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Why do automotive manufactures use laminated glass for the front and rear glass only and not the side glass.
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Reply to [B]Mike[/B]:
> Why do automotive manufactures use laminated glass for the front and rear glass only and not the side glass.
>
> Thank you
>
All vehicles in the USA are required to have laminated windshields. The side and rear glasses have to be either laminated or tempered safety glass. Some of the high end european cars have laminated side and rear glasses as options. These glasses offer reduced outer sound intrusion in the vehicles that are fitted with them. In the early 1930's Ford offered laminated safety glass windshields. Soon most auto makers went with all laminated safety glass in all of their vehicles. In the late 1930's tempered glass was introduced. Laminated glass consists of two pieces of glass bonded toghether by a layer of plastic. Tempered glass is one piece of glass that has been heated and then cooled to certain temps. This creates a glass that is considerably stronger and more durable than laminated. Tempered glass is cheaper to produce than laminated. Why auto co's put either lam or temp in their vehicles is usally dictated by the government or economics.