2024-08-02 13:47:38
It’s in most vehicles – but almost no one knows what it’s for. One might think that the band of dots running across the windshield is decorative or meant to block some light. However, this strip is actually meant to hold the windshield in place and allow you to see properly – but probably not in the way that most would think.
Until the 1950s and 1960s, windshields were held in place with metal tape – until manufacturers started using glue. Made from rough ceramic paint, the dot tapes are designed to hide these unsightly adhesives, and they also help hold the windshield in place.
“The modern windshield is an engineering marvel – and dare we say, one of the most underrated components of a vehicle. Part of that engineering includes how the windshield is glued to the frame,” explains US body shop DeDona Tint & Sound in a blog post.
The inner side of the tape allows the adhesive to adhere to the glass, the outer side acts as a UV shield to protect the adhesive, which would otherwise be weakened by constant exposure to direct sunlight.
In addition to protecting the adhesive bond from UV radiation and ultimately preventing the windshield from falling off while driving, the dot gradient has another important function. As an engineer at a Pittsburgh glass workshop explained, during production, car windshields are bent in a hot furnace.
In the oven, the dotted line heats up faster than the windshield glass. Without the dot matrix, the glass would distort, but the spaced dots help distribute the temperature more evenly, reducing any distortion that would be dangerous when driving, according to IFL Science.
2024-08-02 13:47:38