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Damage

Bull’s Eye: Damage to laminated glass with an impact point which appears as a dark circle which is present in addition to a separated cone in the outer layer of the windshield glass.

Chip: Damage which displaces glass from the impact point without penetrating the outer lite.

Combination Break: A break in the glass which includes a combination of two or more types of breaks.

Delamination: The absence of bondage between the layers of the glass.

Edge Crack: A crack on the windshield which reaches the edge.

Floating Crack: A crack on the windshield that does not reach the edge.

Flowering: Legs and branches stem from a break in the windshield causing the damage to appear watery around the edges.

Half Moon: It is also termed as a half moon break, it takes on a similar break to the bullseye but does not complete a circle.

Impact: A break which describes an object hitting the windshield directly.

Long Crack: A crack on the windshield that is more than 6 inches or 15.24 cm.

Short Crack: A crack on the windshield which is 6 inches or 15.24 cm or less.

Star Break: A star break is characterized by its multiple legs or subsurface cracks which emanate from the impact point on the glass and will not have a cone under its pit.

Stress Cracks: Unusual environmental forces which cause cracks on the glass.

Twist: A crack which results from the twisting of the windshield from the vehicle frame unnaturally flexing.

Glass

Antenna Glass: Glass which has a slim antenna wire used for radio reception fixed within its intermediate layer of glass.

Anti-Lacerative Glass: A pliant layer called PVB is attached to the inner surface of this glass, protecting passengers from broken glass when a collision occurs.

Bullet-Resistant Glass: In order to protect passengers from the high powered bullets of arms, this glass has multiple layers of laminated glass.

Coated Glass: A chemical film on one surface of the glass allows advanced features such as additional privacy.

Glass Air Side: The upper exterior of the glass.

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer

Quarter Glass: The triangular shaped glass which is between the rear door and back glass on the side of the vehicle.

Rear Windshield: The glass which spans across the rear of the vehicle and is also often called the back glass.

Side Glass: The door glass on the driver and passenger doors.

Vent Glass: The triangular shaped glass found between the front door’s glass and the windshield.

Chemical Materials and Processes

ANSI: The American National Standard Institute.

Adhesive: A chemical bonding agent of high-strength polyurethane material which holds auto glass to the frame of your vehicle.

Anneal: A process where glass is strengthened through heating and cooling.

Butyl: An adhesive made from petroleum which holds glace to the structural frame of the vehicle.

Butyl Rubber: A sealant of copolymer of isobutene and isoprene which cures slowly but is strong and flexible.

Caulk: an inflexible sealant which either has a silicone, bituminous, or rubber base which can be used to fill and seal in cracks, various joints, and for the purpose of waterproofing glass.

Molding: A finishing on the glass which secures it in place.

Mylar: A polyester film which is thin and used by the auto glass installer to cover the resin until it cures.

Neoprene: Synthetic rubber which is both heat and cold resistant.

Primer: A chemical undercoat which can be applied to surfaces such as the Pinchweld to increase the durability of an adhesive.

Resin: an insoluble material which appears very similar to auto glass and is used to fill in cracks and breaks which hardens to prevent further damage.

Sealer: A material which is coated on surfaces to fill in cracks and other openings to prevent contaminants.

Urethane: A white colorless polymer adhesive used for auto glass installation which holds the auto glass to the structural frame of the windshield.

Certifications

ANSI: The American National Standard Institute.

FMVSS: Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

ISO-Certification: Certification given by the International Organization for Standardization.

NGA: The National Glass Association, which is the largest trade organization for the North American glass industry. Its two certifications include the Auto Glass Technician (AGT) which guarantees a minimum of 6 months of work experience as a glass installer and the Master Auto Glass Technician (MAGT) which ensures that your glass installer has had a minimum of five years of work experience.

Joints

Lap Joint: A joint where the component parts overlap.

Pinchweld: A metal weld joint which is on the vehicle frame and is where the glass bonds to.

Tools

Pump Gun: A high pressure injector which is used to pump sealants and adhesives into glass breaks and cracks.

Repair Bridge: A high pressurized injector which fills and seals cracks in the glass with resin.