07/10/2026
The strength behind advanced glass, namely the chemical tempering
Every day, we receive enquiries about chemical tempering plants. Whether small or large machines, the level of interest is remarkably high.
As a matter of fact, the glass industry is increasingly shifting its focus toward specialty products, driven by growing demand for more differentiated, high-performance and value-added solutions.
In such a context, chemical tempering of the glass has become an increasingly important process for companies in the industry, representing today a strategic technology for meeting the ever-growing demands for product performance, strength, and reliability.
Entering the world of chemical hardening means entering a world different from thermal one, thinking in matter of volumes instead of square meters.
The process is very simple: it is a melted potassium bath in which plates of glass should be immersed for 16 hours. Time can be reduced to 4 or 8 by using special glass manufactured by the most important glass companies.
Where glass flatness and robustness in tempering are a must, the chemical tempering is the choice, allowing these properties on thin glass too, for instance 0.5mm.
Thin glass is lighter not only in flooring but it is particularly demanded in the nautical industry, where to lighten the load is an important condition, a crucial one, as in many other applications.
From studies carried out by experts in double glazing production, it resulted that the use of one thin glass inside the insulated glass composition, reduces thermic conductivity, as there has been a wall inside.
And if energy consumption is a crucial matter, a real headhache for every company, the chemical tempering machine, after the initial heating up, where the entire power is neccesary, will use about 15% of the installed power.
The purchase of a high-quality machine is the result of a 360-degree evaluation that takes into account performance, reliability, safety, support, and return on investment.
Come and talk about it with us at Glasstec.