Ziems Ford Body Shop

What is Gorilla Glass?

Most people aren't familiar with Gorilla Glass, but if you have a smartphone or a tablet, it likely contains Gorilla Glass. This durable, scratch-resistant and lightweight glass is manufactured by Corning, Inc. and very soon carmakers all over the world (including here in Farmington, NM, no doubt) will be using windshields and car windows on production vehicles.  So, here from all of us at Ziems Ford Body Shop, we are delighted to share some news about this intriguing new type of automotive glass.

Ford Motor Co. and other car manufacturers are currently doing research and development while testing Gorilla Glass and several other of the leading chemically-toughened glass products. Gorilla Glass costs more than traditional automotive glass, but carmakers like it because of the weight reduction it creates. But, because conventional glass is a fairly cheap commodity, carmakers have to balance the weight savings against the extra expense. The first adapter of this new glass is BMW, who is currently using Gorilla Glass on its i8.

Last year, Ford unveiled its Fusion Lightweight Concept vehicle containing a hybrid windshield manufactured using a traditional soda-lime glass panel laminated to a Gorilla Glass panel. With the overall goal of getting lighter without sacrificing strength, Ford is aggressively pursuing Gorilla Glass in a big way and devising new and innovative methods for using it more on all its models.

Corning is obviously pleased and excited about all of the news and innovative ways to a use Gorilla Glass, which is manufactured by submerging thin sheets of glass in a tepid bath of molten salt at 752 degrees Fahrenheit, according to press releases disseminated by Corning. While in this molten bath, significant sodium ions will exit the glass and subsequently replaced by bigger potassium ions. This generates compression and thereby makes the surface more damage-resistant as a result.

Experts claim that Gorilla Glass will reduce weight by 25-30 percent, or five to six pounds when compared to conventional glass. Corning's engineers have figured out that Gorilla Glass will cost $2-$4 for every pound of weight saved, which means it will end up costing between $10 and $24 for a windshield.

So, while designers and chemists keep monkeying around with Gorilla Glass, consumers will hopefully benefit from its existence in newer vehicles. As every carmaker in the world is searching for ways to make cars lighter without sacrificing quality, integrity and overall strength, Gorilla Glass is quickly moving up the automotive evolution chart. Pretty soon, it may be the norm rather than the exception in cars made after 2020, or maybe even before then.

Stay tuned. Sources: Corning, Inc., CNN and AOL News