Yes, I know there are glass frames, silicone seal, suspensions; but given the amount of shocks a vehicle goes through its lifetime (specially utility vehicles), why does accidental shatter never happen?
In: Engineering
It takes quite a bit to make tempered glass shatter, especially when the edges are protected and “held” the way they are in a car.
Ultimately, car windows are designed for it, and thus they stay intact.
In short, glass is actually a very strong material, but because it breaks before it bends it can act in unintuitive ways. Sometimes it seems very weak. Automotive glass is designed specifically to avoid putting it in situations where it behaves fragile.
First, glass isn’t as fragile as people think. Its biggest weakness is being struck by *hard* objects. Bumps in the road aren’t a direct strike to the glass, so this is no hazard.
Second, windshield glass is significantly thicker than most glass you’re used to, and curved. Both of these also make it leaps and bounds more durable. Thicker glass is more prone to chipping than fully shattering.
Third, auto glass is tempered, which is a technique that protects the surface of the glass by forcing the core of the glass to shrink slightly. This has to do with how breaks form in glass, moving along the surface. If the surface is being scrunched together then it is much harder to crack.
Tempered glass is made specifically to be incredibly strong against shock. Combined with how door glass are mounted in the door, with the rubber track on the sides, the glass wont hit metal on the sides/edges. As for back glass, those are mostly glued in the same way the windshield is, so the urethane acts as a cushion.
Autoglass is my job.
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