Diamond Clear Views - April, 2009

New Technology to make your windshield repairs better !

Glass Technology is proud to announce another first, in May the introduction of the Diamond BluWave^TM UV curing system will be available for all Glass Technology customers. This technology will revolutionize the way windshield repair is done and will equip Glass Technology customers with the latest in windshield repair advancements. BluWave is for the curing of auto glass repairs only, it is not intented for any other industry use. These advancements will be fully upgradable for existing GT customers allowing for an easy transition into the next generation of windshield repair technology. GT will also make this new technology adaptable to some WSR systems bridge or Injector holder. Call for details.

blue wave

More information will be available in April as Glass Technology gears up for this introduction via our website and through our monthly email news. You can also contact your Glass Technology representative or sign-up online at http://www.gtglass.com/site/bluewave.html as information is available.

GLASS TECHNOLOGY DECLARES WINNER OF $1,500.00 LAS VEGAS GIVEAWAY PRIZE

The winner of the Diamond Clear Las Vegas Giveaway has been announced, and the prize (worth $1,500.00) has been claimed from our website: http://www.gtglass.com/site/Specials.html.

Don Dickson, a happily married stepfather of two, and independent proprietor of Glass Technology Windshield Repair and Headlight Restoration of Southern Arizona opted for the cash option from the Las Vegas Giveaway, rather than the trip to Las Vegas. To quote Mr. Dickson: "I do not need a vacation... since owning my own business and working in this field feels like vacation all of the time." Instead, Mr. Dickson told Glass Technology that he plans to invest the cash by purchasing a Glass Scratch Removal System: the Scratch Hog^TM, in order to diversify his services to include scratch removal - something he has been looking to delve into after the success of adding headlight restoration service to his business about 5 years ago.

Performing windshield repair for over 18 years, Mr. Dickson has been a Glass Technology customer for about 16 of those years with more than 50,000 windshield chip or crack repairs under his belt. His opportunity to become sole proprietor for his repair business finally came after working for a repair and replacement shop for two years. After gaining field experience with fleet accounts and retail customers as a windshield repair technician, Don called Glass Technology, opened his own business, and has been keeping customers happy in Southern Arizona for almost two decades. Don's mission statement as a business owner is simple: "I give all I have into anything I do." Based on the success of his business, he seems to meet that goal handily with his loyal customer base. Don also volunteers some of his free time as a moderator for Glass Technology's Windshield repair forum: http://www.glass-repair-forum.com and stays active in other repair and restoration industry forums. He offers his advice, experience, and expertise to anyone that wants it. Mr. Dickson divides the rest of his free time between clay target shotgun sports, darts, and spending time with family.

Glass Technology looks forward to training Mr. Dickson in the art of scratch removal in the upcoming months, congratulates him on his prize, and wishes him the best of luck in future diversification of his services!

Adam Duthie
Glass Technology
Sales and Customer Service

Diamond Clear Tech Tip of the Month

Windshield Repair Resin

Choosing the right resin for the job can be challenging and not all resins are created equal. The most important aspects of any resin are its strength or bonding capability, its reflective index or clarity, and its viscosity. Most of us are well aware of why windshield repair resin needs to be clear and strong, but you may ask "what does viscosity have to do with anything?"

Viscosity has an effect on the overall strength or bonding capabilities of windshield repair resin in two ways. The first is simply due to the chemistry of the material itself. A low viscosity or thinner resin has fewer proteins or monomers than a high viscosity resin. These proteins or monomers act as the skeletal structure of the resin; ultimately determining is strength or ability to withstand stress. The second way that viscosity affects the bonding capability of the resin is simply by its ability to reach the areas where a bond is required to achieve maximum adhesion between the substrate or glass surfaces. In summary the ideal resin is a resin which is as thick as possible while still reaching the areas where a bond is needed. This is why Glass Technology offers a range of different resin viscosities instead of a single "catch all" viscosity resin. This allows the technician to decide which viscosity is right for the type of repair being performed. An HV or thick resin works well for bullseyes in any temperature or for medium sized bullseyes and combination breaks when the glass is above 85-90 degrees. An LV resin is great for star breaks in any temperature or medium to large combination breaks when the glass is below 50-55 degrees. Finally the MV resin is great for medium to large bullseyes, combination breaks, and even star breaks when the glass is between the temperature ranges of 50 to 90 degrees.

Other resin products such as the CR, PF, and PFAF are designed for more specific applications. The CR resin is similar to the MV in viscosity while offering the highest tensile strength of any GT resin product. This tensile strength is what makes it work so well for crack repair because the resin becomes stretched out over a long continuous space. The PF is our thickest resin which allows it to work as a replacement for missing surface glass as well as offer superior protection of the repair from the elements. The PFAF is thinner than the PF which allows it to work well for situations where a more complex or dynamic void of glass is present at the surface. The thinner PFAF resin will more seamlessly match up with the extreme peaks and valleys of this type of glass surface to minimize the potential for gaps or air pockets at the surface yet still offer many of the same weather resistant features of the thicker PF resin.

I hope that this information will offer further clarification to the complex issue of choosing the right resin. Remember that not all windshield repair resins are created equal and that no one resin can do the job for every repair. Stick with the best in strength and clarity in a variety of viscosities, stick with Glass Technology Diamond Clear Resin!

Joe Frazee
Glass Technology
Production and Training

Diamond Clear Resin Testimonial

"I have been repairing windshields for 12 years, over 20,000 windshields. I have tried many different resins. I am a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of the repair. Strength of the repair is not just the only thing, but how the repair looks afterward is very important to my clients and therefore me. I have always had a couple of places where I get resins. Each having the characteristics I prefer. Lately there has been a push to 'improve' these resins. I can't believe that they would change and make the resin worse..... Not only are they not as strong, but they have affected the cosmetic side of the repair too. So I went in search of something better. That is where GT came along. I tried your Diamond Clear resins and to my surprise... the quality, strength and cosmetic side of the repairs I am getting is the beyond my expectations. I am more than satisfied. Thanks Glass Technology!"