Auto Glass Repair

By Todd Nash

A windshield serves as a shield from severe weather, protects the occupants in the event of an accident and offers a safe and comfortable ride. Damaged and neglected auto glass poses a potential safety risk to passengers and other motorists on the road. A chip or crack on a windshield must be repaired with utmost urgency, if not, the damage may develop into a more serious fracture over time and necessitate an expensive replacement. Auto glass repair is fairly straight forward but requires a certain expertise and attention to the finest detail to ensure quality finish and safety. Most automobile service centers perform auto glass repair, there are also a number of exclusive auto glass repair and replacement companies that offer a range of auto glass related services.

Steps in an auto glass repair

All modern auto glasses are made with two layers of float glass laminated with an intermediate layer of Poly Vinyl Butyric (PVB). This construction makes the windshield less fragile and prevents shattering on impact. Federal safety standards require the PVB layer to be greater than 0.30 inches thick.

The first step in auto glass repair is to assess the damage and see if the glass can actually be repaired. Most chips and cracks which are less than 1.5 to 2 inches wide and outside the critical line of vision can be repaired. Repairable chips and cracks are classified into six types based on their shape as follows: half moon, clover leaf, star, bull’s eye, bee’s wing, and a combination of two or more of the five types.

Windshields with cracks or chips larger than 2 inches and ‘spider web’ fractures must be replaced. A windshield must also be replaced if the damage is in the critical line of vision, the damage has penetrated the PVB layer, eight or more repairs have already been performed, the damage is on both sides of the windshield, or if a crack ends at the edge of the windshield.

After the initial assessment an appropriate resin material is selected to ‘patch up’ the damaged area. The damaged region is first cleaned and vacuumed to remove any loose glass or debris. An injection cylinder is then used to fill in the resin. This cylinder is first fitted with a vacuum pump that creates vacuum in the crater and pulls the resin in. Towards the end of the filling stage, the vacuum pump is replaced with a pressure pump to ensure the resin is packed tightly. This vacuum – pressure combination prevents formation of air voids. The repaired glass is finally cured under controlled temperature for several minutes.

One can find the right auto glass repair center by looking up the national auto glass repair and replacement directory or by using the local yellow pages. Most repair and replacement centers offer convenient services like free quotes, home service and claims handling. Some auto glass repair centers use tested proprietary techniques and specialized equipments, customers should make sure that such services are certified by the National Glass Association (NGA).

About the Author: For more information on

Auto Glass Repair Dallas

or

Car Window Repair Dallas

, contact an auto glass specialist at Mobile Glass Co.

Source:

isnare.com

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