Chemically Strengthened Laminated Safety Glass: What to Know
Heavy equipment like backhoes, cranes, bulldozers, and excavators are built rugged and durable to withstand a variety of maneuvers in any given field of operation. For this reason, safety is paramount to protect workers and machinery from harm. OSHA requires any piece of heavy equipment to maintain a minimum of specifications, including three brake systems, working lights, and an audible warning device like a horn.
OSHA also requires heavy equipment to maintain an intact windshield with windshield wipers that work. When glass cracks or breaks, that piece of equipment needs immediate glass repair or replacement. One new option for equipment glass is chemically strengthened laminated safety glass. Discover more with this overview of this new trend in glass.
Where Chemically Strengthened Glass Is
Incredibly strong, light chemically strengthened glass is already all around you. The glass protects your cell phone and other mobile devices and is inside photocopiers and computer hard disks. Recently, Ford implemented the glass in some of its passenger car windshields. Mining and other industries use the stronger glass in its heavy equipment vehicles.
How Chemically Strengthened Glass Is Made
Chemically strengthened glass begins as ordinary glass, but the secret to its strength swims in a bath of hot water and potassium nitrate. The glass must be submerged at 572 °F in order for potassium ions to replace the normal sodium ions on the glass surface. These newer, larger ions replace the smaller sodium ions and more fully fills tiny gaps left behind on the glass surface.
After the glass cools, the result is a piece of glass with a highly compressed, or strengthened, surface. Because most glass contains sodium, this unique process can chemically strengthen nearly any piece of glass of any thickness.
How Chemically Strengthened Glass Is Safe for Any Vehicle
All chemically strengthened glass must be laminated to make it safer for vehicular use. One interesting property of chemically strengthened glass is the way it breaks upon impact. Unlike tempered glass that collapses into tiny pieces, chemically strengthened glass with its high surface compression shatters into large, blunt shards or fragments that remain in place.
This trait is better for machine operators who may, if ever, experience a broken window during machine use. Sudden and complete loss of a window into hundreds of tiny pieces can be a safety hazard in the middle of a job. Instead, chemically strengthened glass with lamination will remain in place after a hard strike.
How Chemically Strengthened Glass Is Superior
This innovative glass has several benefits. Chemically strengthened glass is:
- Up to 20 times stronger than normal glass
- Very low in central tension and can absorb external forces
- Scratch-resistant
- Thermal shock-resistant
- Free of optical distortion
- Lighter than thermal temper glass
Chemically strengthened glass loses a bit of its strength when cut. This phenomenon is avoidable simply by cutting glass to size first before it is chemically strengthened.
What Chemically Strengthened Glass Means for Heavy Equipment
The myriad of advantages allows chemically strengthened glass to benefit a range of heavy equipment and their applications. Consider how its ability to resist strikes allows operators to work longer in a variety of conditions. Often, work is fraught with flying or falling debris like rocks, sticks, and dirt that can compromise a job if they strike a window.
Thermal shock-resistant properties of the glass lets operators work in varying temperature changes without glass cracks and breaks. For example, the switch from the heat of outdoors to a refrigerated area will not force glass to suddenly contract.
Chemically strengthened glass is pricier than its standard counterparts. Regardless of the kind of glass you prefer for your heavy equipment windshield replacement, safety is important. Don't let a crack remain in place. Instead, seek glass replacement as soon as possible. Contact Perfection Auto Glass for more information about your glass options in bulldozers, backhoes, and other heavy equipment for your business.