Distribution&Production

Fire-Rated Glass Production Shows
Increases Across North America


Fire-rated glass is proving popular, according to the recent expansions and partnerships of several manufacturers and distributors of these products.

Pilkington Fire Protection Glass Group in North America has installed a new glass cutting line to cut Pilkington Pyrostop® fire-rated glass.

“The new equipment represents a major investment for us but will significantly increase our performance and quality to meet future sales growth,” says Bret Penrod, general manager. “We added this equipment to ensure that we can continue to meet our customers’ demands quickly and efficiently with the best quality fire-rated glass products on the market today.”

Technical Glass Products (TGP), a fabricator and distributor of Pilkington’s fire-rated glass products, recently moved into a new facility in Toronto designed to provide Canadian customers with fast and easy access to its fire-rated glass and framing and other specialty architectural glazing solutions.

“Canada is an important market for us, and as construction begins to rebound across the country, having additional fabrication capacity will be critical,” says Ron Pitts, Canadian sales manager. “We look forward to continuing the tradition of providing the Canadian market with expert customer service and high quality, innovative fire-rated glazing and specialty architectural products.”

TecniGlas, a Canadian fire-rated and technical glass distributor and sister company of Glassopolis, also has expanded in the Canadian market. The company has announced the expansion of its facility in mid-town Toronto to add more production capacity and accommodate a new lamination line.

“We added about 5,000 square feet to our 27,000-square-foot building in Toronto,” says Jordan Richards, president. “We’ve been in the same location on Railside Road for nearly 20 years and sales of impact-safety fire-rated glazing are at an all-time high for us, so we are investing into the market.”

“Our Railside Road location is near the intersection of Toronto’s major highways 401 and 404 so it made sense for us to expand here rather than build a new plant far away in a farmer’s field somewhere,” says Fred Fulton, sales manager. “Many local customers like to pick up their glass and appreciate the super-fast turnaround we can offer them from our central location.”

Finally, Kawneer Co. Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with Forster Profile Systems, a manufacturer of steel and stainless steel framing systems for fire-rated and non-rated applications. Through this exclusive partnership agreement, Kawneer will distribute Forster’s framing systems through its customer network.

“Providing customers with resources to help them grow their businesses is a priority for the company and is especially important in today’s volatile economy,” says Bob Leyland, vice president of commercial operations for Kawneer. “This new partnership offers our customers a tremendous opportunity to expand their businesses. As we face the future head-on, we look forward to the possibilities that this alliance with Forster will bring.”

In addition, fire-rated companies also are expanding their product lines and capabilities.

Aluflam North America in Huntington Beach, Calif., announced that it has successfully completed UL fire testing of its 120-minute extruded aluminum curtainwall. The framing profile for the 120 minute system is of the same narrow extruded aluminum design as the company’s other products. The system can be specified for interior and exterior applications, and is designed to maximize light and vision while blending in with standard non-rated aluminum products. The system is comprised of custom-extruded and filled aluminum framing combined with clear, safety- and fire-rated glass by Vetrotech Saint-Gobain.

And SAFTI FIRST in San Francisco has added SuperLite X-90, a new 90-minute vision lite solution, to its SuperLite line. The company reports that its new product is an economical fire- and safety-rated glazing that meets all the standards for 90-minute temperature rise doors. This non-wired clear glazing provides visual clarity and is impact safety-rated to meet federal and code requirements. It can be used in any listed vision lite frame and comes with a lifetime warranty from the factory. Listed and labeled by Intertek/Warnock-Hersey, SuperLite X-90 is manufactured in the USA for fast lead times and competitive pricing.

Vetrotech Helps Achieve Fire-Rated Transparency
Architects want creative freedom and maximum transparency, while at the same time respecting fire resisting building regulations. To provide just that, Vetrotech Saint-Gobain in Auburn, Wash., has introduced the SGG Contraflam Structure all-glass system, suitable for interior applications such as partition walls in offices, schools, conference rooms or in shopping centers.

The SGG Contraflam Structure is a patented system for architects and designers who want to create more transparency where they might otherwise be restricted by building and fire codes. The system consists of SGG Contraflam-60 sheets connected by a thin border (either a small H-Profile gasket or a silicone seal joint) that results in a fire resistant seal. SGG CONTRAFLAM is a fire-resistant and fully insulating system produced from lites of multi-laminated and tempered safety glass, separated by clear intumescent interlayers.
www.vetrotech.com

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