Black dots on your windshield have hidden power that stops you being late for work – they help in summer or winter | 16S1KSG | 2024-04-28 12:08:01
DRIVERS have realized that there is a key reason windshields have black dots on them, and it is not just for the look.
The dots, known as frits, play a little-known role in preventing damage to vehicles and ensuring drivers get to work on time.
Chances are most people have seen the black pattern on the edging of the windshield and passenger windows without considering why it is there.
Most commonly, frits begin as a solid black border before gradually becoming black dots that minimize in size.
According to windshield experts Autoglaze, there are four reasons why vehicles have frits.
TEMPERATURE
To help you get to work on time, they help distribute temperature evenly over your windshield which comes in handy when you need to quickly remove mist or ice.
Of course, while this is convenient, the even distribution of temperature also helps prevent cracks from forming in your windshield due to sudden temperature changes.
It also helps "lessen optical distortion," according to Autoglaze.
This occurs when the solid black border "heats up much faster than the windscreen's glass, creating an optical distortion that makes either straight lines look curved or bowed inwards toward the center."
Meanwhile, in hot weather, the "dot matrix" plays a key role in keeping your windshield in place.
"They help preserve the urethane sealant used to bond the glass to the frame," Autoglaze experts explain.
"They use the black enamel outside the windshield to block the sun's ultraviolet rays from melting the adhesive underneath the band.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> "This keeps the windows firmly glued in their place."
In addition, the frits add a roughness to the surface of the glass, making it easier for the car frame to stick to it.
Some drivers were excited to have learned the real reason behind the black dots.
"That makes more sense than my initial theory which was 'they look cool,'" one said in a Reddit thread.
AESTHETICS
However, the fourth reason for the frits given by experts at Autoglaze is aesthetics.
"The contrast between the dark band and the transparent glass can look too obvious even when viewed from afar," they explain.
"Creating a halftone pattern or 'dot-matrix' allows a gradual decrease in size, making the transition much more subtle and easier on the eyes.
One driver revealed on the Reddit thread how they have ensured the frits themselves are designed for further aesthetic reasons.
"I did a custom one reminding a comb pattern for one vehicle cabin I was designing," they wrote.
</div> </div> "I know having a custom frit is a bit of an overkill for a heavy-duty wheel loader, but I regret nothing."
Another Redditor shared a subreddit dedicated to frits showing how people got their own designs including dragons and other animals emerging from the frit band.
FORENSICS
Meanwhile, research is being conducted on how effective the dots can be for police investigations.
"Frits have been used in forensics to help identify fragments of glass and determine what make and model it came from," one Redditor claimed.
"Every manufacturer uses a slightly different chemical composition."
In December 2020, Troy Ernst a researcher from Michigan State Police Grand Rapids Forensic Laboratory released a paper on the Forensic Examination of Ceramic Fit on Automative Glass.
So, next time you are mindlessly looking at the dots on your windshield or passenger windows, you know how vital they are in numerous ways.
The U.S. Sun previously shared with readers the five things drivers should know to get money off at a dealership.
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