Float Glass

Overview

Guardian float glass is the foundation on which our company stands and from which we create. Our core competency is rooted in the science of float glass manufacturing. The float process turns mountains of silica sand and other raw materials into molten glass that “floats” on a bath of molten tin to produce a ribbon of nearly perfect glass. Float glass is then used in a variety of applications in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses to create many of Guardian’s InGlass products. Guardian float glass uses the latest glass-making technology to maintain its place as a high quality float glass on the market today.

Performance Benefits:

• Provides a wide range of visibility and light transmission options from UltraClear to colored float glass.
• Good color consistency for use on repeat projects.
• Multiple production and fabricator options to support LEED requirements for regional sourcing of glass products.
• Can be tempered, laminated or painted to improve strength, safety or aesthetic requirements.
• Suitable for a wide variety of finished product options and applications.

Overview

Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear is our high quality float glass. Choosing Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear gives the assurance for exceptional quality.

Applications

Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear can be used in wide variety of applications, often representing a practical and stylish alternative to solid materials.

It may be used in the exterior and interior of buildings to permit the transmittance of daylight and allowing occupants to view their surroundings. In thicknesses above 6 mm, it can be used for a variety of commercial applications where superior strength, greater spans, reduced deflection, high daylight transmittance and noise reduction are required. Where a safety glass is required, Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear can be tempered or laminated.

Product features & benefits

• Highest quality float glass
• Very high light transmittance
• Extremely durable material
• Maintenance-free and easily cleaned
• Easily processed and fabricated
• Can be used in Insulating Glass Units in combination with other glasses to provide additional benefits
• Can be toughened or laminated for safety and security
• Available in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses.

Overview

Pilkington Optifloat™ Tinted solar control glass reduces unwanted heat gain, while admitting high natural daylight to enhance visual performance and lower artificial lighting needs.

The glasses come in different colors: Green, Blue-Green, Bronze, Grey, and the new tint – Graphite Blue.

The products are particularly suitable for applications that demand solar control without the use of surface coating, for residential or commercial applications. To achieve thermal insulation, the products have to be combined with a low-emissivity glass in an insulating glass unit.

Applications

Pilkington Optifloat™ Tint glass products can be used wherever a colored glass without surface coating is required for visual appeal or where a degree of solar control performance is necessary to improve or control the internal environment of the building. Where a safety glass is required, they can be specified as tempered or laminated glass.
Designed to improve conditions within buildings by reducing glare, solar radiation and heat transfer into the building, they also reduce UV radiation and offer improved privacy, when compared with clear glass.

Features & benefits

•  Solar control performance, reducing the need for air-conditioning
• Solar control performance and color density vary with the thickness
• Available in a choice of colors (Green, Blue-Green, Bronze and Grey), offering flexibility for original and innovative architectural design even where low reflection is required
• Subdued color range, complementing other building materials and natural surroundings
• Low to high light transmission when compared with other solar control glasses
• Low internal and external reflection, reducing uncomfortable glare from the sun, and offering improved privacy compared to clear glass
• Can reduce UV radiation
• Can offer additional thermal insulation performance when combined in an insulating glass unit with a low-emissivity glass
• Can be laminated, tempered, bent and enamelled using standard techniques
• Can be used in monolithic form or incorporated in insulating glass units
• Available in a wide range of sizes from 3 mm to 10 mm thicknesses (depending on the color).

Overview

Pilkington Optifloat™ Tinted solar control glass reduces unwanted heat gain, while admitting high natural daylight to enhance visual performance and lower artificial lighting needs.

The glasses come in different colors: Green, Blue-Green, Bronze, Grey, and the new tint – Graphite Blue.

The products are particularly suitable for applications that demand solar control without the use of surface coating, for residential or commercial applications. To achieve thermal insulation, the products have to be combined with a low-emissivity glass in an insulating glass unit.

Applications

Pilkington Optifloat™ Tint glass products can be used wherever a colored glass without surface coating is required for visual appeal or where a degree of solar control performance is necessary to improve or control the internal environment of the building. Where a safety glass is required, they can be specified as tempered or laminated glass.
Designed to improve conditions within buildings by reducing glare, solar radiation and heat transfer into the building, they also reduce UV radiation and offer improved privacy, when compared with clear glass.

Features & benefits

•  Solar control performance, reducing the need for air-conditioning
• Solar control performance and color density vary with the thickness
• Available in a choice of colors (Green, Blue-Green, Bronze and Grey), offering flexibility for original and innovative architectural design even where low reflection is required
• Subdued color range, complementing other building materials and natural surroundings
• Low to high light transmission when compared with other solar control glasses
• Low internal and external reflection, reducing uncomfortable glare from the sun, and offering improved privacy compared to clear glass
• Can reduce UV radiation
• Can offer additional thermal insulation performance when combined in an insulating glass unit with a low-emissivity glass
• Can be laminated, tempered, bent and enamelled using standard techniques
• Can be used in monolithic form or incorporated in insulating glass units
• Available in a wide range of sizes from 3 mm to 10 mm thicknesses (depending on the color).

Overview

Pilkington High Performance Tint is a range of uncoated body-tinted solar control glasses, with low light reflection and high energy absorption.

The products are particularly suitable for applications that demand solar control without the use of surface coating, for residential or commercial applications. To achieve thermal insulation, the products have to be combined with a low-emissivity glass in an insulating glass unit.

Pilkington Arctic Blue™ is a body-tinted float glass in a unique blue color, that offers solar control performance without the use of surface coating. Its solar control properties and color density vary with each thickness so that glass with properties appropriate to a particular application can be chosen.

Applications

Pilkington Arctic Blue™ is ideally suited to both hot and cold climates. It can be specified as toughened or laminated glass, and is therefore ideal for any applications whether commercial or domestic, where unique aesthetics or innovative design is desired.

To provide additional thermal insulation, it has to be combined with a low-emissivity glass in an insulating glass unit.

Product features & benefits

• Improved solar performance compared to traditional tinted float glass, preventing heat entering the building and therefore reducing the need for air-conditioning
• Solar control performance and color density vary with the thickness
• Cool and distinctive rich blue color, offering possibility for unique aesthetics and innovative design
• High visibility properties providing a crisp, undistorted, natural view from the interior
• High daylight transmittance when compared to other tinted glasses, reducing the need for artificial lighting
• Low internal and external reflection
• Low UV transmittance
• Additional thermal insulation performance when combined in an insulating glass unit with a low-emissivity glass
• Can be laminated, toughened, bent and enameled using standard techniques
• Can be used in monolithic form or incorporated in insulating glass units
• Available in 4 mm, 6 mm and 10 mm thicknesses

Click here to read the Pilkington North America Architectural Product Guide

New Ultra-Neutral OPTIGRAY® Glass by PPG

Glass that combines a warm, neutral aesthetic with advanced solar control

Optigray glass, the newest addition to PPG’s collection of neutral tinted glasses, is designed to eliminate the green cast typically found in conventional clear glass formulations. It produces a warm, ultra-neutral aesthetic that brings crispness to vision glazing.

Specially formulated to function as a substrate with solar control low-e coatings, Optigray glass delivers advanced solar performance. When paired with solar control low-e glasses such as Solarban® 70XL, Solarban 67, Solarban 60 and Solarban R100 glasses by PPG. Optigray glass produces light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratios of up to 1.96, with visible light transmission (VLT) between 29 percent and 50 percent, depending on which Solarban glass is specified.

With a subtle light-gray tint, Optigray glass balances light transmittance and solar control to offer superior performance combined with a beautiful aesthetic.

For detailed performance data, please review the Optigray glass product data sheet.

SOLARGRAY® Glass

Commercial window tint without film

Solargray glass has been a popular choice for commercial structures because of its cool, light-gray appearance and ability to control solar heat gain and glare. In a 1-inch insulating glass unit (IGU), Solargray glass provides visual light transmittance (VLT) of 40 percent. Solargray glass may also be combined with Sungate® 400 glass in a 1-inch IGU for improved solar heat gain performance and lower U-values. Solargray glass’s light-gray color makes it an attractive choice in combination with almost any other exterior cladding material.

For detailed performance data, please review the Solargray glass product data sheet.

GRAYLITE® II Glass

Privacy glass with a punch

With its bold, almost-black look, Graylite II glass is the solution for applications requiring reduced solar heat gain and a specific aesthetic objective. Graylite II glass combines superior heat-load reduction and solar control with a distinctive color contrast. Its shading coefficient is among the lowest of any uncoated glass: 0.35 for a 1-inch IGU. Daylight transmittance is 8 percent, making it ideal for glare control and privacy glazing.

For detailed performance data, please review the Graylite II glass product data sheet.

SOLARBRONZE® Glass

A proven high-performance bronze glass

Solarbronze glass has been a staple in PPG’s architectural glass offerings since the 1960s because it creates a bold visual statement while maintaining energy efficiency and occupant comfort. A popular choice for commercial structures, Solarbronze glass has a warm bronze tint that adds subtle richness to the exterior and a warm glow to interior décor. The bronze color especially complements brick and stone facades.

In a 1-inch IGU, Solarbronze glass provides a visual light transmittance (VLT) of 47 percent. For even better performance, combine Solarbronze glass with Sungate 400 glass in a 1-inch IGU to improve solar heat gain performance and lower U-values. To achieve spectrally selective glass, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy, team Solarbronze glass with Solarban® 60 solar control low-e glass to earn a light-to-solar gain (LSG) ratio of 1.25 or better.

For detailed performance data, please review the Solarbronze glass product data sheet.