windshield

vehicle part

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

A windshield is a transparent screen, typically made of glass, that protects the occupants of a vehicle. It is positioned in front of the occupants to shield them from wind and debris.1

Windshields are often made using a lamination process. This involves bonding sheets of glass with a tough polymer interlayer, such as polyvinyl butyral. This construction helps absorb the energy of an impact and minimizes the risk of flying glass shards if the windshield fractures. For applications like aircraft, windshields can have multiple layers of glass and plastic interlayers for enhanced protection.2

A related component is the windshield wing, which is an adjustable glass piece attached to the side of a vehicle's windshield.3

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industrial glass
Lamination
For windshield applications, paired sheets of glass, 3 to 6 millimetres (0.12 to 0.5 inch) thick, with a fine coating of talc to keep them from fusing, are placed over a metal support frame. The two plies are heated almost to softening, at which point bending…
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For windshield applications, paired sheets of glass, 3 to 6 millimetres (0.12 to 0.5 inch) thick, with a fine coating of talc to keep them from fusing, are placed over a metal support frame. The two plies are heated almost to softening, at which point bending…
Read More