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Şişecam - Tempered Glass
Şişecam Tempered Glass is mainly used in the windows apart from the windshields. The mechanical endurance of the glass is increased through a special tempering process, and their shattering behavior is changed so as to minimize the risk of injury in the case of a possible accident. Moveable Door Windows: These include moveable and fixed door windows. They have holes and various parts depending on their function. Moveable door windows are mounted on the mechanism within the door body through brackets or holes.
How is Şişecam Automotive Glass produced?
As it is one of the most significant parts of the automobiles, automotive glass is special in terms of safety and appearance. On processing side, Şişecam Automotive Glass’ most important feature is that it is produced via brief pressing or sag bending.
Raw Glass
Şişecam Automotive Glass is made from the highest quality float glass, which have become the standard automotive glass, sidelining all other flat glass production techniques. In Turkey, float glass is produced at glass furnaces built by Şişecam technical personnel at Trakya Cam Sanayii AŞ.
High quality float glass raw materials with suitable composition, impurity and grain size are melted at approximately 1600° C. All grains are then removed from molten glass, which is then homogenized. Molten glass is then spread out onto a molten tin pool through a continuous process and shaped; after a tempering process called annealing, cut in desired sizes, and packaged.
At room temperature, glass displays complete elasticity, i.e., it does not exhibit flowing behavior prior to breakage. The endurance of glass is solely determined by the micro cracks created on the surface during usage or as a result of unintentional hits. Glass has no alternative in automobile windows because of its high chemical resistance, scratch resistance, optical excellence, malleability, and its surface that always maintains its shine.
Glass is heated before shaping, gaining fluidity in a continuous and rapid fashion depending on heat. High level of control needs to be exerted on shaping temperature and period because of the narrow tolerances regarding the final shape the glass will take. The highest quality of float glass is the automotive standard. Float glass that will be used in automotive has to meet the high quality requirements of the automotive industry in terms of optical quality, faults arising from melting, and thickness tolerances.
Şişecam Tempered Glass Production
Şişecam Tempered Glass is used for side and rear windows for motor vehicles. By the tempering process, glass’ mechanical endurance is increased threefold and the cracking behaviour is modified to reduce the risk of injury in case of an accident.
Side and rear windows to be tempered are cut from the float glass panes of the required thickness on CNC cutting tables. Later on the glass is edge worked and printed. The glass is, then heated up until the softening temperature (approximately 650° and cooled instantly with compressed air to give it strength. This glass is shipped for secondary processes after being inspected in terms of strength, optical quality and visible faults.
Through secondary processes, subparts are assembled in accordance with the demand of the clients. Apart from these, primer applications, fixing with polyurethane applications, moulding application encapsulation and connector solding is done.
Holder: The part that is used for assembling the glass to the movement mechanism.
Channel/Channel Filter: The part that is used to avoid the noise caused by vibration and to assemble the moveable pane to the movement mechanism.
Slider: The part that is used to help the glass move smoothly and easily through the door seal.
Hole Execution: Glass is assembled to the movement mechanisms of the doors via the holes on them.
Functional Applications (Rear Windows)
Moulding: Used for aesthetic purposes and impermeability.
Spacer: The part that is used to maintain constant space between the body and the glass along the surface.
Clip (Locator Pin): The guiding part that determines the position of the glass in the body.
The fundamental property of automotive glass is the safety they offer to passengers during travel. In case of an accident, automotive glass absorbs the collision energy if passengers or objects from outside hit the glass, and prevents sharp shards from inflicting injury.
Şişecam Laminated Glass offers flexibility of middle layer between glass layers and perfect bonding, which dampens the impact of collision, holds the glass together and prevents injuries, and also holds back the passengers from being thrown out of the windshield.
Optical propertiesOne of the most significant features of automotive glazing is its optical performance. Optical distortion, double sighting, light transmission and color distinction capacity should be flawless at especially windshields and front side windows that are in the driver’s sight.
Besides these basic features the glass’ resistance to abrasion, endurance to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, high temperature and moisture, capacity to defrost and demist and positioning performance to the vehicle have to be provided at most level via accurate tests and process control tools.
These features of automotive safety glass that concern personal safety must be guaranteed by the glass producer according to ECE R43 international specification and European Union Regulation.
Comfort propertiesModern automotive glazing is asked to supply the comfort of the passengers as well as their safety. With their new facilities, automotive glass enable auto designers to decrease the UV damage, create a bright interior, prevent the interior to be seen from the outside, block engine noise and structural vibration, provide antenna function for GPS, GSM, radio etc. and present the driving info to the driver at his sight level.
Contribution to vehicle designHigh motor power, comfort, low fuel consumption and low emission have begun to be the main purchasing criteria for customers as new automobiles are more speedy.
In parallel to these trends, automotive glazings decrease solar heat gain in the car, thus reduce the need for air conditioning and decrease the engine strain and the emission, assist to the structural power of the vehicle and help lowering the aerodynamic breaking and reduce the wind noise.
Quality elementsIn addition to the functions mentioned above, automotive glazings gradually progress in meeting high expectations of customers by form and visual quality. For example, as automotive glass is extended by area and have more complex forms, the permitted size and bending tolerances and the number and size of acceptable surface and structure defects are decreased, too. Therefore, the accuracy performed all through the production process should continue afterwards and care should be taken to avoid glass scratches.