The Diamond BluWave^TM

The Diamond BluWave ^TM makes its first appearance in the UK, France, Poland, Ukraine, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.Glass Technology’s latest advancement has now found recognition on an international scale.This new patent pending UV curing technology for windshield repair is now being experienced in the hands of users throughout the world.

The Diamond BluWave ^TM upgrades users that have been curing windshield breaks with traditional florescent bulbs.The Diamond BluWave ^TM uses a fraction of the power of traditional curing lamps to produce a result that cures 360 degrees around the repair while the break is under its final pressure cycle.Glass Technology has accomplished this greener solution that lasts over 15,000 repairs before any maintenance is involved.This means no bulb replacement, and no external power sources needed during the repair.Simple, small, and completely portable, this system will work with any Glass Technology Injector as well as with many other windshield repair injector devices.

The Diamond BluWave ^TM has been designed to help windshield repair technicians cure windshield repairs faster; eliminating unnecessary air pockets that form once an injector is removed prior to curing.Portability is key; and with this unique design that retrofits to any Glass Technology bridge, a compact portable solution is offered without having to use a power source—simply inject your resin and cure the repair without any additional steps.

Bill Blackburn writes:

“…..I wanted to write you with my evaluation of the new BluWave injector curing system.After completing several repairs with the BluWave^TM, I can't say one negative thing about it.What I love the best is the ability to cure the repair under pressure.

Over the years I have cured many repairs under pressure using the old method of attaching the ultra violet lamp to the inside of the windshield or positioning the lamp on top the windshield as close to the injector bridge as close as possible. While this technique seemed to work I always wasn't completely sure that the UV rays from the lamp were penetrating completely around the repair.The new BluWave has taken all my fears away about the complete curing of a repair under pressure. When the BluWave light is activated it takes about one minute for complete curing of the resin. I have to admit that during the first couple of BluWave cures, I left the lamp on about two minutes; I just couldn't believe that one minute was adequate, but it was.

I want to thank everybody who played a part in the development of the BluWave™.It's a great product that will make my windshield repairs easier and give my customers a high quality repair.”

Bill Blackburn

Grove City, Ohio

For more details please contact a trained Glass Technology associate at 800-441-4527 or visit http://www.gtglass.com/site/diamond_blu_wave.html for more details.

Tech Tip of the Month –By: Joe Frazee

Many of our customers are hesitant to use our HV or high viscosity resin for fear that it is too thick and may not flow well during the repair process. The truth is that HV resin is a great resin for many applications and isn’t as thick as you might think. A good way to get familiar with the different viscosities that Glass Technology offers and how they compare to each other is to perform this simple test. Apply a drop or two of HV, MV and LV resin side by side to the upper, outer surface of a windshield. Watch as the drops of resin run down the glass. You should notice a slight difference in the length and speed at which the droplets run. HV should be the shortest in length and move more slowly, while LV will be just the opposite, and MV should fall somewhere in between. What this simple test will actually show you is the cohesiveness of each resin as a liquid which directly relates to is strength as a solid once it’s cured or hardened by UV light, so this test shows that HV resin is actually stronger than MV or LV (a very good reason for choosing it over the other two).

Many windshield chips are best repaired using HV resin because they meet certain criteria. For instance, small chips where the resin does not have to be injected over long distances are good candidates for HV resin, or any size bullseye break that has a clean, open pocket and no complicated fractures layered within it. If you happen to encounter a windshield break that you are considering using HV on, but you are just not sure, keep in mind that if HV is used instead of a lower viscosity for a particular repair, the consequences are merely that the process will likely require more time to complete due to the thickness of the resin. It is not that the repair will be unsuccessful.

Another reason to use HV resin for any type of break is simply due to the temperature of the glass. If you operate your business in a hot climate area where the temperatures result in windshield repairs being performed when the glass is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, that glass temperature will cause whatever resin you use to warm resulting in a thinning affect. Taking this into consideration you can effectively work with a thicker resin than you might normally use.

In conclusion, HV is not this molasses like substance that everyone fears it to be. Instead it is a calculated variation of a proven performer, Diamond Clear Resin, to offer improved performance for certain situations that every technician encounters in the field. Using Glass Technology’s full line of Diamond Clear Resin provides the technician with a more specialized product so they can offer their customers a more specialized experience that shows in their results.

Haworth Continues Green Initiative with Scratch Removal - By: Adam Duthie

Glass Scratch removal is a growing means of eliminating glass landfill waste, saving valuable glass, and removing various types of accidental damage and intentional glass vandalism. The benefits of this service are evident as more than just financial savings; they also have a positive impact on environmental sustainability in the glass industry. Glass Technology has chosen to highlight some companies and individuals that are utilizing scratch removal in their fields to stay competitive by reducing waste (therefore increasing profit), and in the process, providing a solution that fits into today’s green goal of operating an environmentally sustainable company.

Haworth Inc. is a global leader in workspace and furniture design and manufacturing headquartered in Holland, Michigan and has been utilizing the Glass Technology Scratch Hog™ for glass scratch removal since November, 2008. With showrooms and dealers worldwide, in locations with LEED certifications such as New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Washington D.C. to name a few domestically, Haworth is an excellent example of a company creating a positive impact worldwide through green sustainability practices.An engineer from Haworth has been using the Scratch Hog™ on a weekly basis since purchasing the system in the latter half of 2008.

When asked about the value of scratch removal in his industry, he stated: “because of the multiple different products we build, the cost of a piece of glass can range anywhere from $12-$500 or more. In many cases, it is not just the cost of the glass that makes the Scratch Hog™ a great asset to have around. For example, in many cases the lead time to replace a piece of scratched glass can be two or three weeks. This means if I can fix the glass, not only do I save the money of replacing the piece, but also the lead time required for a new part and I get the part out on time to a happy customer.” There are so many factors in estimating the value of repairing glass versus replacing it. No matter which field of the Glass industry you are in, there is more to the “true cost” of replacing a piece of glass than its monetary value. Glass scratch removal saves money, time, and in many cases, can help with customer retention.

The engineer from Haworth that I spoke with attributes the glass damage he repairs mostly to incidental light damage. His company often sees glass scratches incurred from the shipping process, the supplier, and in some cases, the building process in-house. The most common type of damage he sees are linear scratches of varying depth from about 0.5 inch to 3 inches in length that are able to be repaired without leaving visible distortion.

In fact, by repairing the scratched glass, Haworth is restoring structural integrity to the glass as well, assuring that only quality product is shipped. Prior to using the Scratch Hog™, the scratched pieces would be scrapped—creating waste—and orders and shipping would be delayed.The engineer quotes: “[scratch removal] was initially motivated by cost and customer satisfaction, but recently Haworth has gone zero landfill, and despite always being a green company we have really made the push in the last year to be an industry leader in green business.” By cutting down on glass waste, they are able to continue the push towards that goal.

In many cases, the biggest benefit of repaired glass is monetary. So let’s crunch the numbers. At this Haworth location alone, it is estimated that since they began using the Scratch Hog™ in November 2008, they have saved roughly $10,000 in replacement glass alone. It is added that scratch removal eliminated possible delays on about 40-50 orders, which when delayed, add additional costs. The estimated actual benefit from scratch removal comes in at about $25,000 in less than nine months, just by being able to ship orders as scheduled—making customers happy. Considering these numbers, that’s about $2,800 in savings monthly by using scratch removal to repair damaged glass. Currently, four to five other Haworth plants are also considering implementing the Scratch Hog™ into their process, which would continue to save more glass waste, time, and money for the company. I think that’s something that everyone can understand.