Tempered Glass when shatteredThe safety aspect of tempered glass lies in the rare though a possible eventuality of its breakage.  This unique material skilfully cracks in a distinctive way that ensures the safety of those around.  Unlike normal glass, it does not shatter or break off to expose jagged edges. It instead either delays its actual fail, in order to take protective steps in time, or then tends to shatter as a whole.  When this happens, the glass breaks off into smaller portions rather than in the form of dangerous shards.

For glass to be included in the elite calibre of the toughened variety, the compressive stress on the surface of the glass should be a minimum of 69 megapascals (MPa). However, for it to be considered safety glass, the surface compressive stress ought to exceed 100 megapascals.  The thermal process that cures tempered glass also makes it heat resistant, thus widening its areas of usage.

Tempered Glass Characteristics

The key features of tempered glass can be be summarized below –

  • 4 to 6 times stronger than unprocessed glass
  • Undergoes a 650°C – 700°C heat treatment
  • Upon breakage, it shatters into tiny pieces that do not have sharp edges, thereby reducing the risk of serious injuries.
  • Heat soaking may be done after tempering to remove up to 98% of impurities which reduces the risk breakages after installation
  • More resistant other forms of stress (e.g. thermal) and hence also known as Safety Glass

Manufacturing Process

Toughened glass is created via a carefully regulated Thermal Tempering process. To prepare glass for the tempering process, it is cut, examined for obvious faults and then sanded off.  Following a wash, the heat treatment commences via batches or incessant feeds, sent through tempering ovens. The glass then undergoes a high-pressure cooling procedure called quenching.  During this process, intense air blasts are fired into the surface of the glass from various sides.  Quenching cools the outer surfaces of the glass much more quickly than the centre.  As a result, the centre remains tensed or strained, and the outer surface goes into compression. This gives tempered glass its characteristic strength.

Table made of Tempered GlassUsage and Application

Due to its superior quality, tempered glass can be used in a variety of applications, proving its strength and flexibility.  The construction, auto and manufacturing industries worldwide utilise tempered glass frequently due to its effectiveness and economical advantages.

One of the most important traits of tempered glass is its ability to cater to numerous federal, state and local building code requirements.

Common Applications of Tempered Glass

  • Company Signage using GlassSide and rear windows of vehicles
  • Architectural glass doors and tables
  • Shower and tub enclosures
  • Microwave ovens
  • Skylights
  • Escalator and Stairway
  • Solar panels
  • Shelving
  • Refrigerator trays
  • Component of bulletproof glass
  • For diving masks
  • Glass Signage
  • Various types of plates and cookware

Within the tempered glass genre, there is a wide choice of laminated tempered glass, decorative tempered glass or even custom tempered glass. House Of Glass provides higher standard Glass that is locally tempered as compared to cheaper foreign imports.  We ensure that minimum thickness Glass panels are employed in any installation.

White Tempered Glass

Tempered Glass Wall CladdingWhite Tempered Glass has universal appeal and finds many applications and usage. For example the design and build of Glass Wall Cladding for 1st storey lift lobby at HDB Centre of Building Research projects a sleek and neat outlook for visitors and staff alike.

Another common requirement for White Tempered Glass is Glass Whiteboards.  No meeting or training room is complete without a Glass Whiteboard with Pen Tray. This can be in the form of clear tempered glass with white colour coating.  Depending on the dimensions of the Glass board, it can be direct mount onto wall with adhesive or fixed to wall with screws. However, adhesive installation is currently not often practiced in the industry as mechanical fix is a much safer way of installation as adhesive have deteriorating factor.

Glass Whiteboard in officeSame holds for Kitchen Backsplash and Glass Signage done using tempered glass.

At HouseOfGlass we offer high quality services in Glass Cutting, Tempering, Setting up and Installation. Our superior product line includes most applications across a variety of industries. We also present a host of design options to choose from, while your safety is of paramount importance to us.