Although laminated Glass meets all safety criteria for current standards, tempered Glass is required in specific applications.
Tempered Glass breaks into hundreds of little harmless pieces when cracked. While this is a significant safety feature, the primary reason for its usage is its temperature resistance and improved strength of up to five times that of annealed Glass.
Tempered Glass is often used in the following applications:
- Assemblies with no frames
- Shower enclosures
- Doors made of Glass
- Glass at a low level
The disadvantage of tempered Glass is that it develops a tiny corrugated distortion during the toughening process, which is noticeable under close examination.
Another issue is that it cannot be cut or changed after the toughening process; as a result, each panel is cut and processed to produce a unique product that, in most situations, cannot be utilized anywhere else.
Furthermore, the whole sheet disintegrates when toughened glass fractures, leaving an open passage, reducing the security and safety advantages.