SAFETY GLASS
Safety glass is something many of us look through every time we ride inside a vehicle or enter a public building. There are three kinds of safety glass: Laminated, Tempered and Wire Reinforced.
LAMINATED
Laminated glass consists of two or more panes of float glass bonded together by one or several sheets of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer which is extremely tough and resilient. The adhesion of the PVB interlayer to the glass is optimized by a production process based on high heat and pressure. The process achieves perfect homogeneity of the glass sandwich and maintains the transparency of standard monolythic float glass. In addition to transparency, laminated glass maintains all the other characteristics of float glass such as durability and scratch resistance. However, it adds impact resistance, better sound insulation and improved control of solar energy.! Banks use a multiple-layer laminated glass to help stop bullets. With all these additional qualities, laminated glass has become an unique product for all types of safety and security glazing applications.
Some uses of laminated glass are:
Automobiles
Tub & shower windows
Railing glass
Overhead glazing
Security glass
Main Characteristics of Security and safety laminated Glass
• Does not shatter, the splinters stick on to the PVB interlayer. Minimizes the risk of injuries and prevents fallout.
• Breaks only at the point of impact creating a star burst. Prevents theft.
• Is available from stock in all dimensions.
• Can be included in a double glazed unit. Simultaneously provides heat insulation, safety and security.
• Is available in different tint colours. Provides solar energy control.
• Reduces noise at specific frequencies. Simultaneously provides acoustical comfort, safety and security.
• Filters 99.9% of U.V. rays. Prevents fading of interior furnishings.
TEMPERED
Tempered safety glass is a single piece of glass that gets tempered using a process that heats, then quickly cools, the glass to harden it. The tempering process increases the strength of the glass to five to 10 times that of untempered glass. Tempered safety glass breaks differently than regular clear glass. When tempered safety glass is struck it does not break into sharp jagged pieces of shrapnel-like glass as normal window panes or mirrors do. Instead, it breaks into little pebble-like pieces, without sharp edges. It is used in the side and rear windows of automobiles. Eyewear uses tempered glass that has been tempered using a chemical process.
Tempered Glass Strength
Under wind pressure, tempered glass is approximately five times as strong as annealed glass. It resists breakage by small missiles traveling approximately twice as fast as missiles which break annealed glass. Tempered glass is also able to resist temperature differences (200 ° F - 300 ° F) which would cause annealed glass to crack.
The domestic motor vehicle industry employs tempered glass as side and rear windows in automobiles, trucks, and multipurpose vehicles. Manufacturing industries use tempered glass in refrigerators, furniture, ovens, shelving, skylights and fireplace screens.
WIRE REINFORCED
Some building codes require wired glass for fire-rated resistance. Wire reinforced glass is typically used in schools and underground parking lots. When steel doors and frames are required for code, wire reinforced glass is used.