Pyran S – the superior fire safety glass

Firman Glass, one of the industry’s leading independent glass processors, has become the first UK based processor of Schott Pyran S fire safety glass. Glass Times editor, Luke Wood, talks to Firman Glass’ Jody Hodgson about the advantages of Pyran S and also discusses the introduction of another UK first, a laser coating deletion process that introduces a wealth of design options for designers and architects. 

Based in Essex, Firman Glass was established in 1975 and now offers a comprehensive range of products and services, including oversized toughened glass, laminated glass and specialist IGUs, acoustic laminated and fire rated glass – and much more besides.

 Its processing capabilities include five ‘Intermac’ CNC machines, CNC drilling and waterjet cutting, plus a new decorative coating laser deletion service, the first of its kind in the UK, that greatly enhances the efficiency, accuracy and design potential for decorative glass products. But more on that later… 

 In another UK first, Firman is now also the only glass processor outside of mainland Europe to process Schott Pyran S fire safety glass from Schott Technical Glass Services GmbH (TGS), the result of nearly two years hard work that was required to meet strict testing and accreditation requirements, as Jody Hodgson, Firman’s managing director, explains: 

“As a long-term supplier of Schott products, we have always been very well regarded by them for the quality of our production processes and we already had the equipment in place and the technical know-how to produce Pyran S. 

“Schott TGS, which is based in Germany, was also keen to work with a UK partner to improve lead times for Pyran S and offer a more agile service post Brexit. The qualification process, which included independent fire testing, auditing and factory inspections, took a long time, mainly because of the backlog of fire rated product testing that has been taking place since Grenfell, however after a lot of hard work we are now an official Fire-Resistant Processing Partner for Schott TGS, and the only supplier in the UK to process Pyran S.” 

 What is Pyran S? 

“Put simply, Pyran S is a superior fire rated glass,” continues Jody. “It is a borosilicate glass as opposed to a soda lime glass and that means it is more able to withstand temperature differentials, so it can be glazed with normal edge covers. 

It also has a higher softening temperature and is tested to be self-supporting for more than 30-minutes so large pane sizes and simple frame constructions are possible. 

We can manufacture Pyran S up to 3.2m from the standard stock size although it has been tested to larger sizes which would be available by special manufacture. 

“Due to the enhanced durability of borosilicate glass, greater fire resistance times, in excess of 90-minutes can also be achieved, and crucially because of its composition, nickel sulphide (NiS) crystals cannot form,” continues Jody. “Spontaneous glass fracture due to embedded NiS crystals cannot happen, and that’s a huge advantage on high value projects, where replacing damaged fire rated glass could be very costly.” 

 Pyran S applications 

A pre-stressed, single pane safety glass that meets EN 13024-1, Pyran S boasts E30, E60, E90 and E120 fire ratings while delivering high levels of light transmission. 

Highly durable against abrasive chemicals and unaffected by UV light, it is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, including facades, partition walls, skylights, doors, roofs and smoke screens. 

Pyran S is also compatible with a ‘seamless’ butt joint system, that can join individual glass panes using a special silicon seal with no requirement for mullions to create ‘virtually endless’ sheets of glass using steel, concrete, stone or timber perimeter systems, as well as point-fixed glazing. 

Using a point-fixed system, Pyran S can be installed without the need of intermediate frame constructions, which is ideal for smoke screen applications, for example shopping centres and underground stations, providing a fire barrier for up to 30 minutes integrity only. 

“We are currently processing our first batch of orders for Pyran S, and we’re anticipating that it will prove to be a popular option for any commercial application including hospitals, museums or offices that need fire screens, doors or internal partitions, but also for high end residential projects,” says Jody. 

“The size that it can be manufactured, the quality and longevity of the glass and the fact that it’s now readily available from Firman on shorter lead times makes Pyran S a very attractive solution for what is arguably the best fire rated glass product on the market.” 

Quality of service 

Firman Glass may have underlined its position as a leader in the supply of premium fire rated glass with the introduction of Pyran S, but this extends to more than just providing the best product. 

Service and technical support are also a key part of its offer, with all 10 office-based staff trained in fire rated products, including three expert members of the team who have accrued years of experience in fire rated processed glass and system assessment. 

“We work with our customers to help them specify the correct products for any project that requires fire rated glass,” says Jody. “That means identifying what level of fire performance is actually required, whether its E-Integrity only for protection from flames and smoke, or EI-Integrity & Insulation, which is the highest level of protection from flames, smoke and heat. 

“We can advise on the amount of integrity and insulation that’s required, whether it’s for doors and/or screens, the type of framing material, bead size and the glazing materials requirements – all the way up to any additional specifications for acoustics reductions, security and/or loadings requirements. 

“There is obviously a much greater awareness of fire rated products post Grenfell, so we do everything that we can to make sure our customers are supported every step of the way.” 

Laser etching 

While Firman has been working hard to introduce the Pyran S product, it has also been introducing new innovations elsewhere in the business, including the new laser etching technology that is designed to significantly improve the quality of decorative glass designs. 

“We installed our laser etching machine in January and it’s really helped to enhance the appeal of our decorative glass offer, predominantly for architectural and corporate use,” says Jody. 

“The traditional way of producing decorative glass designs by removing mirror coatings has always been by sand blasting, however this is quite laborious and not always very accurate. 

“The Laser machine removes coatings quickly but also with greater accuracy, it’s also not as labour intensive and uses much less energy. The results are outstanding. 

“It’s really opened up new opportunities for designers and architects to run wild with.”