Glass Technical Document | TD-124
Fabrication of Heat Treated Glass
Vitro (formerly PPG Industries) has fabrication. In addition, fabrication
historically recommended that heat operations performed after the glass has
treated glass, whether it be heat been heat treated may negatively affect
strengthened or tempered, not be further performance in safety glazing and other
fabricated after heat treatment. This applications by altering the break
recommendation is supported by ASTM pattern, impact resistance, frequency of
C1048 (Standard Specification for Heat breakage, and expected in-service
Treated Flat Glass), the FGMA Glazing performance of the glass.
Manual, and the GTA Engineering
Standards Manual. Vitro once again reiterates its long
standing recommendation that heat
Vitro TD-125 Sandblasting of Tempered strengthened or tempered glass should
Glass, formerly Inside Glass TSR 95-1, not be subjected to further
provides Vitro’s position that the fabrication.
strength of tempered glass that has been
sandblasted after tempering will be Accordingly, applicable warranties for
substantially less than identical glass that glass tempered by Vitro under its
is sandblasted before tempering. Similar tradenames of Herculite® and
strength reductions would be expected in Herculite® K will be considered null
tempered and heat strengthened glass and void in the event that any further
that has been subjected to other types of fabrication is performed on the glass.
fabrication - such as etching, edging, or
V-grooving - after the glass has been
heat treated.
While cutting, notching, and drilling are
fabrication operations that obviously
cannot be performed on tempered or heat
strengthened glass, there are other
fabrication operations that are also not
recommended by Vitro after the glass is
heat strengthened or tempered. These
operations include, but are not limited to,
grinding, edging, etching, sandblasting,
and V-grooving. These types of glass
fabrication, performed after heat
strengthening or tempering significantly
decrease the ability of the glass to resist
both applied mechanical and thermal
stresses which occur in-service when
compared to similarly fabricated glass
that has been heat treated after
Vitro Architectural Glass PAGE 1 OF 2
Glass Technical Document | TD-124
Fabrication of Heat Treated Glass
HISTORY TABLE
ITEM DATE DESCRIPTION
Inside Glass 96-1 2/15/1996 Fabrication of Heat Treated Glass
TD-124 5/8/2002 Transferred to Internet – minor changes
Revision 1 2016-10-04 Updated to Vitro Logo and format
This document is intended to inform and assist the reader in the application, use, and maintenance of Vitro Flat Glass products.
Actual performance and results can vary depending on the circumstances. Vitro makes no warranty or guarantee as to the results
to be obtained from the use of all or any portion of the information provided herein, and hereby disclaims any liability for
personal injury, property damage, product insufficiency, or any other damages of any kind or nature arising from the
reader's use of the information contained herein.
Vitro Architectural Glass PAGE 2 OF 2
