History
In order for the glass in your smartphone, tablet, or computer to incorporate a touchscreen, it has to be extremely thin. But thin glass doesn't hold up against the wear and tear of daily use, so manufacturers of these mobile devices started using glass that's been chemically treated to be both thin and strong. This is the basic concept behind Corning Inc.'s ultra-resilient Gorilla Glass, named after a gorilla's inherent toughness and beauty. As with any glass, the process of making Gorilla Glass begins by melting down a mixture of sand and other chemicals in a furnace. After that, however, automated robotic arms form the molten mixture into 0.5-mm-thick sheets, called aluminosilicate because they contain aluminum, silicon, oxygen, and sodium ions. These ultra-thin sheets can't resist damage quite yet; to become Gorilla Glass, they have to undergo a chemical process called an ion exchange. Each sheet is dipped into a 752-degree Fahrenheit electrolyte solution, which breaks the bonds o
Specialties
More than 50% of Americans use text messaging as their primary means of day-to-day communication, meaning that a broken screen or sluggish tablet can do more than frustrate--it can cut you off from your friends and loved ones. Fortunately, the tech wizards at GoodLuck Communications can fix almost any phone's or tablet's LCD screens. But they don't just relegate their skills to pocket-sized devices; they can also revitalize bigger pieces of tech, including laptops.