Esprit’s step by step guide for windscreen repair
Dean Proctor, head of training and technical at Esprit Windscreen Repair Equipment, gets hands-on with a repair for one of Esprit’s fleet customers, National Express Coaches. He shows us how it’s done.
We know that it’s of vital importance for fleets to minimise their down time as much as possible. That’s why so many fleets have started carrying out their own windscreen repair on site. The ability to carry out a repair to a truck, bus or coach and get the vehicle back on the road that day is incredibly useful in this fast-paced business.
But you might be thinking; can I repair fleet windscreens safely and easily, and is it cost effective? If you only very occasionally need to carry out repairs, it’s sometimes cheaper to buy the service in from a trained windscreen repairer, but if you have a larger fleet or you repair more often, it’s very cost effective to carry out your own repairs – and it’s straightforward too. When Esprit started 40 years ago, it was bus and coach companies that were our first customers. Their large screens cost a fortune to replace and it was a long and difficult job. It’s still a lot easier and quicker to repair rather than replace, and with the Esprit kit you know that you have a performance tested, TUV-accredited kit, so you know you’ll get a great result. It’s even possible to repair cracks up to 150mm, with the Esprit kit, which is a big money saver over replacing a screen. Here’s how it’s done.
1- Firstly you check the repair and then set up the mirror bridge, using a thin smear of gel to make sure it sticks to the screen. Make sure you wear safety glasses.
2- Then clean the screen with the Esprit e-spray, which removes dirt and also moisture from the break, meaning you’ll get a better result.
3- Use the probe to clear away broken glass debris from the impact crater.
4- Next use the drill to carefully grind out any debris, making sure you don’t go too deep. Use short bursts and keep checking the break.
5- After this, take out the Elite bridge and use a small amount of gel on the sucker, and apply the bridge to the screen. The injector hole is placed over the damage and the bridge locked into place with the arm.
6- Once the bridge is in place, screw in the injector until it’s 1mm from the glass. The impact point should be directly below the seal of the injector. Once you’re sure it’s in the right place, finish screwing in the injector until the top of the injector thread touches the collar of the bridge.
7- Now it’s time to use the resin. Using the UV proof syringe, draw out 0.2ml of resin from the bottle, and then inject this through the injector.
8- Then take the plunger and screw this into the injector. As the plunger is screwed in, it will increase the pressure, forcing the resin into the break. The injector seal will widen whilst you do this, and it should only increase to around 5- 6mm. Once this is done, wait for three minutes for the resin to penetrate through the break. This is a good opportunity to clean out your syringe, which can be re-used, as can the injectors so long as they’re cleaned with the e-spray after use. After three minutes, unscrew the plunger around 10mm, which draws air out of the break, and check the break. It’s also a good time to warm the glass with the heater. Another threeminute cycle of screwing in the plunger should be sufficient, but check the break with the torch as this will show you if there are any remaining cracks to fill.
9- Once you are happy with your repair, remove everything from the windscreen and carry out a final check. It’s important to do this before you cure with the lamp, because at this stage, you can still add more resin and carry out another cycle if you’re not totally happy. Then take the pit fill polish and a plastic sheet and apply a drop of the resin to the crater, allowing the plastic sheet to fall gently onto the break.
10- Then take the LED lamp and place this on the screen, again using a small amount of gel to ensure it sticks. Switch on and cure for 75 seconds, ensuring that you’re wearing the safety goggles provided. Then remove the lamp and the plastic.
11- The final couple of stages are to use the scraper to remove any bump of resin and ensure the screen is smooth, and then polish the area with a small amount of the polish provided. Clean your equipment and you’re good to go!
If you are still a bit unsure about windscreen repair our training video and training manual are free on our website, and we find that when technicians have been trained, they feel really confident and have all the tips and tricks to get a great repair. At Esprit we offer training at our branch in Staffordshire, or alternatively we can come to you. We also offer train the trainer sessions which are handy if you have a larger group, or multiple branches.
