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Tempering is the backbone of the glass industry.

Charles Hansen – Moag

Click here for Tempering Guidelines

Thermal Glass Tempering for Safety

Annealed glass is the industry term for un-tempered, plate glass.

Tempered glass breaks differently. If tempered glass is broken, the glass breaks into small, less harmful, almost circular pieces.

Annealed and Tempered break comparison

Thermal Tempering for Strength

The process of heat tempering makes the glass stronger by putting the glass surface into compression. Greater force is then needed for cracks to spread and grow.

Illustration of the structural effects of tempering on sheet glass

History of Glass Tempering

The process of glass tempering has been known for centuries.

“Francois Barthelemy Alfred Royer de la Bastie (1830–1901) of Paris, France is credited with first developing a method of tempering glass[17] by quenching almost molten glass in a heated bath of oil or grease in 1874, the method patented in England on August 12, 1874, patent number 2783. Tempered glass is sometimes known as Bastie glass after de la Bastie. In 1877 the German Friedrich Siemens developed a different process, sometimes called compressed glass or Siemens glass, producing a tempered glass stronger than the Bastie process by pressing the glass in cool molds.[18] The first patent on a whole process to make tempered glass was held by chemist Rudolph A. Seiden who was born in 1900 in Austria and emigrated to the United States in 1935.[19] Though the underlying mechanism was not known at the time, the effects of “tempering” glass have been known for centuries. In about 1660, Prince Rupert of the Rhine brought the discovery of what are now known as “Prince Rupert’s Drops” to the attention of King Charles II. These are teardrop-shaped bits of glass which are produced by allowing a molten drop of glass to fall into a bucket of water, thereby rapidly cooling it. They can withstand a blow from a hammer on the bulbous end without breaking, but the drops will disintegrate explosively into powder if the tail end is even slightly damaged. ”

Moag has been Tempering glass to ANSI Z97.1 Standards Since 1989

Benefits to strengthening glass are obvious and modern manufacturing works to further increase the strength and safety of glass by developing coatings and fabrication process to meet architectural and environmental demands.

Modern-day glass tempering includes automated, cutting-edge heating and cooling technology to increase efficiency, capacity and overall product quality.

Moag Shop floor photo of the Tempering Furnace
Moag tempers with a NorthGlass tempering furnace featuring state-of-the-art technology.
Watch HHH Tempering Resources’s time-lapse installation of our tempering oven here.

Tempered Glass Specifications

Glass Size Range | 84″ x 168″

Minimum Size | 12″ x 12″

Glass Thickness | 5-19 mm.

Tempering Glass with Holes and Cutouts

Detail mickey mouse notch cut-out

Review our Tempering Guideline for:

  • holes
  • finger holes
  • notches
  • inside radii for cutouts / fillets

Contact our team to quote your drawings.

Bent Tempered Glass

Bent glass stock photo

Email Sales@jcmoag.com to submit plans for pricing and lead times on custom, bent glass orders.

Plate Glass Tempering: Types and Thicknesses

MOAG Shop floor stock glass stoces

We temper a variety of annealed plate glass. Stock glass thicknesses range from 3/16″ (5mm) to 3/4″(19mm). Contact us for inventory, availability, and competitive quotes.

Commercial and Residential Tempering Applications

Glass is a limitless, recyclable material. While most of our daily interplay goes unnoticed, glass is a critical, component part of our environment.

Office stairwell glass railing

Tempering Applications

  • Tables
  • Counter-tops
  • Back-splashes
  • Shelves
  • Office partitions
  • Storefronts
  • Railings
  • Porticoes
  • Walls
  • Windows
  • Doors
  • And more …

Custom Safety Glass to meet your needs.

In addition to our glass tempering service, the Moag team is able to complete multi-task glass fabrications to meet your job’s specific needs.

Our experienced design team is here to help ensure precision results from start to finish. This includes customized crating and delivery options.

Drop us a line