Flat Glass Types

These days, the flat type of glass comes in many different specific forms developed for different products and applications. Flat glass that is made by the float process is treated again to give it specific qualities. Because of this, the industry ia able meet the various demands and needs of the construction, auto and solar energy industries. London Glaziers know all glass types.

Toughened Glass.
This glass is treated so it is far more resistant to breaks than just annealed glass so it will break in a more controlled way, providing a massive safety advantage in almost all of its uses. To make tough glass a sheet of annealed glass is heated to above 600°C, its surfaces are then quickly cooled while the inside of the glass remains hotter. London Glazing deals with tough glass.

The difference in cooling rates between the two parts of the glass produces different physical properties. This provides the glass with a mechanical resistance to breakage, and also, when it does break, will cause it to produce small, regular, typically square fragments rather than long, dangerous shards. Toughened glass also has an larger resistance to breakage because of the stresses caused by different temperatures in a pane. Car windscreens, glass portions of building facades, glass sliding doors and partitions in houses and offices, glass furniture like table tops, and more, typically use toughened glass. Products made from toughened glass often also include other technologies, particularly in the building and automotive and transport sectors.

Annealed Glass.
This glass is a basic flat glass that is the result of the float process. It is a common type of glass that breaks into large shards. It is used in some end products and quite often in double-glazed windows. It is also the material used to produce more advanced products through further treatments such as laminating, toughening, coating, etc.