Automated Measurement Of Edge Stress In Automotive Glass

Automotive glass is subjected to a complex set of stresses resulting from bending, heating and laminating processes. Tensile stresses develop near glass edges. If not controlled, these stresses can result in delayed fracture and service failures. Windshields are also known to fail as a result of insufficient edge compression. To assure quality and avoid service failures, thorough quality control procedures are implemented in producing automotive glass. In this paper, a new system has been developed which automatically measures edge stress using a lightweight, portable, PC-based problem. The new system eliminates operator error and features data storage for review and documentation.