The Benefits of Laminated Glass

PVB (Polyvinyl Butyral) Laminated safety glass makes it significantly more difficult for criminals to break through. It also prevents a simple fall against a large window from turning into a tragic accident. In addition to these well-proven safety and security benefits, laminated safety glass blocks noise and harmful UV radiation.

Performance Ratings

Laminated Glass is available in 3 performance variations:

  • Normal Strength (NS) for human impact safety (1 x 0.38mm PVB Interlayer)
  • High Performance Resistant (HPR) for additional security (2 x 0.38mm PVB Interlayers)
  • High Impact (HI) for security in high-risk applications (4 x 0.38mm PVB interlayers)

The Benefits of Laminated Safety Glass

Safety

The toughness of and resilience of laminated glass makes it an excellent safety glazing material. In vertical or sloped applications, laminated glass can resist penetration from the impact. If the glass is broken, fragments will adhere to the PVB interlayer, reducing the risk of personal injury and property damage.

All 0.38mm and 0.76mm TGM PVB carries the SANS 1263 – 1:2013 mark. This standard requires that a 45kg swing bag is dropped through a pendulum arc from a height of 450mm and strikes the centre of the test pane with an impact force of 203 joules. The impact of the swing should not rupture the vinyl interlayer to allow the 75mm sphere to pass through it.

Security

Laminated glass offers greater protection for people and property over other glass types. The standard two-ply construction provides resistance to penetration when subjected to attempted forced entry. In multiple configurations, laminated glass can resist bullets, heavy objects, or small explosions.

Security Resistance

As per SANS 1263 – 2:2007, our 1.52mm High Impact Laminated glass is tested repeatedly by dropping a 225g steel ball from a height of 9m. The impact of each drop approximately the same as a blow of a hammer. The table below shows the number of blows required to penetrate the glass

NB: The size of the hole at penetration point is approximately 50mm in diameter. Many more blows are required to gain access.

Sound Control 

The sound damping performance of the PVB makes laminated glass an effective sound control product, Laminated glass is commonly used in airports, museums, sound studios and schools to reduce unwanted noise from aeroplanes, heavy machinery, and traffic just to name a few. The Glass Merchants supplies Acoustic PVB, using a special 0.76mm sound absorbing acoustic vinyl.

Solar Energy Performance 

Laminated glass offers unique combinations of clear or tinted interlayers and solar heat reflecting coatings to reduce the harsh effects of glare and solar radiation. This creates comfortable conditions for the occupants of buildings.

Ultraviolet Screening 

The ultraviolet (UV) filtering performance of the polyvinyl butyral interlayer helps protect valuable furnishings, displays or merchandise from the fading effects of UV radiation. The ISO Damage Weighted Transmittance (Tdw-ISO) values illustrate the performance of the glass to reduce fading by taking into account the transmittance of both UV and visible light in the wavelength from 300 to 600 nanometers. AN example in the table below shows the comparison between Clear Laminated and a PVB Grey Laminate. The reduction of damaging radiation improves by 50%.

Natural Man Made Disasters 

Laminated glass can help provide protection from injury and property damage from man made or natural disasters. By keeping the glass intact within the frame, laminated glass helps reduce injuries from large shards of glass caused by, for example, hurricanes, earthquakes, or another unusual loading on the glass.