Tempered & Laminated Safety Glass

The two main types of safety glass are called tempered glass and laminated glass. Tempered glass is manufactured through a process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, making the glass 4-5 times stronger than regular glass. Tempered glass is designed to break into thousands of small pieces without any sharp edges to prevent injury. One example of tempered safety glass would be all of the auto glass except for the front windshield. Patio doors and storm doors would also be a good example of tempered safety glass, where the glass shatters into thousands of pieces when broken.

Laminated safety glass consists of two layers of glass with a layer of plastic sandwiched in between. Although not as strong as tempered glass, laminated glass is designed to stay in place when it breaks, preventing large pieces of glass from falling and keeping the glass in it’s position for security protection. Many glass storefronts and storefront doors are made with laminated safety glass because if the glass breaks, it will stay in place protecting the business from anyone getting inside through the broken window. Another example of laminated glass would be the front windshield of all vehicles. The windshields are designed this way so the glass will stay intact when broken. The helps to assist airbag deployment, helps prevent passengers from being ejected from the car in the event of an accident, and also helps keep the roof from crushing in the event of a rollover accident.