Glassolutions expands Contraflam production in sixth year of UK manufacturing

The addition comes as Glassolutions marks its fifth anniversary of fire resistant glass manufacturing in the UK, and to this day it remains the country’s only producer of both integrity (E) and insulation and integrity (EI) glazing.It has manufactured thousands of square metres of the acclaimed CONTRAFLAM since 2010, with over 130,000m² now installed in the UK alone.

Glassolutions’ Coventry plant employs a team of 15 specifically for CONTRAFLAM manufacture, sales and centralised technical support. This ensures that the company is equipped to produce and advise on the glass in a variety of configurations from EI30 to EI120 to satisfy different levels of fire-ratings. These options ensure CONTRAFLAM is suitable for a wide variety of applications, including all kinds of glass partitions and fire doors.

As a UK-based manufacturer, Glassolutions provides CONTRAFLAM customers and specifiers with some important advantages versus imported fire resistant glazing products. These include providing customer site visits and the ability to produce bespoke products, and - most importantly - shorter lead times.

CONTRAFLAM, which is available in a range of formats – single or double-glazed and laminated - has quickly established itself as the market-leading non-wired fire rated safety glass product with its appeal to building designers and owners who want safety without compromising on aesthetics in their glass specifications. 

The latest format to be manufactured by Glassolutions at Coventry – CONTRAFLAM STRUCTURE – uses two or more sheets of toughened glass to enable the creation of fire-rated frameless glass elements for internal applications.  This also comes in two special formats – CONTRAFLAM STRUCTURE LITE, which offers 30-60 minutes integrity and partial insulation fire-resistance (EW30-EW60), and CONTRAFLAM STRUCTURE CORNER which is a fire resistant corner solution.  It enables more transparency than ever before, due to the lack of corner profiles, offering 30 minutes of integrity and insulation fire-resistance (EI30).

According to Glassolutions Sector Director for Exterior Glass, Steve O’Brien, the range of CONTRAFLAM benefits is extensive:

“When exposed to fire the special intumescent interlayers turn opaque and expand to form a fully insulating heat shield. This effectively reduces the transmission of radiated and conducted heat for up to 120 minutes. The opaque insulating interlayer blocks the view of the fire which minimises panic and acts as a guide for emergency services to indicate the presence of fire.

“All CONTRAFLAM is made to the highest standards here in the UK, which ensures we can provide the unique combination of competitive lead times, easy and quick access to technical support and a simple supply chain.”

CONTRAFLAM is available in tailored options including solar control and decorative, or screen-printed glass in a system which is designed to work with steel aluminium and timber fire screens and doorsets. It features in a wide range of major installations across the UK including the £85m extension to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and in 25 and 33 storey residential tower blocks at Pioneer Point near Olympic Park, London.

For more information about the full CONTRAFLAM range and its applications, visit www.glassolutions.co.uk/products/contraflam