Windshield Repair Kit Tools Lab Test Scores

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12 Different Windshield Repair Kit Tools Lab Test Scores

REPORT


The TOOL MATTERS- The same resin used in 10 different tools ranged from 49% to 92% of new safety glass strength. This is a 47% difference using the SAME RESIN.


The Lab Tests conducted here are two tests from the American Auto Glass Repair and Replacement (AGRR) Industry’s Windshield Repair Standard called the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard (ROLAGS).

The two Tests used here were:

(1) Resistance to Thermal Cycling followed by

(2) Mechanical Strength by 3-Point Bend.

The Thermal cycling had to be altered because the 12" x 6" through 12" x 9" samples would edge crack from thermal stress due to the enormous differences in temperatures on the glass samples going from the freezer to the heat gun. The change was 12 hours in a freezer at -10 f and then into an oven (NOT PREHEATED) at 170 F or 2 hours, for three rounds. The laminated glass samples would go from freezing to 170 f in about 4 minutes. 


All repairs used the same resin in each tool

Ultra Bond's 45 Resin was used in each test


Percentage of Mechanical Strength by 3-Point Bend

Compared to New Laminated Glass Strength. 

                                                                                                                 

Wonder-Bar-Windshield-Repair-Tool

# 1     92%

Ultra Bond Wonder Bar Crackmaster Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 2-Bar Wonder Bar Bridge
  2. Quick-Turn Injector
  3. Exclusive- Flex and Release Method
  4. Cured Under Pressure
  5. Cured with 6-V Fluorescent Light ($29.95)


New Glass Score 590 Newtons SD - 59

Repair Test Score 540 Newtons or 92% of New Laminated Glass


Conclusion - The Tool Matters. Using the same resin the New Ultra Bond Wonder Bar Bridge is 21% - 47% more effective than the other tools on the market.                                                                   

Ultra Bond Single Wonder Bar Windshield Chip Repair Tool

#2     80%

Ultra Bond (1) Wonder Bar Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond Single  Wonder Bar with 3" suction cup
  2. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  3. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  4. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  5. Method - Pressure Vacuum, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 411 Newtons,

Repair Test Score = 330 Newtons or 80% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The Ultra Bond Single Wonder Bar Windshield Repair Tool with our 3" flat suction cup and 45 resin scored 80% of new laminated glass strength.  This is the highest score of any single suction cupped windshield repair tool and the market and any tripod tool on the market. Note: Switching the suction cup to our 2" soft suction cup turns this tool into a long crack slider tool.

#3     80%

Ultra Bond Hybrid Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond Hybrid Windshield Repair ool
  2. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  3. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  4. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  5. Method - Vacuum and Pressure, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 553 Newtons

Repair Test Score = 441 Newtons or 80% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The New (2023) Ultra Bond Windshield Repair Tool with 45 resin scored 80% of new laminated glass strength.  Note: this tool is one of it's kind with both the grommet sleeve and a vacuum seal on the pisiton and a double cylinder chamber creating more vacuum and pressure than just the grommet seal type injectors.. Other tools with a  grommet sleeve have  little to no vacuum and one cylinder chamber.

Ultra Bond Classic Windshield Repair Tool

#3     78%

Ultra Bond Classic Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond Classic Crack Master (replaced by Wonder Bar Bridge)
  2. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  3. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  4. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  5. Method - Pressure Vacuum, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 623 Newtons

Repair Test Score = 485 Newtons or 78% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The Ultra Bond previous Classic Bridge Windshield Repair Tool with 45 resin scored 78% of new laminated glass strength.  This was the highest score of any windshield repair tool prior to the newer Wonder Bar Bridge.  This tool was replaced by the Wonder Bar Bridge but is still in use by the thousands who purchased it.

Ultra Bond D-I-Y Black Tripod Windshield Repair Kit

#4     78%

Ultra Bond Pro/DIY Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond Black Tripod DIY Tool
  2. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  3. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  4. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  5. Method - Pressure Vacuum, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 590 Newtons, SD- 59

Repair Test Score = 462 Newtons or 78% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The Ultra Bond $29.95 D-I-Y Windshield Repair Tool with 45 resin scored 78% of new laminated glass strength.  This is by far the highest score of any do-it-yourself windshield repair tool on the market and in fact is higher than most professional windshield repair tools. It can also be used as a professional chip repair tool.

Novus Windshield Repair Kit tool

#5     75%

Novus Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Novus Tool
  2. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  3. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  4. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  5. Method - Pressure Vacuum, not cured under pressure


New Glass Score = 571 Newtons, SD- 73

Repair Test Score = 428 Newtons or 75% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The Novus windshield repair holding structure is a heavy metal design with a plastic injector with the booty seal. Novus gave birth to the statement long ago that it was better to NOT cure under pressure. That statement has been proven to be scientifically false, just like the statement they also gave birth to, that a crack long than six inches could not be repaired has been proven in the lab and in court to be scientifically false and downright ridiculous. To this day they do not cure under pressure so we did not cure this repair under pressure.

Eco Vac Windshield Chip Repair Kit

#6      71%

Glas Weld Eco Vac Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Cordless ($29.95)  UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method -Vacuum Pressure, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 590 Newtons,  SD- 59

Repair Test Score = 421 Newtons or 71% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The thread mount and Fluorescent Cure does much better than the Glas Weld Pro Vac Zoom Tool's Click-In Mount and their expensive Procure Light.

American WRS Windshield Chip Repair Tool

#7      71%

American WRS Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method -Pressure, Vacuum, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 590 Newtons,  SD- 59

Repair Test Score = 421 Newtons or 71% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - The American WRS Tool is exactly the same as the Clear Shield Tool. 

Clear Shield Windshield Chip Repair Tool

#8      71%

Clear Shield Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Cordless UV Fluorescent Cure Light
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method -Pressure, Vacuum, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 590 Newtons,  SD- 59

Repair Test Score = 421 Newtons or 71% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments- The Clear Shield Tool is exactly the same as the American WRS Tool.

Delta B-250 Windshield Repair Tool

#9      66%

Delta B-250 Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Delta LED Cure Light
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method - Pressure Vacuum, no cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 590 Newtons,  SD- 59

Repair Test Score = 414 Newtons or 70% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments- Delta B-250 Tool with  Ultra Bond 45 resin is higher than with their Magnibond resin. LED curing lights are inconsistent which could be the cause of such deviation in their test scores.

Delta B-150 Windshield Chip Repair Tool

#10    57%

Delta B-150 Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Delta LED Cure Light
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method -Pressure, no cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 428 Newtons,  SD- 89

Repair Test Score = 243 Newtons or 57% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - This tool is almost identical to Clear Shield and American WRS. LED curing lights are inconsistent which could be the cause of such deviation in their test scores.

Zoom Windshield Repair Tool

#11      Undetermined

Glas Weld Zoom Windshield Repair Tool


Test Components:

  1. Ultra Bond 45 Resin
  2. Procure LED Cure
  3. Break Type - Star-Break/Combination Break
  4. Method - Vacuum, Pressure, cure under pressure


New Glass Score = 547 Newtons,  SD- 21

Repair Test Score =  Newtons 0, 0, 66%, 80% of New Laminated Glass.


Comments - During the windshield repair kit tests  all three samples with the Zoom Tool, Gray Resin and LED Procure cracked-out during thermal cycling. We did the test over and although the three samples did not crack-out, the score was not good. I watched the video and it was done to their instructions. In this test two of the three samples cracked out during thermal cycling. So we retested one but used an inexpensive  $9.95 fluorescent UV cure light and had a score of 80%. The one with the Procure scored 66%.  The click-in mount does not seal well against the glass and it wobbles, which you then have to push down on the top of the tool again instead of turning on a threaded mount.  Out of four samples  tested we had two crack-outs, one at 80% and one at 66%. So again I have to say it is hit or miss with this tool.

CONCLUSION:


THE TOOL MATTERS - The same resin in 12 different tools ranged from 49% to 92% of new laminated glass strength. This is a 47% difference.



Test Description -The Standard Test Method for Strength of Glass by Flexor, ASTM C158 is used by all glass manufacturers to test all glass products which includes windshield glass (float glass) and laminated glass. This will compare the Repaired Safety/Laminated/Windshield Glass Strength to that of New Safety/Laminated/Windshield Glass Strength. That test is also known as the Mechanical Strength by 3-Point or 4-Point Bend. This is the one and only test that can determine the efficacy of a windshield repair system's, tool, methods and resin. It is the only test that can compare and separate for weaknesses in any individual part of the repair system which includes the five parts of a windshield repair system, that being the: (1) tool, (2) resin, (3) methods to fill, (4) curing method, and (5) curing light. This test is of the Windshield Repair Tool.


Why? The tool affects the wetting, wicking, intermolecular interaction with the glass and whether there will be an under-fill, symmetrical fill and/or an overfill of the void in the break being filled. This has far more to do with the holding structure than with the injector piston. The opening or flexing of the break comes from the holding structure 's compression on the break via the base of the of the cylinder on top of the break. The tension and compression come from the holding structure’s shape, suction cup placement, suction cup durometer and the structures' ability to manipulate the glass.  When you see constant manually flexing by hand with a probe (see manufacturers YouTube Videos), especially when using water thin resins of 10 - 20 cps, is sign that the holding structure cannot manipulate the glass and is not flexing opening the break to allow an unobstructed flow of the resin by pure compression but instead is creating the competing stress of tension which closes the legs (cracks) of the break. The injector piston workings have nothing to do with the flexing open of the break.


Another issue that affects the efficacy of windshield repair resins which are chemically in the category of Free Radical UV Curing Acrylates, is the curing method and curing light. Tests on curing sources have shown that sunlight (2-3 minutes) is best and has the lowest standard deviation, followed by 365 nm fluorescent (2-3 minutes) and LED having the lowest score and least consistent with high standard deviation. Fast curing (10-30 seconds) with LED is not recommended for windshield repair by us because the strength of the repair is a safety issue and nothing should be sold that compromises the strength of the resin and the efficacy of the windshield repair. Slow curing is best and it only takes an extra 90 seconds to get the strongest bond possible which is well worth it for your customer's safety glass.


We welcome a challenge to these tests. In the future if those selling professional windshield repair kits disclose their kit's mechanical strength tests numbers per the 3-Point Bend Test then they can send us verifiable lab test results and we will report those results in this report. If they do not have the resources to test on their own they are welcome to use our lab.


NOTE: All lab tests reports on each and every one of these ten tools are available upon requests.  email -  rich@ultrabond.com

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