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The Benefits of Laminated Glass Are Clear
People come in contact with laminated glass every day, even if they do not realize it. Every time you gaze out the window at work, or spot that red light from a mile away in your car you are looking through laminated glass. Every time you visit a bank, their windows and doors are made using laminated glass. That shower door you slam closed each morning is made possible through the use of laminated glass. Laminated glass serves many different purposes, and the characteristics that make up its composition often translate into valuable benefits.
Laminated glass is a type of safety glass that is composed of layers of glass around a middle bonding layer. Laminated glass is used for a number of different applications. In the automobile industry, laminated glass is used as the material that makes up the windshield. Since laminated glass is less shatter resistant than regular glass and more durable, it is a perfect fit for the windshield, a component that experiences different elements and stress throughout its lifetime.
The benefits of laminated glass are numerous, which is why we see the use of laminated glass in so many different industries. As mentioned before, laminated glass is more difficult to shatter than other varieties. When the material is damaged it responds in a way that does not release potentially harmful shards of glass onto people. This is because the laminated layer between the two sheets of glass holds the pieces in place, and prevents them from flying about and causing injuries. This property makes them useful for applications like the previously mentioned automobile windshields, shower doors, and windows in buildings. Laminated glass is also used as a security measure in some cases. The laminated layer between the glass layers can be made using a bulletproof material, which is then used to prevent criminal activities such as drive by shooting or attempted burglaries.
Images Courtesy of S&S Optical Company, Inc.
Besides safety benefits, laminated glass also provides protection from harmful UV rays. The laminated layer of glass acts as an insulating material for buildings, which prevents harmful UV rays from entering the room and keeps the heat from the sun out as well. This protection from elements and unnecessary heat keeps buildings more insulated. Despite their insulation properties, laminated glass windows actually provide an undistorted view when looking through the window. This becomes a valued benefit when you are considering their use in automobiles, where clear visibility is essential. Another and perhaps lesser known benefit of laminated glass is that it provides a level of soundproofing that is determined by the thickness of the inner layer of plastic. Given the correct level of thickness, it is possible to silence almost all sound. This characteristic of laminated glass makes them valuable for use in recording studios, banks, offices and any environment where sound blocking is useful.
Images Courtesy of S&S Optical Company, Inc.
Laminated glass has proven itself to be a useful and necessary component for many applications. Its numerous benefits make it invaluable to environments and applications that need a durable, safe, shatter resistant, transparent and soundproof material. With all of these benefits, it is easy to see that the value of laminated glass is clear.