About Glassworks
Having been a firm favourite with glass inclusion in the majority of Contracts within the Metalwork Solutions division, we took the opportunity to purchase a glass plant that was for sale from a company going into liquidation in Birmingham back in 2015.
Throughout the last 18 months we have purchased new property and commissioned the new glass plant, obtained certification and employed skilled operatives to run the operation in house.
Glass Services
We can manufacture, supply (and install if required) toughened glass to the following thickness:-
- 4mm thick
- 6mm thick
- 8mm thick
- 10mm thick
- 12mm thick
- 15mm thick
We can also cut tinted glass. Glass can be manufactured in various tints e.g. blue, brown, black, and this is an area Morgan Bros. Glassworks also specialise in.
Along with tinted, clear glass can have a slight green tint when cut. This is purely due to the iron content within the glass.
If required we can provide glass with a lower iron content, which will in turn create a much clearer white glass.
Toughened Glass
Toughened glass can be made from annealed glass via a thermal tempering process. The glass is placed onto a roller table, taking it through a furnace that heats it well above its transition temperature of 564 °C (1,047 °F) to around 620 °C (1,148 °F). The glass is then rapidly cooled with forced air drafts while the inner portion remains free to flow for a short time. Toughened glass must be cut to size or pressed to shape before toughening, and cannot be re-worked once toughened. Polishing the edges or drilling holes in the glass is carried out before the toughening process starts.
The term “toughened glass” is generally used to describe fully tempered glass but is sometimes used to describe heat-strengthened glass as both types undergo a thermal “toughening” process.
There are two main types of heat-treated glass: heat-strengthened and fully tempered. Heat-strengthened glass is twice as strong as annealed glass while fully tempered glass typically has four to six times the strength of annealed glass and withstands heating in microwave ovens.
The difference is the residual stress in the edge and glass surface. The tempering process does not change the stiffness of the glass. Annealed glass undergoes a similar deflection compared to tempered glass under the same load, but tempered glass can take a higher load and, therefore, deflects further before breaking.
Laminated Glass!
Laminated glass is a type of safety glass that holds together when shattered. In the event of breaking, it is held in place by an interlayer, typically of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), between its two or more layers of glass. The interlayer keeps the layers of glass bonded even when broken, and its high strength prevents the glass from breaking up into large sharp pieces.
Laminated glass is normally used when there is a possibility of human impact or where the glass could fall if shattered and also for architectural applications. Skylight glazing and automobile windshields typically use laminated glass. In geographical areas requiring hurricane-resistant construction, laminated glass is often used in exterior storefronts, curtain walls and windows.
There are several laminated glass manufacturing processes:
- Using two or more pieces of glass bonded between one or more pieces of adhesives; such as PVB or EVA, using heat and pressure.
- Using two or more pieces of glass and polycarbonate, bonded together with aliphatic urethane or EVA interlayer under heat and pressure.
- Interlaid with a cured resin or EVA.