Laminated Safety Glass

Also known by the English term laminated glass, which nonetheless risks creating confusion with generic laminate, laminated crystal originated from the intuition of French chemist Edouard Benedictus. In 1909, he was inspired by a flask coated with a plastic layer of cellulose nitrate that, when dropped, broke but did not shatter into a thousand pieces. This sparked the scientist’s intuition to apply plastic to glass to reproduce the same effect. The invention, initially designed for the automotive industry, was first used to produce gas mask lenses during World War I.

Created by joining two or more layers of glass with a plastic sheet, usually polyvinyl butyral (PVB), heated to 70°C and pressed with specific rollers, laminated safety glass is a material particularly resistant to intrusion attempts and extremely safe even in the event of breakage. Thanks to the PVB film, the fracture remains localized at the point of impact, avoiding the dispersion of sharp shards: this is what is meant by passive safety, which complements the high standards of active safety (anti-burglary) guaranteed by laminated crystals.

Vetreria Re has been involved in the production of laminated safety glass since 1989, managing the design, cutting, and lamination phases, as well as performing grinding, sandblasting, tempering, painting, and CNC processing of safety crystals. Available for certifications, calculations, and structural verifications in the fields of construction, architecture, industry, and contract work, Vetreria Re also carries out third-party processing and creates furnishing accessories, railings, flooring, shower enclosures, artistic glazing, and much more.

Laminated safety crystals can be produced in various formats, models, and colors: simply inserting a colored PVB layer gives the glass as a whole a colored appearance. The safety levels guaranteed by laminated glass increase in direct proportion to the thickness of the glass and the number of layers. Furthermore, the plastic layer increases the thermal and acoustic silence capacity of the laminated glass, which is capable of reducing ultraviolet light transparency by 99%.

Normally used in all situations where a fall or breakage of the pane could cause damage to people or property, laminated glass is widely used in the commercial, domestic, and industrial sectors. From the windshields of cars, trains, and planes to shop windows, laminated glass crystals protect against break-in attempts and damage to property, people, and environments, from vandalism, intrusion, and any damage resulting from the glass breaking. Depending on the degree of protection required and the intended use, it is possible to install:

• Anti-vandalism laminated glass: capable of resisting the impact of blunt objects thrown with force, protecting people and property from attempted break-ins or damage caused by voluntary attacks. According to European standard UNI EN 356, to be classified as anti-vandal, the laminated glass must withstand the impact of a steel ball dropped from different heights. Along with the high level of protection, laminated glass offers excellent thermal insulation and light transmission, making it the ideal solution for contexts requiring security against voluntary attacks.

• Bulletproof laminated glass: able to resist the impact of various firearms, these are primarily indicated for banks, jewelry stores, or high-risk locations requiring high protection factors to prevent armed robbery attempts. Characterized by variable resistance levels based on the number and thickness of glass and plastic layers, bulletproof laminated glass can withstand repeated shots from different types of weapons. To claim bulletproof status, the glass must pass ballistic tests as mandated by European standard UNI EN 1063.

• Explosion-resistant laminated glass: capable of resisting the shockwave of a blast, these are generally used in very high-risk locations. Composed of three or more glass panes with PVB sheets of adequate thickness, explosion-resistant glass can withstand the impact of TNT-based devices or other explosives. Resistance increases in proportion to thickness and layers; the maximum level corresponds to class ER4 according to UNI EN 13541:2002.

• Fire-resistant laminated glass: acting as a protective screen in case of fire thanks to the presence of one or more intumescent interlayers between the glass panes.

Each safety crystal model is custom-designed and created by Vetreria Re, ensuring a high-quality finish and maximum comfort.