Heat Soaked Glass
abc Glass Processing
Heat Soaked Glass
From furniture to glass partitions, toughened glass is a legal requirement for most interior applications. But did you know that there’s still a small chance of it shattering due to impurities in the glass? While not entirely preventable, heat soaking the glass greatly reduces this risk. As such, if you’ve included glass installations in your latest project, we’d recommend upgrading to heat soaked glass. Learn more about the process and its benefits for your clients below.
Heat soaked glass
What is heat soaked glass?
Heat soaking involves heating toughened safety glass to 260 degrees, in accordance with EN 14179-1, to check for hidden nickel sulphide inclusions. These metal particles are too small to be seen by the naked eye, yet their presence can cause significant damage.
When glass is tempered at high temperatures, any nickel sulphide impurities picked up during manufacturing will change form. They then don’t have time to revert back completely at the rapid cooling stage. As such, their volume will continue to expand over time until fully cooled. Even just a small change in size can stress the glass from the inside and lead to shattering.
To avoid this, heat soaking can be used to identify 95% of affected panes before installation. The vast majority of heat soaked glass subjected to this additional heating process will break if it contains nickel sulphide. That way, it can be detected and disposed of before it reaches your customer’s site, saving time, money and inconvenience.
Where is heat soaked toughened glass used?
Heat soak tested glass is useful for range of applications where architectural designs rely on sturdy, high-strength panels. For example, glass balustrades, that while being aesthetically pleasing, are predominantly there for safety reasons. The same goes for overhead glazing and glass that is supporting another element.
Heat soak glass is also ideal for intricately shaped or large panes, due to the cost and time involved in their creation. Plus, any areas where fitting a replacement would prove tricky. For instance, if a crane is required or you’d have to deconstruct another element to access it.
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Started using abc glass end of 2021. I have to say that service, delivery and quality have been excellent and, compared with our previous supplier, their prices are very competitive. Highly recommend.
Peter Briggs
ABC glass processing are a fantastic glass supplier, well organised, very helpful and competitively priced. The attention to detail and quality of glass is also second to none.
Thomas Haynes
Fantastic reliable service of quality products. Office staff are always very helpful and knowledgeable, Sarah in sales is amazing !!! Just the perfect company to deal with.
Matt Walbridge
Always a fantastic service! They go above and beyond to help you get the job done. My go to supplier for glass.
Shaun Bell
Great Company to work with, great service, quality and competitive prices. Thoroughly recommend them.
Tony Rix
Excellent – will always help if they can. Good product, good price, good knowledge.
Jules G
Just had delivered the glass to replace my staircase with glass panels. Very helpful, good value for money and delivered exactly when promised, thank you.
Darren Logan
Heat Soaked Glass
Learn More
Use the expansion panels below to learn more our heat soak test toughened glass, lead times and complimentary services offered.
What heat soak tested glass can abc Glass supply?
Want to give your clients extra peace of mind when recommending glass installations for their property? Look no further. With over 20 years’ experience, our team are experts in every aspect of glass fabrication. And now, we’re adding heat soaked glass to our lengthy list of in-house services. From one-off single sheets to regular bulk quantities, we’ve got you covered.
Glass types available
At abc Glass, we produce an array of interior safety glass toughened to European Standard EN12150. This includes shaped, cut and polished designs to fit particular spaces exactly. Clear, coloured or frosted, our heat soaked glass is great for balustrades, partitions, showers and furniture applications. And when combined with heat soaking, the likelihood of a destructive breakage can be reduced even further.
Sizes & thicknesses
Installing a glass surround for a mezzanine floor, a frameless shower screen or even a glass partition? Whatever the case, our heat soaked glass is cut to size in various thicknesses. Choose from 4mm – 15mm thick designs to fit your needs, available in any size up to 2m x 3m. We can also cut heat soak glass panels into a range of different shapes from a template.
Lead times for heat soaked glass
Lead times for heat soak tested glass will vary depending on the other processes being carried out during production. For example, if your customer has opted for coloured glass or they need specific cut-outs to accommodate existing fittings.
With that said, we have one of the fastest glass manufacturing turnaround times in the area. Many orders can be completed within just 7 days of ordering. Meanwhile, more complex designs will take a maximum of three weeks to complete. We also offer free delivery to local addresses across the south every week. That way, your customer won’t have to wait long to see the agreed blueprint brought to life. Check eligible towns and villages on the map below.
Is heat soaked toughened glass worth it?
Although heat soaked glass does mean a bigger initial outlay, there are several scenarios where it is definitely worth it. This includes oversized glass installations and those at height, where breakages are more likely during installation and would prove dangerous. Likewise, if you’ve incorporated toughened glass as a safety barrier, then heat soaking makes sense.
While nickel sulphide implosions are rare, no supplier can guarantee that they won’t happen. And when they do, if large and central enough, they can destroy entire architectural elements. Not to mention risking the safety of your client, depending on where it occurs, and causing a great deal of expense. Therefore, if either you or they are concerned about the risk of a potential breakage, we’d strongly suggest looking into heat soaked glass.
Want tailored advice from our glass specialists? Call us on 02392 678 222 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you right away.
abc Glass Processing, Unit 2a Dundas Close, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO3 5RB
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 023 92 678 222
