Safety Glass Production
Tempered glass, also known as safety glass, and tempered monolithic glass, is one of the most widely used materials in architecture today. In Ontario, as well as most of Canada, tempered glass is one of the few types of glass that can pass the stringent code requirements that regulate the use of glass panels in railing, doors, fire-proof egress points, and elsewhere.
Ever Increasing Need for Tempered Glass
With the upcoming implementation of CAN/CSGS 12.1-2017 in the new Ontario Building Code, tempered glass has superseded both wired and ceramic glass in terms of performance, resistance to impact, cut and tear prevention, and cost to replace. Furthermore, the new standard will now be referred to by all applicable By-Laws that regulate construction of structures requiring glass, making tempered glass the only feasible solution for most applications.
Toronto Glass Tempering Services
Tempered safety glass is produced by heating the regular float glass (non-safety/annealed) to a temperature of 620° Celsius, and then rapidly cooling it using powerful streams of air angled at the panel. This causes the heat to transfer rapidly to the center of the panel, straining the edges into a state of perpetual tension and increasing its resistance to impact. This also causes the tempered glass to break into slightly rounded bits, instead of sharp shards, making it much safer to handle and a lot less dangerous in case of failure.
Precision, Quality, Automation
Due to the process through which tempered glass is made, it is important that each piece is measured to fit exactly right in the space for which it is being produced. Valtex Glass takes precise measurements using a laser, prior to cutting the glass and measures each piece afterwards to ensure that it is made to fit perfectly. Tempered glass panels are then installed in interior and exterior spaces, areas especially prone to exposure of human impact.