We start the process with sheets of float glass purchased from our suppliers. Float glass is manufactured from a mixture of silica sand, soda ash, limestone, rouge and dolomite. The mixture including 20% recycled materials is heated in a furnace at 2,900°F (1,600°C). The molten glass is “floated” over a molten tin bath and gradually cooled into a solid glass ribbon.
Once we cut and fabricate the glass it is heated in a tempering furnace to approximately 1,100°F then rapidly cooled with forced air. This creates a compression layer on the outside surface of the glass which is four times stronger than annealed glass. This tension forces the glass if broken to crumble into small pieces instead of larger jagged shards that are less likely to cause injury. After tempering glass no further fabrication of the glass can occur.