Study of the mechanical characteristics in automotive windscreens

Abstract

At present the windshield plays a fundamental role in the vehicle. Due to the increase of tariffs and price in auto parts, the final consumer seeks to satisfy his need with locally manufactured auto parts, so it is necessary to know if the windshield manufacturers deliver products that comply with the minimum safety measures. So, 3 different windshield samples were selected, which were two local samples and one imported and were subjected to impact tests, based on the Ecuadorian regulation INEN 1669 and comparing the characteristics of the same with international standards. Three impact tests were performed: steel sphere, mannequin head and metal dart. At the end of these trials, the three manufacturers achieved positive results; mainly in the tests with steel sphere and metal dart where the results are purely visual; However, in the test with the head of the mannequin it is possible to see a notable difference in the results, since they can be analyzed and interpreted in a different way since they are not visual. Once obtained and compared the results, it was determined that the three samples approve all the tests performed, however, there are samples that present better characteristics.