How Is Safety Glass Made?
The safety glass used in automobile windshields is made by lamination. This is a process in which thin sheets of clear plastic are placed between two sheets of glass. The plastic holds the glass so that it can’t splinter and cut you if it breaks.
Tempered safety glass, unlike laminated glass, is a single piece that has been given a special heat treatment. It is much stronger than ordinary glass. When it breaks, the glass crumbles into small, harmless pieces. Tempered glass is used for “glass doors, tabletops, and for the rear and side windows of automobiles.
Safety glass is glass with additional safety features that make it less likely to break, or less likely to pose a threat when broken. Common designs include toughened glass (also known as tempered glass), laminated glass, and wire mesh glass (also known as wired glass).
Wire mesh glass was invented by Frank Shuman. Laminated glass was invented in 1903 by the French chemist Édouard Bénédictus (1878-1930).
These three approaches can easily be combined, allowing for the creation of glass that is at the same time toughened, laminated, and contains a wire mesh. However, combination of a wire mesh with other techniques is unusual, as it typically betrays their individual qualities.