how it works
According to the National Windshield Repair Association, there are three key steps to a quality windshield repair:
1. Complete removal of air from area of damage;
2. Complete filling of damaged area with resin; and
3. Complete curing of the resin to finish off the repair.
The Dent Devils use simple, efficient technology that is grounded in the science of windshield repair to perform these important steps in a way that creates the very best repair possible.
NWRA Premise #1
Completely remove air from the break
This step is essential in a good repair because removing all of the air ensures that:
- The repair resin is able to fill to the edges of the break, for stronger, better-looking repair results
- The repair resin fills the break more quickly, saving time
- The resin enters an oxygen-free environment for better adhesion to the glass
GlasWeld's Injector pulls the highest possible vacuum possible under atmospheric pressure, completely removing all air from the break. Once the vacuum is pulled, air is trapped in an upper chamber, away from the piston, glass and resin.
When the piston is pushed down during the injection step of the repair process, it hydraulically injects the resin into the break. Most other systems pneumatically inject resin which, by definition, actually introduces oxygen back into the resin during the injection process. By using hydraulic injection, the possibility of "re-gassing" the resin is eliminated.
NWRA Premise #2
Completely fill the break with resin
The hydraulic injection process creates more pressure on the resin than the more common process. This increased pressure heightens the likelihood that resin will totally fill the damaged area. In addition, the hydraulic process does not introduce air back into the resin before filling the break. Because air is totally absent during this stage of the process, the resin quickly fills any voids.
NWRA Premise # 3
Completely cure the resin
To understand why the equipment that we use is so fundamental to quality windshield repair, it is important to first understand the way that resin cures. Resin cures under two conditions:
1. The absence of oxygen
2. The presence of UV light
In the explanations for NWRA steps one and two, we illustrate how the design of the GlasWeld injector allows complete "absence of oxygen" from the resin-filled break. This fulfills the first requirement in creating an environment where resin can properly cure.
Secondly, ultraviolet (UV) light must be present. The radial curing lamp we use is the only curing system specifically engineered to cure windshield repairs. It fits snugly over the injector, so the repair can remain under pressure while still receiving UV light to cure from all angles. The UV frequency of the lamp is matched to GlasWeld's Resin line. The UV light is unmatched in speed and performance for curing windshield repair resin.
