Hammerglass is now available in South Africa for fitting to trains. Existing windows can be replaced easily with Hammerglass, which carries a 10-year warranty against discolouration and a 5-year general guarantee.
Hammerglass SA was launched at the 2nd Annual African Railway Summit held on 5 and 6 November in Johannesburg. Bo Nilsson, CEO of Cetab SA, the company introducing the product to South Africa, explains that Hammerglass is an abrasion-resistant, chemical-resistant, age resistant polycarbonate which is 300 times stronger than ordinary glass with half the weight of glass – and virtually unbreakable.
Hammerglass sheets are coated with a thin film of silicon oxide that looks like glass and protects against scratches and wear. Nanotechnology also provides UV protection of 99.96%, which helps prevent the glass from becoming cloudy, bleached or otherwise aged over time.
A 12mm Hammerglass sheet weighs 14kg/m2. To achieve the same protection with safety glass one would need a sheet 24mm thick with a weight of 70kg/m2. Trains are often operated in harsh environments in which the glass windows can be broken by flying objects. If train windows break, there is a major injury risk. With Hammerglass, a safer environment free from broken glass is guaranteed, as Hammerglass vehicle glass is virtually unbreakable.
Train windows are subjected to ever-increasing levels of vandalism in the form of glass etching and theft. Vandals use everything from rocks and keys to special needles and acid to create their tags. Removing their handiwork can prove a major expense.
Applying a sacrificial film on the Hammerglassis a simple way to reduce costs for this type of vandalism. The thickness and three-layer construction increases the resistance of the screen to scratching, etching and blows, thereby protecting the underlying surface. Vandals do not realise that there is a protective film on the glass and, thanks to the coating’s special adhesive system; it can be easily and inexpensively replaced after an attack.
Hammerglass vehicle glass is also available as heat-reducing 6mm green shade HMG-IR and 12mm grey HMG-IR. Hammerglass IR reduces heat in trains by up to 55% as the polycarbonate granules have been mixed with a heat-absorbing medium, stopping solar heat from entering the train.
