Processing
Glass Processing
Our main branches are all equipped with CNC Cutting, Grinding and Arising specialised machinery. The following are available:
Straight Line Polishing
High volume edge grinding and polishing.
Thickness: 3mm – 19mm.
Straight Line Bevelling
High volume edge bevelling (25mm – 35mm).
Thickness: 4mm – 19mm.
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) and Bevelling
Precision cut outs, BRG shape cutting, glass edge profiling.
Brilliant Cutting
Intricate design patterns cut into glass.
Using this equipment, the following products are manufactured:
Glass table tops, cabinets, shelving
Basins, frameless shower door panels, mirrors
Glass walkways, balustrading, glass staircases.
We offer the following processing and edge profiles:
Toughened safety glass
What are the Applications of Toughened Glass?
As toughened glass is a versatile material, there is not one but many applications of toughened glass. Toughened glass becomes the ideal option if you are looking for a material that can give you strength, can provide thermal-resistance along with enhanced safety. Toughened glass is explicitly designed to be of use in places that are prone to impact and breakage.
Toughened glass is often used in buildings and houses as doorways, stairways, sliding doors, standard windows as well as floor-level windows. It is used because they won’t be a cause of worry in a situation of accidental impact.
Toughened glass is an excellent material to be included in your homes. You can use toughened glass for shower doors, glass cabinets, glass table-tops, dividers, glass shelves, and also glass for a fireplace. As toughened glass is known for its strength and safety, you wouldn’t have to worry about your children being injured. Toughened glass doors also make your rooms feel lighter and much more spacious while making your house or office look modern.
As toughened glass is resistant to heat, it becomes the perfect and safe choice for kitchen shelves or as a kitchen backsplash.
Toughened glass can also be used as skylights or big windows or floor-length windows, as they will not only add an element of lightness to your interior decoration, but they will also become the source of natural light during daytime.
Many people are opting for wardrobes made out of toughened glass into their homes. These wardrobes add a high-end modern look because of the toughened glass sections in the wardrobe panels. All these wardrobes are easy to install and maintain. They are also highly durable and are incredibly resistant to any moisture or scratch.
Due to its versatility, enhanced properties, and its various applications, toughened glass has become quite popular in recent years.
Despite retaining the delicacy of regular glass in looks, the character of modern-day glass is that of strength and extreme durability capable of withstanding heavy external impacts. Toughened glass or tempered glass or safety glass is one such member of the glass family that is known to be robust and sturdy.
Properties of Toughened Glass
The following are the characteristics toughened glass is known for –
Resistance to Thermal Breakage
The heat from sunlight can make glass expand and contract at inconsistent rates. This creates stress in the glass and can lead to breakage. But the risk of thermal damage can be prevented by using toughened glass. Toughened glass also has an excellent heat-withstanding capacity.
Strength
Toughened glass is physically as well as thermally solid, and research shows that it can withstand surface compression of at least 10,000lbs per square inch, which is why toughened glass is considered to be safety glass. They are also known to be four to five times stronger than annealed glass and three times stronger than heat-strengthened glass. As these glasses are robust, they reduce the risk of damage if they come in contact with a calamity or disaster.
Resilience
Toughened glass is manufactured when regular glass is exposed to extreme heat and then cooled rapidly. Due to this excessive heating and cooling process, the chemical composition of the glass goes through an alteration making it more resilient.
Enhanced Safety
If toughened glass comes in contact with some harsh impact, instead of breaking into sharp, jagged shards, it breaks into harmless circular chunks. Thus, these glasses reduce the risk of injury. If toughened glass breaks, it is also more comfortable for you to clean them than the jagged shards of glass. The small chunks can easily be swept up by a broom and then thrown in the garbage without the fear of any jagged shards hurting anyone.
Versatility
Toughened glass is a material that is extremely flexible and versatile, which means that you can use as it per your needs and requirements. Toughened glass is now available in the market in various types of styles, which makes it the ideal choice for all your modern interior settings.
Laminated safety glass
Laminated glass consists of two or more panels of glass bonded together by an interlayer of one or more sheets of polyvinyl butyral (PVB), which provides a high degree of safety. When accidental impact occurs, the glass will shatter, but will be held intact by the PVB interlayer.
Environmental benefits of laminated glass:
The configuration and nature of certain laminated glass provides sound reducing insulation e.g. glass enclosed restaurants over roads or other architectural applications.
In addition, our laminated glass is also available in different thicknesses (HPR & HPI), various colours and reflective glass, to provide greater energy efficiency for buildings by controlling solar energy.
Other laminated safety glass products available:
Bullet resistant glass – in various thicknesses to comply to ballistic ratings.
Toughened laminated glass – to provide high structural strength and integrity.
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Splashbacks
Curved glass
Curved glass is a logical alternative when trying to maximise the available space. It provides total harmony and overall continuity of forms and shapes producing a strong visual impact. Ideal applications of curved glass include:
- Circular staircases
- Revolving doors
- Curved shopfront facades
- Curved skylights
- Podiums
- Wine cellars
- Curved glass is available in toughened as well as laminated safety glass.
Custom windscreens / Miscellaneous
Northern Hardware & Glass manufactures automotive windshields and toughened door glass panels under the registered trademark: Carlyte.
Our laminated Safety Glass windshields are approved by the Global Conformity Services (Pty) Ltd:
Mark SABS 1191: Safety Glass for vehicles, high penetration resistant laminated safety glass.
Mark SABS 1193: Toughened safety glass for vehicles.