When you look at a finished glass door, shower panel, office partition or window<\/strong>, it can seem like the glass simply arrived in the perfect shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But behind that clean, finished panel is a carefully planned fabrication process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With toughened glass<\/strong>, also known as tempered glass<\/strong>, most cutting, drilling and other required processing must be completed before the glass is toughened<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And there’s a very good reason why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before toughening, the glass can be prepared according to the requirements of its intended application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, a shower door may require holes for hinges and a handle. A glass partition may need specific cut-outs for fittings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These details need to be considered before the glass goes through the toughening process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the glass has been toughened, making major changes to the panel is no longer straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the glass has been cut and prepared, it can undergo thermal toughening<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During this process, the glass is heated to a high temperature and then rapidly cooled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This creates internal stresses within the glass, making it considerably stronger than ordinary annealed glass and changing the way it behaves when broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of breaking into large, sharp shards like ordinary glass, properly toughened glass is designed to break into many smaller pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the same process that gives toughened glass its strength also means that the finished panel cannot simply be cut, drilled or altered like ordinary glass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally, no<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attempting to cut, drill or significantly modify fully toughened glass can cause the entire panel to shatter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine the glass has already been toughened and someone says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cActually, can we move this hole slightly?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n That small change may mean the panel has to be replaced with a new piece of glass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why accurate measurements and specifications are so important before toughened glass is processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers sometimes wonder why a fabricator asks so many questions before ordering or processing glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not simply about asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow big is the glass?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The fabricator may also need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These details can determine how the glass needs to be cut, processed and prepared before toughening<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting the specifications right at this stage can help prevent costly mistakes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s one of the fascinating things about glass fabrication<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time the glass reaches the installation site, the complicated part can look effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see a clean glass shower enclosure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see a sleek glass door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see a modern office partition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you don’t see are the measurements, calculations, hardware requirements, edge preparation, holes, cut-outs and fabrication decisions that happened beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The finished product may look simple, but getting it right requires careful planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is perhaps the most important thing to understand about toughened glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With ordinary annealed glass, a fabricator can often make certain adjustments after the initial cutting stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With fully toughened glass<\/strong>, however, cutting or drilling afterwards can cause the entire panel to break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That’s why the correct sequence matters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Measure \u2192 Cut \u2192 Process \u2192 Inspect \u2192 Toughen \u2192 Install<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The exact fabrication sequence can vary depending on the type of glass and application, but the key principle remains the same:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The glass must be properly prepared before it is toughened.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Toughened glass is a great example of why glass fabrication is about more than simply making a panel look good<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The order in which things happen matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cut first. Once the glass has gone through the toughening process, making changes is no longer as simple as trimming a few millimetres or drilling another hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At All Things Aluminium & Glass<\/strong>, careful planning, accurate measurements and proper specifications help ensure that every glass panel is prepared for its intended application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because changing your mind is always easier…<\/p>\n\n\n\n before the glass enters the furnace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFirst, the Glass Is Cut to Size<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Then Comes the Toughening Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So, Can You Cut Toughened Glass Afterwards?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Why Accurate Glass Measurements Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Finished Glass Hides a Lot of Planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why You Can’t \u201cJust Trim a Little Off\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Prepare the necessary details.
Then toughen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nYou dream it, we build it!<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"