Fire Testing Laboratory

There can be few threats to a building or vessel and, more importantly, to its people as great as fire. That’s why we have dedicated so much time to conducting extensive R&D, leading to the manufacture of products of exceptional fire-resistant integrity.

But earning that place wasn’t easy; we have invested heavily into making sure our products are as safe as possible, offering maximum protection in the most dangerous of circumstances.

We have our own ISO / IEC 17025 accredited International Fire Testing and Services (IFTS) lab in Herzogenrath, Germany (formerly in Bern). Here we conduct hundreds of tests every year to reach a wide range of international standards and national market regulations. Monitored by third-party industry experts, we put our products under the most extreme pressure, exposing our glazing products to temperatures reaching many hundreds of degrees Celsius.

Our tests are not limited to the glass, however. We also test the leading fire-rated framing systems, which include steel, aluminium and timber. Our solutions span a range of classifications from “integrity only” (E), “reduced radiation” (EW), and “fully insulating” (EI) performance – all with fire resistance time frames ranging from 30 minutes through to 120 minutes.

The temperatures involved are remarkable – further demonstrating the integrity of our products. For instance, during a test of our intumescent glass, the air temperature reached over 500°C, but the air temperature on the other side reached only 37°C. The surface of the glass itself reached 704°C, versus a surface temperature of 113°C on the “safe” side.

In our continued efforts to offer our customers the most comprehensive service, we also have an international team of fire-testing technicians available to support our customers locally.

Apart from fire resistance, our products are certified to meet leading international safety glazing standards, providing protection against accidental impact, vandalism, bullet and blast resistance.