Toughened Glass
Heat treatment of annealed glass in specialized furnaces causes the stresses of the substrate to change in their resistance to load and force. Toughening glass is the name used for describing this process. When annealed glass breaks it usually forms cracks which are far apart and splits into large shards with very sharp edges, toughening glass alters this characteristic so if breakage should occur the tempered glass breaks in to small glass particles with less sharp edges conforming to the safety glazing regulations.
At Carey Glass International we have a larger toughening capacity than any other company in Europe, our size capability ranges from 175mm x 150mm to 6000mm x 3210 from 3mm to 19mm thick and we can curve & toughen glass at the same time.
Detailed Description
Glass is heat-treated by heating annealed glass to a temperature of more than 600 degrees centigrade then rapidly cooling it. The glass is cooled by a carefully controlled airflow (also known as quenching), which uniformly cools all glass surfaces simultaneously. Changing the air pressure used produces tempered glass the most common specification and (much lower airflow rates produce heat-strengthened glass).
- Tempered Glass is the most common specification and most Architectural glass products can be heat-treated. Silk-screened and ceramic spandrel glass panels are always toughened as part of the fabrication process. When spandrel glass is incorporated into insulating glass units, both panes must be toughened. Heat-absorbing glasses, such as tints, reflective glasses and some Low E glass products, may require heat treatment to reduce the probability of thermal stress breakage, especially when used as part of an insulating glass unit. We can advise on this on a project basis.
- Heat Strengthened Glass is widely used in laminated glass construction for additional strength such as in overhead or sloping applications. Heat strengthened glass must not be used in safety glazing applications.
- Heat Soak Treatment (HST) is specified on some tempered glass applications. This calls for the tempered glass to be held in a controlled temperature environment for an extended period of time to reduce the incidence of spontaneous breakage. We can advise on this aspect.
All tempered glass produced by us is to EN 12150 and we can manufacture from 150 mm x 175mm to 6000 x 3210. Our largest furnace has a production bed size of 7000 x 3350, which is the largest in Europe. Capacity is not a problem as we operate 7 furnaces in total, one of which is capable of curving and tempering glass.
Primary Uses
Toughened glass being stronger than annealed glass allows it to be used in areas where greater stress is envisaged. If broken, the resultant smaller pieces are relatively harmless and the thicker the glass substrate is the more unlikely it is to break under normal use. Tempered glass is used in areas such as doors and windows which are at a low level and when floor to ceiling glazing is involved. Shower doors and assemblies as well as partitions in offices are specified as tempered to comply with legislation.
Wind loadings and barrier loadings on buildings which have more than one storey are likely to consider the use of tempered glass as its resistance to breakage includes its ability to with stand greater heat via direct sunlight and shading and pressurized load up against its surface.
Tempered laminated is regularly specified in many architectural applications to minimise liability on roof glazing and additionally HST, heat soak testing, can eliminate further risk in these situations.
Contact Us
If you have any queries or need any further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Tel: +353 67 50700
Benefits
All tempered glass produced by us is to EN 12150 and we can manufacture from 150 mm x 175mm to 6000 x 3210 from 4mm through to 19mm and offer the full range of float, tinted , patterned and soft coat high performance glass products to be incorporated into an insulated unit.
We operate the largest furnace in Europe which has a production bed size of 7000 x 3350, can offer curved tempered as we operate 7 furnaces in total capacity is not a problem and our delivery times reflect this.
Carey Glass International offer it bigger and quicker than anyone else. Call us, we can help.
Toughened Glass Roof