Customisable decorative glass with attractive patterns

Enhanced Strength

• Superior Safety

  Pattern glass, like standard glass, can be enhanced for improved safety. The primary ways this is achieved are through tempering or laminating, and often by combining these techniques with the patterned design itself. Here's a detailed look:

  
  

  1. Enhanced Safety through Processing

  Tempered Pattern Glass:

  Significantly stronger: Undergoes a heating and rapid cooling process, making it about 4-5 times stronger than annealed (untreated) pattern glass. This dramatically increases its resistance to impact.

  
  

  Shatter pattern: When broken, it shatters into many small, relatively blunt, granular pieces instead of large, sharp shards, significantly reducing the risk of serious cuts and lacerations.

  
  

  Uses: Ideal for shower doors, glass doors, windows in high-traffic areas, or any application where safety is paramount.

  
  

  Laminated Pattern Glass:

  Impact Resistance: Two or more sheets of pattern glass are bonded together with a tough interlayer (usually PVB – Polyvinyl Butyral). This interlayer holds the glass fragments together if the glass breaks, preventing pieces from scattering and preventing the formation of a dangerous opening.

  Security: Difficult to penetrate, making it an effective barrier against forced entry.

  Sound Dampening: The interlayer also absorbs sound energy, reducing noise transmission.

  Uses: Security windows, doors, skylights, and any application where both safety and security are necessary.

  
  

  2. Inherited Safety Benefits from the Pattern:

  Minor Physical Strength: Pattern glass, in some cases, can have slightly increased resistance to bending or flexing compared to flat, smooth glass due to the inherent structure of the pattern, especially with patterns like fluted or ribbed designs. This structural benefit is not as substantial as tempering or laminating, but nonetheless creates advantages.

  
  

  3. The Combination of Pattern & Processing is Key:

  Maximising Safety: The combination of the patterned surface and the processing can achieve superior safety properties. For example, a stippled or fluted patterned sheet of tempered glass will offer excellent safety, but it will also have both the privacy characteristics and light diffusion qualities that the pattern provides. Laminated Pattern glass gives both safety, plus impact resistance.

  
  

  4. Safety in Application

  Meeting Standards: Buildings codes and safety standards may require the use of safety glass (such as tempered or laminated pattern glass) in windows, doors, sidelights, and other glazing applications in certain locations. Pattern glass, when appropriately treated, helps meet these standards.

  
  

  5. Other Considerations

  Impact Resistance: All glass, including pattern glass, has a breaking strength. However, the impact resistance (how much force it can take before breaking) of pattern glass increases dramatically through the use of tempering and lamination techniques.

  
  

  In Summary:

  The superior safety of pattern glass results primarily from the use of tempering and laminating processes, often used in conjunction with the decorative benefits of the pattern itself. This makes pattern glass a safer and more versatile choice for a wide range of applications, as well as a decorative feature. Whether used for safety, security, or privacy, pattern glass can be manufactured to satisfy stringent safety criteria while preserving its distinct aesthetic appeal.

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