An Aston Martin fitted with protective windshield laminates.

The great thing about getting a new car is that it comes with a flawlessly clear factory-fitted windshield.



Two-weeks into the euphoria of ownership and you start noticing the stone-chips and pittings that quickly degrade the aesthetic quality of any vehicle.



And since the windshield is where your primary vision is focused on during driving, the accumulated damages to it are hard to ignore.



The adrenaline-fuelled drivers who participate in motor-sports, track-day events and group convoys are particularly susceptible to windshield degradation.



Replacing damaged windshields is the only viable option for most car-owners, that is until the development and introduction of protective windshield laminates.



With company fleet vehicles, windshield laminates reduce their overall cost of replacement and insurance liabilities at the same time.

Windshield structure

A windshield is essentially laminated safety glass.



A sheet of polyurethane/polyvinyl is fitted between two layers of glass and formed using a combination of pressure and heat.



Unlike window glass which shatters on impact, windshields are manufactured fundamentally for occupant safety and to provide structural integrity for the vehicle in the event of an accident.



While vehicle insurance policies offer accidental windshield damage coverage at an additional premium, certain owners are particular about preserving their factory-fitted windshields as car manufacturers have very stringent processes during the installation of vehicle windshields as they have to conform to international manufacturing and safety standards.



Factory windshield fittings typically involve calibrated machines with multiple monitored pressure points and precision-guided jigs to achieve the prerequisite quality control standards.

Preserving windshield

The first thing that can be done to preserve your brand new windshield is to drive the car at a reasonable speed.



Follow the car in front at a safe marginal distance to avoid stone-chip damage which will indirectly help with your paintwork as well.



The next step in preserving your windshield is to install a physical laminate to protect it from the majority of the damages. Prevention has always been the preferred option.

Installing a laminate

Advances in thermoplastics technology has allowed the introduction of protective windshield laminates. Three important points should be observed during the selection of a windshield laminate.



The first and most important is visual clarity.



A high-quality windshield laminate will not distort or cause ghosting/flares after application.



Driving visibility is a major safety concern and select only the best windshield laminate for this purpose.



The next criteria is durability via it’s scratch-resistance to wiper blades.



A quality windshield laminate will have the material density and the ability to withstand multiple wiper-motion cycles.



There are slight differences in the surface tension of the windshield glass and the exterior laminate installed when it comes into contact with the wiper-blade but the addition of a top-coat treatment to the laminate will ensure optimal performance.



The final criteria would be the adhesive quality of the windshield laminate.



As the laminate will be exposed to outdoor elements including prolonged UV-exposure, a high-quality pressure-sensitive adhesive is important.



From our experience, a proper high-quality windshield laminate could last between three and five years depending on usage condition and exposure.



As a sacrificial protective element, windshield laminates can be a wise addition to any car enthusiast looking to preserve their original factory-fitted glass.



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