Glass-Technology International 5/1998

99

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

Resin technology

New products andconcepts in

laminated glassGlasslam, specialized in glass technology, has developed a

special system for the production of laminated glass.Glasslam’s high-tech polymer interlayer enables themanufacture of laminated glass for a wide range of

applications, such as different kinds of safety glazing, bulletresistant glass, bent glass, sound and solar energy controlglass and decorative glass. The US company supplies theresins, pigments, and films to produce the vast range of

Glasslam products, and provides technical knowhow to glassand window manufacturers.

IntroductionGlasslam NGI Inc. of the United

States was founded in 1984 by amanagement team with over 50 years’combined experience in the glazing industry.

Since then, the company has steadily growninto an international organization with fourlocations: Florida in the United States,Sheerness in Kent, United Kingdom, Hong

Kong, China and São Paulo, Brazil.With over four hundred fabricators world-

wide in over forty countries, Glasslamguarantees efficient production, cost effect-iveness, and quality standards by offering fulltechnical backup to both fabricators andspecifiers. Glasslam’s system has been provento perform well in any kind of climaticenvironment.

Steve Howes*

GLASSLAM NGI INC.

100

Glass-Technology International 5/1998

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

Product line overviewThe Glasslam system is a high-tech,

chemically cured polyester polymer whichchemically bonds to the glass and cures to astrong, flexible, crystal-clear interlayer. Usingthis state-of-the-art technology allows all typesof glass to be laminated, giving the Glasslamsystem a very large range of laminated glassproducts. Patterned glass such as reeded, fluted,art and antique glass can be laminated to allsafety glass standards (clear or coloured).Glasslam also makes very small laminatedglass products (e.g. instrument panels), or, onthe other hand, extremely large ones, availablein any combination of glass thickness or type.

Glasslam laminated glass is produced bypumping or pouring a chemically cured, three-component liquid resin between two sheets ofglass. This production process (similar to floatglass production) gives a perfectly clear and flatlaminate. The three-component resin provides amuch better adhesion to the glass. One of thethree components is silicone-based, thereforegiving complete compatibility to siliconeglazing systems; this prevents the edgedelamination associated with other laminatedglass products. The firm’s vast range ofproducts is known as Glasslam, the name of thecompany itself.

Architectural laminatesLaminated glass produced with the Glasslam

system offers all of the safety glazing featuresof the US Consumer Product SafetyCommission and the Architectural GlazingSafety criteria in all model building codes.Therefore, by using Glasslam laminated glass,the building owner can be assured a safe, strongproduct that meets all safety glazingspecifications, and will not yellow ordelaminate over time. Manufactured withannealed, heat-strengthened, or tempered glass,Glasslam architectural glass can be of anyshape or thickness. The roofing of the structurein Pontiac Marina, Singapore is composed ofarchitectural laminates produced with theGlasslam system.

Security and bullet resistant glassWith the continuous increase in crime,

security is the number one priority. Glasslamcan be produced in eight different levels ofbullet resistant glass (measured using the UL752 test requirements). Due to its qualities,Glasslam products provide security protectionagainst forced entry, and, where required,against escape. Security products made with theGlasslam system are ideal for storefronts,jewellery displays, banks, prisons, auto securityand zoos. Glasslam’s security and bulletresistant glass was also used for the Shell petrol

Fig. 2

PontiacMarina,Singapore

Shell petrolstation,

Puerto Rico

Glass-Technology International 5/1998

101

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

station in Puerto Rico. The recent rise interrorist bombings has also led building ownersto look for protection from the glass debriscaused by such explosions. Today, Glasslam’s(patent pending) blast resistant glazing system,which mechanically attaches the glass to theframe, ensures that the entire glass sheet doesnot come out upon failure of the glazingsealant.

Sound controlThe Glasslam interlayer has proven to be a

very effective method of sound reduction. Inthe lower frequency range (road traffic, largemachinery, aircraft, etc.), Glasslam has shownvery high sound-deadening results and stilloffers the safety and security of laminatedglass. The glass parts of the MiamiInternational Airport in Miami, Florida, US aremade with the Glasslam sound controlinterlayer.

UV protectionWhile blocking nearly all of the sun’s

damaging UV radiation, the Glasslam interlayerprovides an environment that favours plantgrowth. The tough, clear, flexible interlayer byGlasslam filters out UV radiation up to 99.9 percent, therefore preventing the fading offurniture, carpets and store displays. Thewindows of the Westin Hotel in San Salvador,El Salvador, are made with Glasslam’s UVprotection glass.

Solar energy controlUsing an infinite combination of glass types

together with various Glasslam interlayersallows maximum control over such factors assolar heat gain, emissivity, convection and lighttransmittance. Whether the project calls forreflective coatings, clear, coloured or opaquelaminates, its system is a very effective methodof controlling the thermal performance of anybuilding design.

Laminated glass produced with the Glasslamsystem also offers optimum control of the

Miami International Airport, Miami,Florida, US

Westin Hotel, San Salvador,El Salvador

Hotel Hayatt,Santiago, Chile

102

Glass-Technology International 5/1998

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

structure’s solar performance. Colouredinterlayers made with Glasslam pigments canbe used to reduce the amount of visible lighttransmittance. By increasing the concentrationof a given pigment, an even lower transmissionmay be reached.

Safety-Plus® hurricane resistantglazing

In a quest for making homes and offices lessvulnerable to hurricanes and glazing failure,Glasslam has developed Safety-Plus®, ahurricane-resistant glazing solution for the newSouth Florida Building Codes.

Manufacturers of PET films and laminatesare always looking for the best way to protectbuildings and lives with hurricane-resistantglazing. They all agree that it is very importantfor the glass to remain in the frame. There isabsolutely no point in holding the glass togetherif the whole glass comes out. The large piece ofglass could be a lethal threat to whatever orwhoever it hits, leaving the building vulnerableto the full force of the hurricane.

Glasslam looked at this problem and came tothe conclusion that PET filmed glass andcommonly glazed laminated glass could comeout in its entirety without some kind ofmechanical hold to the glazing frame. PETfilms are commonlyapplied to existingbuildings as a quick,economical way ofoffering some hurricaneresistance. The film isgenerally cut to theinside (sight-line) of theglazing frame. If theglass is exposed toextreme pressure (as inthe case of a hurricane),the film would tend tohold the glass sheettogether, rather than holdthe entire sheet in itsframe. This couldincrease the size of the

propelled glass and cause more damage than ifsmall shards of glass were to be expelled.

If conventionally glazed by using gaskets,silicone, etc. to hold the glazing to the frame,laminated glass could have the same problemas the PET films. It is well known that sometypes of laminated glass tend to show edgedelamination after 2-5 years when exposed tosilicone or moisture. If the laminated glass hadedge delamination, it could cause a seriousproblem and come out in one piece if ahurricane occurred.

Glasslam developed Safety-Plus® toovercome these problems. There is a three-plyinterlayer, with the middle layer, a heavy-dutyPET film, cushioned on both sides by theGlasslam interlayer. The PET film is left longerthan the glass size and mechanically held intothe glazing frame. If, after years of exposure,the laminate should show any delamination, itwould still perform the task it was designed forby holding into the frame and protecting thebuilding and people.

Safety-Plus® provides the security andstrength of a polyester ply composite panel andthe durability of glass on both exposedsurfaces. It can be produced to meet the needsof any project: hurricane resistant windows,skylights, entry doors, sliding patio doors,storefronts, and security and blast resistant

glazing.SafetyPlus® is avai-

lable in any colour,from clear, grey, green,or blue to any customcolour necessary to fit aspecific application.

Furthermore, no spe-cial methods are need-ed for cleaning Safety-Plus® and, as with allGlasslam products, it iswarranted for a ten-year period.

Safety-Plus® wasused for the Oceanfrontcondominium inFreeport, Bahamas.

OceanfrontCondominium,

Freeport,Bahamas

Glass-Technology International 5/1998

103

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

can be produced and laminated to any otherglass surface, with any colour or interlayer.

Another option available to the designerfrom Glasslam is Sand-Seal, a coating which isapplied to sand-blasted glass. Sand-Sealeliminates the problems associated withcleaning sand-blasted glass by encasing thedesign within the laminate. Sand-Seal is alsoideal for laminated door panels, side lights,table tops, shower doors, partitions and privacyscreens, as well as balconies. As a standard,Sand-Seal comes in translucent white, but awhole range of colours are available toproduce a stained glass effect. A threedimensional effect can be produced by sand-blasting both pieces of the glass to belaminated. Together with these colourcapabilities, Glasslam creates endlesspossibilities for laminated art glass (oncethought to be impossible to laminate)

Bent laminated glassWith the company’s state-of-the-art

technology, bent glass of any size, shape andradius can be laminated to meet safetystandards and performance requirements. Bentlaminated glass products manufactured withthe Glasslam system are used in suchapplications as car windscreens, bus and trainwindows, solarium windows, store fronts, stairrails, balustrades, windows, revolving doors,

Decorative and colouredlaminates

Any colour of laminated glass is possiblewith the Glasslam system. In a privateresidence in Long Island, New York, US,blue cracked ice glass was used for astaircase. Many standard and custom coloursare available, either transparent, lightdiffusing or fully opaque. The pigments usedin the Glasslam system are very stable andhave been employed in high UV areas (suchas Florida) for over a decade without adverseresults. Due to this feature, safety art glass

Glass stairs, private residence,Long Island, NY, US

Hotel balcony,Adelaide, Australia

104

Glass-Technology International 5/1998

Website: http://www.glassonline.com

and display cabinets. Workingtogether with Glasslam fab-ricators to produce the finestquality, distortionless curvedglass has allowed designers theopportunity to fully use theirskills in using bent laminatedglass.

With all the combinations ofproducts produced with theGlasslam system, the aestheticvalue of bent laminated glass canbe combined with the safetyfeatures of the strong crystal-clear polymer interlayer. Anexample of a construction in bent, laminatedand insulating glass is a conservatory inArkansas, US. True curve radiuses and s-bends,top hats, j-bends and even the once thoughtimpossible 90-degree bend can easily be

laminated with the Glasslamsystem.

Quality controlGlasslam is a high-quality

polyester polymer available forlaminated glass. Quality controltests are made to ensure that thehigh standards that have beenachieved be met continuouslywith every new batch of resin.

Entire contents © 1998 by Artech Publishing S.r.l.

*PresidentGlasslam - USA

Conservatory,Arkansas, US