Glass tempering
Chronoglass presents the steps and requirements of the tempering process, guaranteeing high-quality glass that complies with the industry’s strictest safety and durability standards.
What is the Glass Tempering Process?
The glass tempering process is an advanced heat treatment technique that improves the strength of glass, making it up to four times stronger than ordinary glass. This technique is essential in architectural and industrial applications requiring both safety and durability. By strengthening the glass, the tempering process increases its ability to resist impact and temperature variations.
Key steps
At Chronoglass, the glass tempering process consists of several essential stages, each carefully calibrated to guarantee the performance and safety of the final product. The first stage involves controlled heating: the glass is placed in a specialized furnace and brought to a temperature of around 700°C. This uniform, precise heating prepares the glass for the next phase, rapid cooling. Once heated, the glass is subjected to intense cooling, a process also known as “quenching”, by means of air jets. This rapid cooling causes a thermal shock, creating internal stresses that significantly strengthen the glass structure. To ensure maximum reliability, Chronoglass also offers a Heat Soak Test (HST), which minimizes the risk of spontaneous breakage due to the possible presence of nickel sulfide inclusions in the glass.
Advantages of the Tempering Process
Thanks to the glass tempering process, the panels produced have optimal strength and safety characteristics for B2B projects. This unique heat treatment gives tempered glass specific properties:
- Optimized safety: rapid cooling after heating creates an internal tension that strengthens the glass. In the event of breakage, the glass fragments into small, non-sharp pieces, minimizing the risk of injury in high-traffic environments.
- Enhanced resistance to thermal variations and impact: The tempering process significantly improves glass’s ability to resist mechanical impact and sudden temperature changes, making it essential for architectural and industrial applications.
- Adaptability to design needs: Tempering enables glass to be prepared for a variety of finishes, holes and edges. Thanks to this flexibility, panels can be integrated into bespoke projects, meeting the precise requirements of architects and designers.
Why choose the Chronoglass hardening process?
Chronoglass’ glass tempering process is designed to provide maximum safety and durability for the most demanding environments. Our advanced tempering techniques ensure optimal results in terms of performance and strength, meeting safety standards such as ANSI Z97.1-2025 and CAN/CGSB 12.1-2017. Thanks to our equipment and expertise, we offer high-quality tempered glass production, ideal for the needs of manufacturers, architects and designers.
Contact Chronoglass to learn more about our glass tempering process and to get a quote tailored to your specific projects.
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Frequently asked questions about the glass tempering process: Everything you need to know
Tempered glass typically exhibits a strength that is four to five times greater than that of annealed glass of the same thickness. It can withstand temperature variations of up to 200°C without breaking. The thickness of tempered glass ranges from 3 mm to 19 mm, and it can be customized to specific dimensions as required by industrial applications.
The tempering process may introduce slight optical distortions, such as roller wave or anisotropy, due to the rapid heating and cooling phases. However, with advanced tempering technology and precise control, these effects can be minimized to meet the stringent optical clarity requirements of architectural and automotive industries.
Quality control during the tempering process includes monitoring furnace temperatures, ensuring uniform heating and cooling, and conducting post-tempering inspections for surface defects and stress patterns. Additionally, the Heat Soak Test (HST) is performed to detect and eliminate glass panes with potential nickel sulfide inclusions, thereby reducing the risk of spontaneous breakage in service.
No, once the glass has been tempered, it cannot be cut, drilled, or altered, as any attempt to do so will cause it to shatter. All fabrication processes, including cutting, edge grinding, and drilling, must be completed prior to the tempering process. Therefore, precise specifications are essential before initiating tempering.
Tempered glass is extensively used in industries requiring high safety and strength standards, such as construction (e.g., facades, partitions, balustrades), automotive (e.g., side and rear windows), and electronics (e.g., protective screens for devices). Its enhanced mechanical properties and safety features make it suitable for environments where human safety and material performance are critical.
