BOROFLOAT® borosilicate glass for windshields

Challenges in the truck industry

The trucking industry faces several significant challenges, particularly the durability and reliability of windshields, as trucks frequently travel vast distances across extreme environments.

Due to breakage, truck windshields often need to be replaced once or twice a year. This frequent need for replacement is costly. Cameras, sensors and high safety requirements make the exchange nowadays even more expensive. The downtime resulting from windshield failures further exacerbates costs, pushing operational expenses higher as trucks are taken out of service for repairs.

Conventional windshields, typically made of soda-lime glass, are particularly susceptible to damage. They have a high probability of chipping and tend to suffer from extensive damage patterns after stone impacts. This fragility leads to more frequent replacements and greater overall maintenance.

Windshields containing BOROFLOAT® 33 have superior stone impact and scratch resistance compared to conventional materials and can survive harsh road conditions. This means fewer repairs and less downtime when reliability is essential to your business.

Why are the mechanical properties of BOROFLOAT® 33 different to soda-lime glass?

The chemical composition of standard float glass is different from the composition of BOROFLOAT® 33 – the floated borosilicate glass.

The structure of BOROFLOAT® 33 glass is a highly connected network of atoms, which results in superior scratch resistance, high sharp-impact resistance, high elasticity, and reduced weight. A high resistance to crack initiation in BOROFLOAT® 33 glass plays an important role in mitigating glass chipping or, in the worst case, glass breakage when exposed to sharp impacts. The low density is beneficial when low weight is a consideration.

Discover our application reference