Posted by Rich Campfield on August 08, 2014
Not a week goes by these days without a person, animals, objects and even birds penetrating windshields- injuring and killing people. What is particularly alarming is that birds are penetrating windshields like Ravens, Geese and Turkeys. You would think that a windshield’s PVB would stop birds as the impact would be dispersed energy over a large area of the windshield , not like a piece of concrete or metal hitting the windshield. If you have ever been in a wreck the last few seconds when you know it is inevitable goes in super slow motion and many thoughts pass through your mind. I will bet one of those thoughts of these people would be, “Is this windshield going to save me?”
We
recently had the windshield, in the photograph to the right, sitting
outside. We were measuring temperature difference between the frit and
the middle of the windshield causing thermal stress for the previous
article about the Frit.
After a week when we picked up the windshield by the center top and
center bottom it split into two pieces, PVB and all. We know from
testing many years ago that an unrepaired crack that is exposing the PVB
for a length of time dependent upon climate will cause FMVSS 205 impact
and penetration failure (see 2nd photo of a Raven impact), but this was
an undamaged windshield.
My question: Are these penetrations the result of unrepaired cracked
windshields or are windshields getting so cheap they are unsafe OR as
this been going on and we are only now hearing about it because of the
internet? Maybe vehicle manufactures should cut weight off the vehicle
somewhere else that is not a safety devise. Maybe the FMVSS 205-
SAE/ANSI Z.26.1 needs to be rewritten. Either way I was wondering
if any windshield manufacturers or vehicle manufactures out there are
seeing an opportunity here for a safer five-layer windshield with two
layers of PVB. That would only add about 10-15 pounds of weight to the
car but I sure would want it. I would also like a safer product to sell
to my customers who value the safety of their families over the cheapest
windshield on the market. A five-layer windshield would also
significantly increase the value of windshield repair and send insurance
repair ratios through the roof.
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