It is true that not all forms of glass are created equal. When it comes to curved marine glass, you are looking at a different animal than traditional flat glass. As a matter of fact, marine glass has its own sort of language that those working with it must understand. Let’s look into this unique language.
Customer Considerations
When a customer comes in looking for curved glass, they need to give specific dimensions. They need to describe the shape and size of the curved glass so it can be matched to the very specific application.
B is for Bends
There are many different types of curved glass, and they have specific bends. There are single bends that consist of a single radius curved on a single axis, compound bends that consist of curvature of one or more radii curved on two or more axes, and multiple bends that have at least two of the curvatures possibly separated by a flat area, and with or without one or more additional flat areas next to the curvatures.
Then, of course, there are serpentine bends which are composed of concave and convex curvatures of one or more radii on a single axis.
Other Descriptors
Bends are only one form of measurement. There is also the radius to consider. The outside radius can be reached by measuring from the center of the circle to the outside of the glass. Chord dimension is determined by drawing a straight line between two points of an arc. Finally, there is the girth, which is the distance around the concave or convex surface including flat sections, measured perpendicular to the height.
No curved glass would be complete without considering the shape accuracy. This is determined by placing a template on the concave surface of the bend, then measuring the deviation between the template and the glass. Finally, the crossbend can be determined by placing a straightedge along the vertical edge on the concave surface of the glass, and then measuring the distance between the glass and straightedge.
If you want to know more about the language of curved marine glass, look no further than the experts at ProCurve Glass Design, Inc. Contact us today by calling 215-441-9101 to learn more!