Security glazing is specified against a threat, not a thickness. Resisting a thrown brick, a sustained attack with hand tools and a ballistic round are three different problems with three different build-ups, and the specification should name which one it is defending against.
Specification
Levels of protection
Laminated glass with a thick interlayer, or multiple interlayers, designed to stay in the frame under repeated blows long enough to defeat a smash-and-grab attempt. The frame and the fixing matter as much as the glass: an attack-resistant pane in a weak frame simply leaves as a unit.
Multi-ply laminates, often combining glass with polycarbonate, built to stop a defined round. Because performance is specific to the calibre and the number of strikes, ballistic glass is always specified against a named classification, never as a thickness.
Rated by how long it holds back flame and hot gases, and separately by whether it also blocks radiant heat. Integrity-only products contain the fire; insulating products additionally keep the unexposed face cool enough to protect an escape route. The two are not interchangeable and cost very differently.
A fire rating belongs to the complete assembly, not the pane. Glass, frame, beads, gaskets and fixings are tested together, and substituting any one of them invalidates the rating. Order the system, not the glass alone.
Applications
Where it is specified
Counter screens, ATM surrounds and cash-office glazing, usually anti-bandit laminated as a minimum and ballistic where cash is handled openly.
Fire rated screens to protected corridors and stair cores, where the glazing has to maintain the compartment for the rated period while keeping the route daylit and visible.
Shopfronts, showrooms and institutional entrances at street level, where laminated construction resists forced entry and keeps the opening closed after an impact.
Observation panels into secure areas, where visibility is needed but the glazing must not be a weak point in the enclosure.
The TPRS product
TPRS Lamisafe
TPRS Lamisafe is a QNL-certified solution with high-performance laminated glass for strength, safety, and versatility. Our advanced lamination capabilities include utilizing PVB, SGP, or EVA interlayers in double or multi-layer formats to meet various structural and aesthetic demands. TPRS Lamisafe features upgraded technology, which includes dust-free clean rooms and automated interlayer processing, ensuring outstanding quality and clarity.
Sectors
Where TPRS supplies this
Glass Insights
FAQs
Security glass is laminated glass built to resist deliberate attack. Layers of glass bonded to tough interlayers hold together under impact so the opening stays closed, and the number and thickness of those layers is chosen against a defined threat level, from opportunistic smash-and-grab through to ballistic attack.
No. Toughened glass is strong but when it fails it disintegrates completely and clears the opening, which is exactly what an intruder wants. Security glazing relies on lamination: the interlayer holds the broken glass in place so the pane remains a barrier even after it is cracked.
The terms are often used loosely, but the meaningful distinction is between integrity and insulation. Integrity-rated glass holds back flame and smoke for its rated period. Insulating fire glass additionally limits the heat radiated through it, so people can pass close to the unexposed face. Escape routes normally need the insulating type.
Not necessarily thick, but necessarily laminated. Performance comes from the number and type of interlayers rather than raw thickness, and a well-built laminate can outperform a thicker monolithic pane. Specify against a threat classification and let the build-up follow from it.
Yes. Security laminates are routinely built into double glazed units for thermal performance, and the outer pane can be toughened where impact resistance is also needed. The combinations add cost and weight, which the frame and hardware have to be sized for.
Glass Chronicles
Read next
Enquiries
Send the drawing, get a specification
Panel sizes, thickness, make-up and quantity are all TPRS needs to quote. Processing runs from two plants in Puducherry and Dharwad, with offices in Chennai and Bangalore.