Clearview National December 2018 - Issue 205 | Page 50
PROUD SPONSOR OF
GLASS & SEALED UNITS EXTRA
Glass & Sealed Units Extra
Strengthening its position in
the specialist glass market
» » FIRE GLASS UK IS
strengthening its position as one of the UK’s
leading specialist glass suppliers by investing
in a new Toughening Plant at its new UK
Branch in Oldbury. Part of its ongoing
expansion project, this latest investment
compliments the current set up at the UK
Branch and meets growing demand for
toughened products.
Jonathon Booth (Operations Manager) said
“The investment in a new furnace gives us
the infrastructure to expand our production
and a far greater scope to supply developing
markets for the benefit of new and existing
customers.”
For more than a decade, Fire Glass UK
has been one of the UK’s leading suppliers of
fire-rated and other specialist glass products
and this latest investment means they are
continuing to add to their specialist glass
portfolio.
Toughened glass sizes are largely dependent
on the size of float glass cuts and the size of
the toughening furnace. The new Toughening
Plant at Fire Glass UK will enable them to
toughen glass from 4 mm to 19 mm with a
size capability of 1600 mm x 3200 mm.
A further investment of a new CNC
machine means that a wide-range of design
options are available and Fire Glass UK can
provide toughened pieces to most shapes. They
also supply glass painted to any RAL colour.
WHAT IS TOUGHENED GLASS?
Toughened glass is made from standard
float glass but is up to five times stronger
(whilst being the same thickness) making it
an impact resistant safety glass. The process
of toughening the glass introduces stresses
and tensions to the glass which increases it
strength and also ensures that when the glass
does break, it will break ‘safely’ into small
blunt pieces that are unlikely to cause serious
injury. It therefore poses less of a threat to
passers-by and is safer to pick up and dispose
of. If standard float glass is broken it will
break into very sharp, hazardous pieces.
The toughening process involves putting
the cut float pieces through the furnace
where they are heated to above 650°C and
then rapidly cooled with cold air on both
50 » DEC 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
sides. The glass has to be cut to size and
shaped accordingly before going through
the toughening process; if the glass is cut
afterwards it will crack and shatter.
As the glass cools, the outer layers compress
and contract whilst the inner layers are
in a state of tension. The stress gives the
glass increased solidity by pushing together
any surface flaws and protecting the inner
layers from imperfections that can lead to
cracks. The process improves the structural
durability of the glass which increases its
impact resilience and ability to withstand
heat without impacting on the clarity of
appearance or light transmission of the glass
itself.
WHY USE TOUGHENED GLASS?
Its increased resistance to impact and
temperature variations make toughened glass
suited for use in structural glazing systems
where the benefits of ordinary glass need to
be combined with extra strength, safety or
resistance. It therefore provides a far greater
scope for the use of glass in buildings from a
design point of view. It is ideal for a wide-
range of applications, including (but not
limited to) curtain walling, stairs, balustrading,
doors and partitions.
When looking at security needs, toughened
glass is stronger than laminated glass and
requires a far greater force to be shattered.
Toughened glass achieves a Class 1C1 rating
(depending on its thickness) when tested to
BS EN 12600 (Class A under BS 6206). This
is the highest rating for safety glass.
WHY USE FIRE GLASS UK?
All products supplied by Fire Glass UK
meet or exceed all relevant standards and its
toughened glass will be no exception; meeting
BS EN 12600 and BS EN 12150.
Fire Glass UK holds ISO: 9001:2015
and ISO: 14001:2015 and is a member of
the Glass and Glazing Federation. It keeps
up to date with all industry standards and
accreditations (including FIRAS, Certifire,
Attestation Level 1, CHAS, Constructionline
etc.) and throughout its ambitious expansion
and improvement programme its core focus
always remains on the service it provides to its
customers and its ability to respond to their
needs within the changing glass market.
Sean Haynes (Managing Director) said
“What sets us aside is our customer-centred
approach to business. SQS is the ‘Fire
Glass Promise’ to all customers on Safety,
Quality and Service. We are proud of our
CSQ average feedback score of above 95%
and we continue to work closely with our
customers in terms of product development
and testing.”
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