When it comes to your design project - trust Saflex® to help provide the answers

What is Laminated Glass?
Laminated glass consists of a tough protective interlayer made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) bonded together between two panes of glass under heat and pressure. Once sealed together, the glass "sandwich" behaves as a single unit and looks like normal glass. Annealed, heat strengthened or tempered glass can be used to produce laminated glass. Similar to the glass in car windshields, laminated glass may crack upon impact, but the glass fragments tend to adhere to the protective interlayer rather than falling free and potentially causing injury.

Laminated glass is the only glass to provide durability, high-performance and multi-functional benefits while at the same time preserving its aesthetic appearance. Laminated glass furnishes solutions to many architectural design challenges and offers increased protection from the effects of man-made and natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and bomb blasts. Laminated glass benefits include:

Physical Properties

Conventional Laminated Glass

Dimensional Tolerance
Dimensional Tolerance for Rectangular Shapes of Transparent, Flat Glass*

Benefits of Laminated Glass

How does laminated glass affect energy efficiency?
The protective interlayer provides additional insulation against the transmission of heat or cold through the glass. It is estimated that 0.030" thick Saflex clear interlayer adds the same level of thermal performance to a glass unit as a 1/8" clear piece of glass. Laminated glass can also be used in conjunction with all conventional energy-efficient design technologies including IG units, gas-filled spaces and Low-E coatings.

How does laminated glass reduce noise?
Ordinary glass is considered the weak link in noise transmission into a building. Noise passes more easily through the glass in a typical window or door while insulated walls effectively dampen and decrease sound. The shear-damping characteristics of the Saflex protective interlayer in laminated glass reduces noise transmission by up to 50% more than ordinary glass.

What level of resistance to forced entry does laminated glass provide?
A basic 1/4" thick laminated glass lite incorporating a 0.030-inch thick interlayer is capable of resisting multiple blows from hand-held tools such as bricks, bats, hammers and crowbars. ASTM F1233-89 is an industry standard designed to measure the resistance of glazing to forced entry. Using this test methodology, a nominal 1/4" piece of laminated glass was shown to resist penetration from 10 blows of a ball peen hammer. More elaborate constructions of laminated glass can provide increasingly greater security up to, and including, bullet and blast resistance.

Will screening out the UV light hurt plants and other vegetation?
No. The photoreceptors in plants will still be able to absorb sunlight. In fact, laminated glass actually helps protect leaves, flower color and plant reproduction against potentially damaging UV light. Laminated glass is used widely in major botanical garden enclosures today.

How can glass affect UV radiation?
All glass cuts UV radiation to some degree. Two panes of ordinary glass cut UV radiation by about 40%. A standard Low-E coating may reduce UV radiation by as much as 75%. The protective interlayer in laminated glass cuts UV radiation by approximately 99%, greatly reducing the effect of UV light in fading and damaging fabrics and furnishings.

Can tinted interlayers influence energy efficiency?
Tinted or colored interlayers control solar heat gain by absorbing energy in the UV, visible and infrared wavelength spectrums. Most of this absorbed energy is then dissipated by re-radiation and convection to the outside. The rule of thumb is that the darker the tint, the greater the absorption.

Product

Do externally-applied security films perform similarly to laminated glass?
Films applied to the exterior of the glass in a typical retrofit application might not offer the same protection as laminated glass. Many films which claim security performance have not been tested to industry standards. System manufacturers should be consulted to understand terms prior to post-applied window film application.

How long does laminated glass last?
Laminated glass lasts as long as ordinary glass as long as it is not broken or damaged in any way. It is very important that it is correctly installed to ensure optimal performance.

Can laminated glass be cut?
Yes, laminated glass made with annealed glass can be cut using conventional glass cutting technology. Laminated glass, however, must be cut on both sides making it an attractive security solution.

Can Saflex interlayer be laminated in different thicknesses?
Yes, for example, the requirements for hurricane products are 0.090" gauge interlayer for the large missile test and 0.060" gauge interlayer for the small missile test. Standard sheet thicknesses are 0.015", 0.030" and 0.060" for clear products.

Be careful not to assume that the thickest gauged interlayer provides the highest product performance. Saflex newest generation of high performance interlayer combines multiple layers of protective PVB and PET composites to deliver even greater overall performance than, for example, the 0.090” interlayer and at a reduced thickness!

Are there limitations in laminated glass sizes?
Standard sizes and shipping details will vary from laminator to laminator. Typical standard sizes in inches are 36 x 84, 48 x 84, 36 x 96, 48 x 96, 60 x 96, 72 x 96, 60 x 120, 72 x 120, and 82 x 120, however, other sizes are available.

Where can I purchase laminated glass?
Laminated glass can be purchased from select glass manufacturers or laminators. For a complete listing of glass manufacturers - click here

To identify the laminator that will best suit your design needs, call the Saflex Architectural Glazing Solutions Centre at:

Does laminated glass have to be cleaned in any special way?
Laminated glass requires the same maintenance as ordinary glass. No special cleaning tools or solutions are needed for traditional laminated glass.