TYPES OF GLASS

The exceptional clarity of Clear Glass enables the transfer of light and scenic beauty of the world into today's buildings and homes. This Float Glass is more commonly referred to as Plate Glass or Annealed Glass. Float Glass easily fractures. Typical breakage (including thicker glass) produces long, sharp-edged splinters. Clear Glass ranges in sizes from 1/16" (commonly known as single strength) to 1/8" (commonly known as double strength).

Heavy Float Glass is the product of choice when a thicker glass is needed. From furniture and tabletops in the home to commercial entrances, storefronts, and specialty applications, Heavy Float Glass offers increased strength with outstanding clarity.

for applications requiring added strength, Tempered Glass is used. Tempered Glass is made by a special heat treatment and quenching process that increases its strength up to four or five times that of annealed glass. If subjected to stresses beyond its capacity, Tempered Glass simply disintegrates into innumerable small pieces, significantly reducing the risk of serious injury. Tempered Glass is recommended for commercial and residential applications where human contact is anticipated and where safety glazing is required by law, wind load, or local or national building codes. All Tempered Glass must be special ordered from AFGD because it is not susceptible to alterations after it has been processed through the special heating treatment. Tempered Glass is available in all color tints and thicknesses ranging from 1/8" to 3/4". Most orders will be receivable within four to five days from the time the order is placed.

Laminated Glass is manufactured by bonding two or more liters of glass on either side of a resilient interlayer PVB or polyvinyl butyral through heat and pressure. This laminated "sandwich" cannot be distinguished from monolithic glass when glazed. Laminated Glass provides visual clarity while offering improved sound control, protection from ultraviolet light as well as the added benefits of safety and security. By incorporating an interlayer of 0.30" or greater, Laminated Glass meets or exceeds the consumer product safety commission standard for architectural glazing materials. Unlike Annealed or Tempered Glass, Laminated Glass tends to remain in the frame if broken. The PVB interlayer keeps dangerous glass fragments and splinters intact. Laminated Glass provides an element of security that cannot be achieved by other glass products. Whether protecting merchandise in a store display, guarding works of art in museums, or protecting homes, Laminated Glass is a deterrent to break-ins and theft. Laminated Glass resists held objects/weapons including hammers, bats, bricks, crowbars, etc. Laminated Glass can also be produced for bullet-resistant and blast-resistant applications. Laminated Glass also provides a barrier to noise in addition to intruders, without sacrificing visibility, clarity or the overall beauty of your design. In areas such as airports, hotels, offices, control rooms, and homes, Laminated Glass lets you enjoy the world without listening to it. A common design for noise reduction is Laminated Glass used in an insulated unit. The PVB interlayer of each lite works with the unit's air space to maximize sound control. 

An Insulated Glass unit consists of two or more lites of glass being separated by a high-quality spacer and air space which has been sealed by an organic compound and kept continually dehydrated by a specially formulated drying agent inside the spacer. The sealants used by AFGD include: Swiggle Seal, Polysulfide and Silicone, state-of-the-art warm edge low-conductance spacers, and virtually every type in between. The challenge to crate structures that are both attractive and efficient is met by the broad range of AFGD Insulated Glass options. By combining various thicknesses, coatings, and tents, architects can create buildings that are energy efficient and reflect the beauty of their surroundings. Air-to-air heat transfer is the greatest cause of heat and cooling losses through windows in the home. Insulated units reduce this air-to-air transfer. The air space between the lites of glass provides insulation that will allow homeowners to enjoy increased personal comfort and energy conservation while reducing sound transmission and energy costs. AFGD can manufacture insulated units in a variety of angles, shapes and patterns, utilizing the features of tented glass and low-emission glass to maximize performance in your windows. 

AFGD provides top quality in the reflective clarity of mirrors. Customers can find a wide variety of applications such as vanity/bathroom mirrors, custom mirror walls, decorative furniture and artwork, wardrobe and closet doors, and framed doors. Upon special order, mirror in bronze and two-way tint is also available.

Polished Wired Glass is produced by "sandwiching" steel wire mesh between two layers of molten glass in a continuous rolled glass process. Polished Wired Glass is available in two patterns, Diamond and Square mesh, in 14" thickness. In the event of fire, Wired Glass can act as an effective barrier to flame, smoke, and hot gases. The wire mesh also helps to prevent glass fallout from the frame when broken.

Plexiglas® is acrylic plastic sheet. In its natural form, Plexiglas® acrylic sheet is a crystal clear (with transparency equal to optical glass) lightweight material having outstanding weather resistance, high impact resistance, good chemical resistance and excellent thermo-formability and machinability. Aside from colorless sheet, the two forms of Plexiglas® G & MC, come in a wide variety of transparent, translucent and opaque colors, as well as in several different surface patterns.