On the market today, there are countless types of safety glass and crystals. Among these, armored glass is the solution that best combines security and design. The tailor-made armored crystals produced by Vetreria Re are superior-class safety glasses, certified by the most up-to-date safety regulations. Let’s look together at the technical characteristics of armored glass to understand how it differs from other safety crystals, such as laminated glass, toughened or tempered glass, bonded glass, bulletproof, shatterproof, anti-intrusion, and accident-prevention glass, etc.
How They Are Made
To better understand why armored glass is safe and reliable, we will begin by outlining the manufacturing methods: in other words, let’s see how armored crystals are made. Produced through highly sophisticated manufacturing processes that utilize the most innovative technological findings, armored safety crystals are composed of at least three glass panes and two sheets of PVB, or polyvinyl butyral—a plastic material obtained from the reaction between polyvinyl alcohol and butyraldehyde.
The PVB is processed into a transparent film that is inserted between glass layers to keep them joined, thanks to its ability to adhere perfectly to the entire glass surface. Being made of a dense network of plastic filaments, PVB prevents the propagation of fractures between layers: in this way, if the glass breaks, the fragments remain attached to the film, preventing injuries from shards and hindering intrusion by ill-intentioned individuals. Depending on the type and thickness of the PVB used, it is possible to obtain armored crystals with different aesthetic and performance characteristics.
Thanks to their technical features, armored glasses guarantee maximum active and passive safety. Active safety refers to the glass’s ability to prevent unwanted intrusions, while passive safety refers to the fact that, even in the event of breakage, armored crystals do not cause damage to people or property. Suitable for installation in residential or working environments, public buildings, commercial activities, or sports halls—for the creation of display cases, shop windows, railings, and full-height glazing—armored crystals are an excellent environmental protection device capable of increasing both real and perceived security.
Armored Crystals for Every Need
Depending on the environment where they will be installed and the required degree of security, it is possible to choose from different models of armored crystals corresponding to different safety classes, ranging from protection against vandalism to bulletproof resistance. Thanks to their specific structure, which includes the insertion of the special PVB film, armored glasses are able to withstand the most violent blows and even the power of bullets, avoiding the scattering of glass shards into the environment.
Providing valid prevention and protection against theft attempts and vandalism, armored glasses represent an excellent form of deterrent capable of increasing the security of public, private, industrial, and commercial environments. Vetreria Re has been active in the design and creation of custom safety crystals since 1989 and is able to advise each client on the most suitable solution to increase protection and livability. Our safety solutions include tempered, laminated, bonded, shatterproof, anti-intrusion, accident-prevention, and armored safety crystals. Each project is handled with extreme care for the finish, ensuring lasting comfort and high levels of acoustic silence.
