ANSI Windshield Standards

The American National Standards Institute oversees the development of and provides accreditation for various types of industry guidelines. ANSI has approved regulations for automotive windshield design and replacement developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standards Council.

Glazing

Glazing involves incorporating a layer of adhesive material between two pieces of glass when manufacturing windshields. This adhesive increases the strength of the glass, decreasing the likelihood of a vehicle occupant being thrown through the windshield in a crash. Glazing also causes the glass to adhere to the adhesive inside the windshield when broken, preventing large pieces of glass from injuring those inside the vehicle.

Windshield Replacement

A U.S. Department of Transportation part number must identify all replacement windshields. Adhesives used to bond replacement glass to a vehicle must be equivalent to the material used by the original manufacturer. Using adhesive material that has exceeded its expiration date is prohibited.

Additional Replacement Standards

The use of chemicals, such as solvents, lubricants or cleaning agents, which may damage the windshield glazing system, may not be used in the glass replacement process. Glass replacement technicians must maintain documents showing evidence of their compliance with AGRSS standards.