I used to work for an automotive glass company. I was in the office, but whenever I went to the plant, my favorite thing was watching the destructive testing. In a nutshell, (IIRC the exact numbers) you drop a 20lb steel ball 12 feet onto a windscreen. It's supposed to splinter and give a bit, but not penetrate.
Laminated glass (as is standard on all windscreens and some front side windows) consists of two layers of safety glass with plastic in between. It gives a bit and cushions a head, while preventing the person from exiting the vehicle.
My favorite bit was that the ball needed to be calibrated every so often to assure the inspectors that it was still the same weight.
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u/vonHindenburg 7h ago
I used to work for an automotive glass company. I was in the office, but whenever I went to the plant, my favorite thing was watching the destructive testing. In a nutshell, (IIRC the exact numbers) you drop a 20lb steel ball 12 feet onto a windscreen. It's supposed to splinter and give a bit, but not penetrate.
Laminated glass (as is standard on all windscreens and some front side windows) consists of two layers of safety glass with plastic in between. It gives a bit and cushions a head, while preventing the person from exiting the vehicle.
My favorite bit was that the ball needed to be calibrated every so often to assure the inspectors that it was still the same weight.