The National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) recently submitted a newly updated Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard™ (ROLAGS) to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ANSI has approved it.
The latest version of the standard, ANSI/NWRA/ROLAGS™ 001-2014, replaces and supersedes the previous ROLAGS Standard, originally published in June 2007.
The revised standard now includes redesigned testing protocols to better evaluate how repaired pieces of laminated glass perform under varying temperature changes and more, according to Keith Beveridge, a member of the NWRA’s board of directors and chair of the ROLAGS Standard Committee. Beveridge also serves as senior vice president of Savage, Minn.-based Novus.
“The big change is the thermal cycling test,” says Beveridge. “We are trying to replicate real-world temperature changes. Say it’s a cold day in Minneapolis in September or January. The glass contracts and expands based on temperature and the repair resins perform differently than the glass. If the temperature drops to a certain point and you turn on the vehicle’s heat, it shocks the system or glass. We want to see what happens when you shock the system and make sure the glass and resin don’t crack out. We are looking to duplicate the effect of cold weather with our testing.”
The test involves using a heat gun or heat source to take the glass from 0 to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, he explains.
“The idea is to keep the glass cool and then add hot air, duplicating what will happen in cold climates when the defrosters are turned on,” Beveridge says.
Some of the additional ROLAGS recommendations in Appendix C also require testing as well to ensure the repair will stand the test of time.
“Some of the tests are the same as what was previously recommended,” notes Penny Chatterton, a chemist with Novus who works closely with Beveridge and was heavily involved in the changes to the standard. “However, in many cases the procedures now contain a required re-test after samples have been through accelerated weathering to mimic the effects of a year or two outdoors. We also added new tests to mimic the effects of quick temperature changes on repairs and evaluate the color change in pit repairs after accelerated weathering.”
A copy of the new Standard can be found on the ROLAGS website.