TECHNOLOGY

Guide to Custom Tempered Glass Products

We provide 1-85mm thickness glass with different glass materials, edge treatments and surface treatments to meet your exact specifications in different applications with MOQ 100pcs.

-Low-iron /Extra-white glass
-Soda-lime/Float glass
-Solite /Pattern glass
-Borosilicate glass
-Aluminosilicate glass
-Quartz glass
-Colored glass

-Cut and seamed edge
-Grind and chamfer (bevel) edge
-Pencil grind edge
-Pencil polished edge
-Flat polish edge
-Step edge

-Tempering
-Sandblasting/Frosted/Matt
-Silkscreen printing
-Coating
-Holes drilling & counterbore holes
-Cut slots

-Thickness: 1-85mm
-Maximum: 3660*2440mm
-Minimum: 1*1mm

Material options

How to choose glass materials？

Different types of glass possess different qualities depending upon their chemical makeup and how the glass was produced. Choosing the right glass for your application requires understanding the different physical properties each has.

Soda lime glass

The most common glass materials also with the most economical price, with greenish-blue tint.

Borosilicate glass

Resistant to thermal shock & chemical corrosion more than any other kinds of common glass due to having very low coefficients of thermal expansion. The working temperature is 450℃.

Low iron glass

High-clarity glass made from silica with minimal iron content, up to 8% higher transmission than soda lime glass. 98-99% transmission can be achieved by specifying an anti-reflective coating.

Quartz glass

It has excellent chemical resistance properties and is highly suited to extreme heat applications, with a continuous working temperature of 1150°C and an upper limit of 1300°C.

You can make a decision for glass materials from below aspects such as cost, transparency, light transmission and heat-resistance.

Material	Cost	Transparency	Transmission	Heat-resistance
Soda lime glass	Lowest ☆☆☆	Greenish	Lowest	Lowest
Low iron glass	Middle	Supper clear ☆☆☆	Highest ☆☆☆	Middle
Borosilicate glass	Highest	Clear	Middle	Highest ☆☆☆

The most common glass materials used for tempered flat glass is soda-lime glass, low iron glass and borosilicate glass. Generally speaking, if you want low cost solution then choose soda lime glass, if you want high transmission solution then choose low-iron glass, and if you want heat-resistance solution then choose borosilicate glass.

Soda-lime glass also called float glass, is the most prevalent type of glass. Accounting for approximately 90% of all glass manufactured across the globe.

Low-iron glass, also known as optically clear glass, is a high-clarity glass made from silica with minimal iron content. Low-iron glass usually has a ferric oxide content about ten times less than ordinary plate glass. This low iron composition eliminates the greenish-blue tint commonly found in standard clear glass, providing exceptional transparency. This results in a transparent, “water white” glass that has higher transmission characteristics compared to normal soda lime glass. The difference is usually 2-3% greater at thicknesses 10mm and up to 8% greater transmission for thicker low iron glass. Even higher transmission (up to 98-99% total transmission) can be achieved by specifying an anti-reflective thin film coating.

Borosilicate glass is a type of glass with silica and boron trioxide as the main glass-forming constituents, it is resistant to thermal shock & resistance to chemical corrosion more than any other kinds of common glass due to having very low coefficients of thermal expansion (≈3 × 10−6 K−1 at 20 °C), it can go from freezer to oven and back again. So it is an excellent choice for outdoor & challenging environments where thermal, mechanical and chemical conditions are too harsh for standard, household-type soda-lime glass.

The main composition differences for soda lime glass, low iron glass and borosilicate glass are as below table:

Compound	Soda lime glass	Low iron glass	Borosilicate glass
Silicon Dioxide SiO2	69%	65-75%	80.6%
Boron Trioxide B2O3	None	None	13%
Sodium Oxide Na2O	13%	10-15%	4%
Calcium Oxide CaO	9%	7-12%	None
Ferric Oxide Fe2O3	0.1%	0.01%	0.027%

How to choose glass edge treatments?

Tempered flat glass products can be with many different types of glass edge treatments, each of which will uniquely affect the overall functionality and performance of the finished product. Edging can improve safety, aesthetics, functionality, and cleanliness while improving dimensional tolerance and helping to prevent chipping.

Normally there are 5 common glass edge finish types:

Cut and Seamed Edge

Grind and Chamfer (Bevel) Edge

Pencil Grind Edge

Pencil Polish Edge

Flat Polish Edge

1. Cut / Seam edge

– this is often called a safety seam edge or swiped edge, the primary purpose is to remove the sharp edges; it is not a smooth cosmetically finished edge. A sanding belt is used to lightly sand off the sharp edge of the glass.

2. Grind edge：Diamond embedded grinding wheel put a satin finish on the edge. The edge part is frosted.

Pencil grind edge – edge has a radius similar to pencil of a “C-shape”.
Flat grind edge – a flat edge with a small 45 degree chamfer on the very top and bottom.

3. Polish edge：Taking a ground edge another step, polishing the edges to give the glass a nice sheen finish. The edge part is clear.

Pencil polish edge – edge has a radius similar to pencil of a “C-shape”.
Flat polish edge – a flat edge with a small 45 degree chamfer on the very top and bottom.

How to choose glass surface treatments?

Flat glass always undergoes various surface treatments such as silkscreen printing, sandblasting and tempering for enhanced functionality and aesthetics.

Silkscreen printing

Silkscreen printing is a technique that involves applying inorganic glaze or ink onto glass surfaces using a fine mesh screen. This method allows for the creation of intricate patterns, images, texts or logos etc. which are customized on glass. Glass can be screen printed on the front side, back side, or both sides.

The process of silkscreen printing on glass:

Glass cutting → edging → punching → cleaning → Making screen printing plates → glaze preparation → screen printing → drying → tempering → finished product

The silkscreen printing process typically includes drying and may be followed by tempering or thermal processing. The printed elements are baked into the glass at temperatures above 600°C; this process converts the glass into tempered safety glass and fixes the colors once and for all. From this moment on the colors will not fade and remain resistant to the effects of solvents and abrasion. The prints remain scratchproof (with a hardness of 4 to 6 Mohs) and resistant to temperature fluctuation (up to 200°C).

Sandblasting

Sandblasting glass is a method that employs high-speed abrasive particles, such as sand or glass beads, to alter the surface of glass. This process is used for decorative purposes, privacy enhancement, and to create a frosted or textured appearance on glass surfaces. When applied to tempered flat glass, it combines both aesthetic appeal and durability.

Sandblasting on tempered flat glass involves directing abrasive particles onto the glass using compressed air. The glass is often masked or covered with a stencil to expose specific areas for etching, protecting others. The process can be done manually or with specialized equipment, allowing for the creation of intricate patterns or designs on the glass surface.

The Benefits of Sandblasting on Tempered Flat Glass Surfaces.

Enhanced Aesthetics: Sandblasting adds a frosted or textured finish, providing a unique and visually appealing look to tempered flat glass surfaces.

Privacy: By creating an obscured finish, sandblasting enhances privacy without compromising natural light transmission.

Durability: The abrasion resistance introduced through sandblasting contributes to the durability of tempered flat glass, making it more resistant to wear and environmental factors.

Customization: Sandblasting allows for the customization of patterns and designs, offering a personalized touch to tempered flat glass surfaces.

Tempering

Tempered glass, also known as toughened glass, safety glass, is glass that is made much stronger than ordinary glass due to a special treatment. The procedure for turning glass into tempered or toughened glass is above all a thermal treatment, the glass is heated until more than 600°C. After that the cooling process is accelerated to create higher surface compression (the dimension of force or energy per unit area) and/or edge compression in the glass. It is the air-quench temperature, volume and other variables that create a surface compression of at least 10,000 pounds per square inch (psi). This is the process that makes the tempered glass four to five times stronger than annealed or untreated glass. As a result, tempered glass is less likely to experience a thermal break.

Tempered or toughened glass has another advantage. Besides being much stronger than ordinary glass, it is also much safer. When broken, it fractures safely into relatively small pieces with harmless dulled edges.

Tempering is a basic processing for glass, it is usually combines with other preprocess such as cutting, edge working, drilling, screen printing and sandblasting etc. As tempered glass cannot be drilled or edgeworked in any manner, sandblasting or other surface treatments should be carried out prior to toughening as per AS1288-1994.

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