Auto Glass Glossary
A-Pillar:
The roof post adjacent to the windshield on either side.
Acute Area:
The area of the drivers directly above the steering wheel, about 8 1/2 inches high by 11 inches wide. This is the driver’s critical vision area as accepted by most glass shops and insurance companies in the United States.
Adhesion:
The force of attraction that causes two different substances to join.
Adhesive:
A material that promotes bonding or adhesion between two surfaces.
Auto Glass Repair:
The process of repairing damage to a windshield or other laminated glass using a liquid resin to fill the voids in the damaged area.
B-Pillar:
The roof post immediately behind the front door lite on either side of the vehicle.
Back-Lite:
The rear window of a vehicle.
Bead:
A ribbon of adhesive applied to the body of the vehicle in preparation for setting the windshield in place.
Bulls Eye:
An impact break in laminated glass characterized by a clean cone-shaped separation in the outer surface of the glass.
Caulk:
(n) A sealant with limited flexibility.
(v) To apply sealant to a joint.
Chip:
Damage to the edge or surface of glass resulting in the loss of material in the damaged area.
Crack:
A break in the glass extending along a line from the origin.
Cure, Curing:
The drying or hardening process of a sealant or adhesive.
Cure Time:
The time required for a sealant or adhesive to cure or harden.
Delamination:
The failure of the bond between surfaces such as layers of glass separating from the laminating film or paint peeling from a painted surface.
DOT:
U.S. Department of Transportation, the federal agency responsible for transportation safety and regulation.
Edge Crack:
Any crack that extends to the edge of a piece of glass.
Fast Cure:
An adhesive or sealant with accelerated curing properties. Reaches working strength in a shorter period of time than conventional adhesives.
Frit:
The painted band around the perimeter of a windshield or back glass.
Half Moon:
Similar to a Bulls Eye break but forming only a partial circle around the impact site.
Heated Backlite:
The rear window of a vehicle with heating elements or lines deposited in a grid on the inner surface of the glass.
Impact Break:
The damage to a windshield or other glass caused by an object such as a stone hitting the glass.
Impact site:
The actual location on the glass where the impact occurred.
Laminate:
The vinyl film bonding the layers of glass together in laminated glass such as a windshield
Laminated Glass:
A type of safety glass made by bonding two or more layers of glass together using plastic film.
NGA:
National Glass Association, the primary trade association for the North American glass industry. The NGA works with manufacturers and wholesalers to develop standards of quality, safety, and ethical practices within the glass industry.
OEM:
Original Equipment Manufacturer. As applied to glass this term refers to glass marked and branded as installed by the original manufacturer of the vehicle.
OEM Equivalent:
Glass that meets or exceeds the structural and quality standards of the original equipment manufacturer. Such glass will be marked and branded by the manufacturer or distributor of the glass. OEM equivalent is the type of glass most often used in Auto Glass replacement and is usually specified by insurance companies. OEM branded glass is usually available for additional cost.
Open Time:
The time after which an adhesive is applied after which it hardens and is no longer usable. Also know as working time.
Perimeter:
The outside edge of a windshield or back glass where the adhesive is applied.
Pinchweld:
The bedding surface where a windshield or back glass is attached on the vehicle.
Pit:
The void remaining after a particle if glass is chipped out by an impacting object.
Primer:
A material applied to the glass and pinchweld to promote bonding with the adhesive.
Quarter Glass:
The piece of glass on the side of the vehicle between the back glass and the rear door glass.
Regulator:
The mechanism that raises and lowers the window by a hand crank or electric motor.
Safety Glass:
Glass which is engineered to reduce the likelihood of injury in an impact. Tempered glass and laminated glass are commonly referred to as safety glass.
Sealant:
A substance used to seal the edges of adjoined surfaces to make them weathertight.
Shard:
A fragment of broken glass.
Sidelite:
Windows on the side of a vehicle.
Star Break:
Damage to laminated glass in which cracks radiate from a central point of impact.
Stress Crack:
A crack emanating from the edge of glass with no visible point of impact. Can be caused by uneven forces or movement in the pinchweld of the vehicle.
Tempered Glass:
Glass that has been heat treat to make it stronger and impact resistant. Tempered glass has the additional property that it shatters into small pebble-like granules that are unlikely to cause serious injury when it breaks.
Urethane:
An organic chemical used in self-curing rubber to make adhesives for glass.
Urethane Bed:
The pinchweld, where urethane adhesive is applied during the installation of a windshield or back glass.
VIN ( VIN Number):
The Vehicle Identification number; the number that uniquely identifies each vehicle manufactured. The 17 digit number identifies the year, make, model and equipment of the vehicle as manufactured.
VIN Plate:
A small metal plate visible through the windshield, bearing the 17 digit VIN of the vehicle.
Windshield Repair:
The process of cleaning, filling, and curing a damaged windshield to restore structural integrity and prevent spreading of the damaged area.
