SAFTI FIRST® ADVANCES FIRE RATED GLASS CAPABILITIES WITH SUCCESSFUL IGCC CERTIFICATION
Media Contact:
Diana San Diego
888.653.3333 ext. 756
dianas@safti.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAFTI FIRST® ADVANCES FIRE RATED GLASS CAPABILITIES WITH SUCCESSFUL IGCC CERTIFICATION
With this new certification, SAFTI FIRST® becomes the first and only fire rated glass manufacturer in North America to be listed in the IGCC/IGMA Certified Products Directory
Brisbane, CA (October 4, 2024) – SAFTI FIRST®, leading USA-manufacturer of advanced fire rated glass and framing systems, is pleased to announce that it has recently completed and successfully attained certification from the Insulating Glass Certification Council (IGCC).
A New Era For Fire Rated
This makes SAFTI FIRST® the first and only fire rated glass manufacturer in North America to have its fire rated insulating glass units (IGUs) comply with the standards below:
· ASTM E546, Standard Test Method for Frost/Dew Point of Sealed Insulating Glass Units
· ASTM E2188, Standard Test Method for Testing Resistance to Fogging in Insulating Glass Units
· ASTM E2190, Standard Specification for Insulating Glass Unit Performance and Evaluation
“The lengthy and rigorous process of attaining IGCC certification assures our customers that the fire rated IGUs produced in our facilities meet the highest quality based on established industry standards,” says William O’Keeffe, President and Owner of SAFTI FIRST®. “This is a testament to our commitment to being a world-class, architectural glass manufacturer”
Enhanced Options for Designers
SAFTI FIRST®’s IGCC certification allows for a broad range of options, including:
· All soft coat and hard coat low-e brands and types
· All glass thickness options
· All laminated glass thickness options with or without coatings applied
· Due to automation of (TPS) of primary seal, all spacer thicknesses allowed
· All aluminum (greater than or equal to ½”) spacers allowed
“The broad range of glass and spacer options that our certification allows means that we are able meet more project specifications with our expanded in-house capabilities,” adds O’Keeffe.
SAFTI FIRST® will also be listed in the IGCC/IGMA Certified Products Directory. Production facilities achieving IGCC certification are audited in-person every six months, and annual testing of new sample IGUs is required in order for products to be eligible to be listed in the IGCC/IGMA Certified Products Directory.
Better Performing, Easier to Install Fire Rated Exterior Facades
This recent certification also enables SAFTI FIRST® to build better performing, easier to install, fire rated exterior facades that no other fire rated glass and framing manufacturer can provide.
“It allows us to manipulate high performance soft coats in a monolithic format, giving us the ability to edge delete and incorporate those lites directly into our fire rated units while maintaining the durability that our customers have come to expect from our SuperLite II-XL family of products,” says Tim Nass, Vice President of Sales at SAFTI FIRST®. “This is a huge advantage for exterior applications because it improves the overall thermal performance of our fire rated glass products while making our units thinner and lighter.” SAFTI FIRST® is already in conversations with Guardian Glass, one of the largest architectural glass fabricators in the industry, to start fabricating 45-120 minute exterior fire resistive assemblies with their extensive line of monolithic high performance soft coats.
Without having the ability to manipulate high performance soft coats in-house, other fire rated glass fabricators are limited to incorporating either laminated versions of high performance soft coats, which often fall short on thermal performance values; or insulated versions of high performance soft coats, which creates a thicker and heavier overall unit.
And because SAFTI FIRST® is the only fire rated glazing systems manufacturer to have approved glazing and framing components in the NFRC CMA Modeling Program, it can also demonstrate the advantage of incorporating high performance monolithic soft coats into its fire rated units vs. its insulated and laminated formats in real time. Below is an example of a simulation conducted on 60 minute fire resistive exterior walls using SuperLite II-XL 60 with monolithic vs. laminated vs. insulated versions of Guardian SN60 in GPX Architectural Series Framing:
Fixed Frame Assembly (no mullions) | Overall Glass Thickness | Overall Glass Weight | U-Factor | SGHC |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 1/4″ Monolithic Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2-1/8 in. | 17.15 lbs./sq. ft. | 0.295 | 0.299 |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 9/16″ Laminated Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2-7/16 in. | 19.4 lbs./sq/ ft. | 0.389 | 0.262 |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 1″ Insulated Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2-7/8 in. | 20.03 lbs./sq. ft. | 0.254 | 0.266 |
Window/Wall (with mullions) | Overall Glass Thickness | Overall Glass Weight | U-Factor | SGHC |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 1/4″ Monolithic Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2.168 in. | 17.15 lbs./sq. ft. | 0.288 | 0.303 |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 9/16″ Laminated Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2.449 in. | 19.4 lbs./sq/ ft. | 0.386 | 0.275 |
SuperLite II-XL 60 with 1″ Insulated Guardian SN68 in GPX Architectural Series Framing | 2.893 in. | 20.03 lbs./sq. ft. | 0.244 | 0.279 |
Because SAFTI FIRST® has approved glass and framing components in the NFRC CMA Modeling program, it can provide simulated thermal performance values with any other glass or spacer available in the CMA database. This allows architects, owners and façade consultants to design energy-efficient, NFRC certified fenestration systems that meet the most stringent fire rated requirements. SAFTI FIRST® has an in-house Approved Calculation Entity (ACE) individual to assist in this process.
Meeting Evolving Standards
This comes at an opportune time when stricter energy performance codes are being proposed and adopted across the country. “There was a time when fire rated glass was exempted from meeting certain performance requirements – not anymore,” says Diana San Diego, Vice President of Marketing at SAFTI FIRST®. “Over the years, and most recently with our IGCC certification, we have shown that we can respond to the demands of the architectural community by offering innovative products that combine life safety, aesthetics, performance and sustainability.” For more information, visit safti.com.
Media interested in photos, interviews or other information should contact Diana San Diego at 888.653.3333 ext. 756 or dianas@safti.com.
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About SAFTI FIRST®
SAFTI FIRST® Fire Rated Glazing Solutions has been serving the architectural and building communities for over 40 years as the leading vertically integrated, single source, USA-manufacturer of advanced fire rated glass and framing systems. As the premier source for fire rated glazing, SAFTI FIRST® was the first to introduce transparent fire rated walls to the U.S. market. Our comprehensive product line, fire rated from 20 minutes to 2 hours, includes fire resistive tempered units (SuperLite® II-XL and SuperLite® II-XLB), fire resistive multilaminates (SuperLite® II-XLM), fire resistive security glazing (SuperSecure® II-XLS), clear specialty fire protective glass (patented SuperClear® 45-HS and SuperClear® 45-HS-LI), specialty tempered glass (SuperLite® I and I-XL) and specialty fire protective (SuperLite® X-45/60/90). Our fire rated glazing products can protect against noise, attack, impact, bullets, blast, hurricane and UV rays, and are available in many custom architectural make-ups, including butt-glazed and enhanced energy performance applications. GPX® Framing is fire rated up to 2 hours and can be
used in doors, openings, storefronts, curtain wall and floor applications and available in multiple architectural finishes. GPX® Framing can also be customized protect against attack, impact, bullets, blast and hurricane. SAFTI FIRST® is the only fire rated glass and framing manufacturer with approved components in the NFRC CMAST database. Our products are listed by UL and Intertek and are manufactured in the US for fast lead times and competitive pricing. For more information, call 888.653.3333 or visit safti.com.