshield? several vehicle manufacturers, including Cadillac, Mercedes Benz and Bmw, are now contribution Rain Sensor windshields. The rain sensor is beyond doubt a small electronic expedient mounted to the inside outside of the windshield. The expedient has a lens that will detect the Nearnessy of moisture on the outside outside of glass. When moisture is present, a signal is sent to the wiper operate that automatically activates the windshield wipers. This a great security choice for those misty periods when a driver is passing trucks and road spray hits the windshield. The windshield wipers will get underway without the need for the driver to take off his hands from the wheel or his eyes from the road.
Does the rain sensor module come on the change windshield? No. At this time, none of the rain sensor designs need the sensor to be applied by the manufacturer on the change windshields. The electronic sensor that is on the existing windshield in the car must be removed and re-mounted onto the change windshield.
How is the rain sensor attached to the change windshield? There are special re-attachment kits for the change industry, ready straight through your local Car dealer, which can be used to re-attach the electronic rain sensor to the new windshield. The Cadillac kit consists of tape, cleaners and primers for replacing the Cadillac module. The Mercedes / Bmw kit contains the tape and a new lens. Instructions for application are included in all the kits.
Is it general for Hud display to appear faded in enthralling light conditions? enthralling sunlight or high glare conditions can effect in a dimmer display of the Head's Up display. It is general for a Hud to appear brighter at night in darker conditions that while the day under full sun. It is not general for the Hud to wholly disappear. If the display is fading when the car changes momentum, such as when turning a angle or accelerating, then the question could be a law defect and it's recommended that a dealer check out the electronics. There is nothing in the windshield to cause the display to fade or appear less intense.
What is a diversity antenna? A diversity antenna combines the reception from several personel antennas on the vehicle that makes it a very effective antenna system. The definition of diverse means different, therefore a diversity antenna in a backlite is one that could Work with the mast (pillar) antenna mounted to the car. The two dissimilar antennas work together to perform superior Am/Fm radio reception. The 1998 Cadillac Seville has a diversity antenna law that consists of an antenna in the windshield and antenna in the backlite that work together.
What is a non-diversity antenna? A non-diversity antenna law relies on only one antenna for radio wave reception. several examples of non-diversity antenna include 1) a mast antenna mounted to the vehicle 2) an antenna printed on the backlite or 3) a set of wires mounted into the windshield. A non-diversity antenna will not be a combination.
Can a break in a Hud (Heads-Up-Display) windshield be repaired or must it be replaced? A break in the Hud windshield can be repaired like a general non-Hud windshield. If the repair area is in the Hud image area, a repair may interfere with the image causing a double or distorted image. Therefore, consideration is required to determine if the type and size of break is repairable without Hud interference.
Passivated glass refers to chemically coated glass. Many automotive glass parts are coated to perform whether the solar operate characteristics or the privacy features. The coating can normally be detected by the reflective, mirror-like appearance. Sometimes these coatings will also have a color related with them and can make the glass look blue, pink or amber. The solar coatings are used to filter out the sun's ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths while the privacy coatings filter out visible light wavelengths. The wavelengths that are filtered out by coated glass, include the wavelength spectrums that Cb radios, cellular phones, automatic toll readers and radar detectors operate on. Therefore, the chemically coated glass can interfere with the carrying out of electronic devices that need a glass-mounted antenna.
What type of glass is recommended for a glass-mounted antenna? Glass that is referred to, as Batch glass is compatible with glass mounted antennas. Solar and privacy batch glass is not coated like the passivated glass. Instead, the raw materials that give the glass its solar or privacy characteristics are added at the time the glass is made. The raw materials are melted right in with the sand and other components that glass are constructed from. Once the glass has been made, it would not need any other treatments prior to fabrication into automotive glass parts. Batch glass is uniform throughout the thickness of the glass. Coated parts are outside treated; the outside has dissimilar properties than the core of the glass.
Are there any special hints for re-attaching the rain sensor? Make sure the glass is very clean prior to attaching the sensor. The carrying out of the sensors depends on the optically clear grades of doublefaced tape used for reattaching the units. These tapes also need to be clean and free of bubbles when applied to the glass. Any impurities that may be present will give a false signal to the rain sensor causing it to get underway unnecessarily.
What does the term "Auto-Cancel" refer to in the Nags catalog? The Auto Cancel notation means the electrical input to the heated backlite produce is automatically canceled after a specified time and/or temperature. Most heated backlites made today are for automatic cancellation systems. However, there are a few parts such as the Isuzu Trooper backlites where a dissimilar glass heated produce is required for the automatic vs. The by hand systems. For example, Fb4815 is for an automatic cancellation heated grid law whereas Fb4816 is for a by hand cancellation heated grid system. 8-What is the disagreement between a heavy-duty heated backglass and a standard heated backglass? The heavy-duty back glass is rated for higher amperage. The Heavy-Duty (Hd) designation is predominately used on foreign cars such as Honda and Toyota vehicles. general domestic vehicles were rated for 22 amps whereas heated backlites in Asian vehicles were commonly rated for 11 amps. Amperage relates to speed of performance. The higher the amperage, the faster the backglass will heat and clear the frost from the glass. To accommodate the Us market, many foreign car manufacturers advanced the Hd back glasses to offer compatible defrosting carrying out in the Us. The heavy-duty backglass are an upgrade, but it does not interchange with the standard design.
Glass business Terms - everything You've all the time Wanted to Know About Glass But Were Afraid to Ask
