ArcTuff is a thermally tempered glass product for use in all glazed openings where mandatory use of safety glass is required.

ArcTuff is produced on the most modern horizontal roller-type of furnace equipment and fully conforms to European Standards EN 12150 and EN 12600 as well as American Standards ASTM C 1048 and ANZI Z97 -1.
 
The tempering process involves the heating of annealed float glass to a temperature of around 650 deg C which causes the glass to become soft. To prevent soft glass from sagging between the supporting rollers, it is continuously oscillated backwards and forwards prior to proceeding into the quenching zone where it is rapidly cooled, top and bottom surfaces simultaneously, by high velocity cold air. The effect of shock-cooling is to induce perfectly balanced counteracting forces in the glass with an “envelope” of compressive surface stress acting inwards and a central zone in tension whose tensile energy is safely contained within the
body of the pane.
 
The tempering process provides significantly increased resistance of Fully tempered (FT) to mechanical and thermal stresses up to 4 – 5 times the strength of annealed glass, and a safe working temperature range from minus 100 degC up to 280 degC . It can safely withstand a temperature difference of over 250 degC. ArcTuff Fully tempered (FT) glass is a perectly elastic material which can absorb a considerable deflection when loaded and, on removal of a non-excessive load, will return to it’s original flat condition even when frequently loaded.

Breakage of ArcTuff FT glass will occur when the deflection exceeds the capacity of the compressive envelope to resist the tensile  force in the central body of the pane. Alternatively, if hit by a sharp or very hard object on the surface or at the extreme edge of the glass, causing penetration to the tensile zone, the sudden explosive release of latent energy will cause total disintegration of the glass into small fragments with “dulled” edges which are non-injurious. This important feature of ArcTuff FT glass means that it is considered by all international safety standards, including EN 12600 and ANSI Z97-1, as a “true safety glass “ for use in all glazing situations where impact-resistance and thermal safety are required.

ArcTuff FT glass is manufactured in full compliance with current EN 12150 and ASTM C 1048 standards in terms of Tolerance, Squareness, Optical Distortion and Overall Bow.