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Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass Frequently Asked Questions |
 James Bond Movies and Television Shows have made "Bullet Proof Glass" a Household name. As well as very mysterious, it has become an Enigma so to speak. We will try and dispel the mystery and miss information about "Bullet Proof Glass". In the real world "Bullet Proof " does not exist. When speaking in terms of Protection from Hand Guns & Rifles the proper term is BULLET RESISTANT as nothing is truly Bullet Proof. If given enough time and effort any Bullet Resistant Product can be defeated. Bullet Resistant Glass is NOT AT ALL LIKE it has been portrayed. In Movies and TV, Bullet Resistant Glass is portrayed as being no thicker or different from "Normal" Glass. Bullet Resistant Glass is offten assumed to be Just "Bullet Proof" that it just stops bullets with no regards what is being shot at the glass from a small handgun to rockets. On TV the Bullets just bounce off the glass and away you go!! Photo below show the impact of a Bullet into Real Bullet Resistant Glass. (Note that the bullets are embedded into the glass)  Bullet Resistant Glass: Both Flat Sheet and Curved are manufactured in different protection levels: from level 2 stopping handguns such as .9mm & .357 Magnums at .825" thick. To our Level 8- Armor Piercing Protection from a .30-06 Rifle at 2.27" thick. As the level of protection increases so does the weight, thickness and price.  Bulldog Direct's Bullet Resistant Glass Is Available Is Several Versions: U.L. Listed | All Glass | Glass - Clad Polycarbonate In - Low -Spall and No -Spall Configurations: Low Spall: (Glass on the protected side) No-Spall : (Polycarbonate on the protected side) What are your Three Types of Bullet Resistant Glass? We provide 3 different types of Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass: 1: U.L. Listed Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass Tested By: H.P.White Laboratories Inc. offers you an affordable Bullet Resistant Glass System when Underwriters Laboratories [U.L.] listing and testing is required. This is the most costly of our 3 Bullet Resistant Glass Systems. 2: Our All Glass Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass Tested By: H.P.White Laboratories Inc. is a very economical Bullet Resistant Glass System. Our All -Glass is the least exspensive of our 3 Systems. It is also the Thickest and Heaviest of our 3 Bullet Resistant Glass Systems. 3: Our Glass-Clad Polycarbonate Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass Tested By: H.P.White Laboratories Inc. is a very economical Bullet Resistant Glass System. It is also the Lightest and Thinnest of all of our 3 Bullet Resistant Glass Systems.This is an extremely durable and light-weight transparent armor , Combining the hard surface of glass with the resilient toughness of poloycarbonate, Our Glass Clad systems are specially designed to defeat threats from high-powered firearms with low-spall or no-spall performance. Mid price level of our 3 Glass Systems. Our Glass-Clad Polycarbonate: Bullet Resistant Glass in a Glass-Clad Polycarbonate make-up is a multi- ply composite laminate combing Polycarbonate and Glass using special polyurethane high adhesion bonding interlayers which allow or the expansion / contraction differential of both materials. This special interlayer and the manufacturing process are key elements in controlling the 10:1 thermal expansion ratio. This design allows us significant latitude to almost any Ballistic Threat from .9mm handguns to .30-06 Armor Piercing Rounds. Combining the the obvious advantages of glass and Polycarbonate provides 3 primary benefits over ALL-Glass composites. #1= Thickness and weight savings up to 60% over conventional ALL-Glass systems. #2= Multiple impact protection ,and high ballistic protection from rifles. #3= The high structural integrity of Polycarbonate with the abrasion, chemical, flame resistance of Glass. Polycarbonate is plastic material 30 times stronger than acrylic which is 17 times stronger than an equal thickness of single strength glass. Polycarbonate ,therefore,is an excellent impact barrier and is used as the core material of our Bullet Resistant composite. Polycarbonate is susceptible to abrasion, scratching, chemical attack, heat or flame. Polycarbonate alone is not an effective ballistics barrier above handgun protection. Our solution is a combination of these materials to take advantage of their benefits while eliminating their individual shortcomings. Bulldog Direct's Bullet Resistant Glass provide ballistic protection that is designed to defeat National Institute of justice [N.I.J.] and Underwriters Laboratories [U.L.] threat levels. What Level of Protection Do I Need? Most ballistic attacks in the USA occur using handguns. The most popular being a .9mm or .357 Magnum hand gun. In other parts of the world the weapons of choice is the AK-47 assult rifel. In South America the Ballistic threat could be a .9mm handgun to an M-16 assult rifel. Bad guys tend to shoot at what they can see. Rarely are weapons shot at walls, car doors etc. [ other than your occasional drive by shooting ] Threat Assessment: Is the first step in desiding which protection level you need. 1: Very High Threat Level: You have been shot, or shot at. You or your business has been robbed. Any Government Buildings, Military Installations, Guard Booths, Nuclear Power Plants, etc. Your Bullet Resistant Glass needs are very serious and you need to purchase immeditly. 2: High Threat Level: You have been threatened, staulked, own a liquor, jewelry or check cashing store. You may live in an area subject to gang violence or drive by shootings. Your Bullet Resistant Glass needs are Serious and Real. You need to evaluate your threat and purchase Bullet Resistant Glass with-in 30- 90 days. 3: Medium- Low Threat Level: You are building a "Safe Room", You have never been shot, or shot at. Your needs are Proactive. You are evaluating your threat and purchase Bullet Resistant Glass may be a consideration. Can anyone Purchase Bullet Resistant Glass? Purchasing and Installing Bullet Resistant Glass Systems in the USA is perfectly legal. No Police or government permit is required. We do suggest contacting your local building / fire inspector with regards to building codes, inspections or / permits needed. Can Bullet Resistant Glass made to any size? Bullet Resistant Glass can be Custom Manufactured to most sizes. However it is important to keep in mind when considering the purchase of Bullet Resistant Glass: With size, comes weight. In most cases our Bullet Resistant Glass is used to replace glass from an exsisting window. The sizes falling in the range of around 24"x 55" most units we sell are under 4'x8' [48"x96"]. Large Bullet Resistant Glass Units, [units over 4'x8'] are very heavy, thus shipping, boxing and safe installation are more difficult. Please feel free to call us with any questions or special requests you may have. "Let us bite the bullet ...not you!"  Will My Windows Still Open? Bullet Resistant Glass does not work very well in the open Position as they say...! All kidding aside, installing Bullet Resistant Glass in your Home, Or Office Situation is a very serious consideration. Our Bullet Resistant Glass is designed to save your life from Hand Guns & Rifles. Operable Window Glass is not very common in Bullet Resistant Protection. Can I get Heated Glass? We can manufacture Bullet Resistant Glass by adding heat strips to the unit in our manufacturing process. Is Bullet Resistant Glass Expensive? Pricing Request Again, James Bond Movies and Television shows have made the price just as mysterious as the Glass it self. You would be surprised at just the replacement cost for your Exsisting Glass. The Glass for your exsisting window could be from around: $25.00 to over $100.00 per sq.ft.in price for an insulated custom unit. Fair Question....Most individuals have never been in the market for Bullet Resistant Glass and have nothing to base a price quotation on, other than what they feel the price should be. An Informed Consumer is always in a better position to make a decision with the proper knowledge and information. Pricing for Bullet Resistant Flat Glass can start from around: $25.00 per sq.ft. to over $100.00per sq.ft. (Depending on sheet size and level of protection needed.) 
Layout and Cutting: The first step in Manufacturer process is to cut all of the needed window units from Flat Sheet Glass Stock, along with the sheets of Polycarbonate, and Polyurethane Bonding Inter-layers. The first layer of of glass is cut to the exact size of mesurments. The next layer is the first of several of Polyurethane Bonding Inter-layers. The next set of glass is cut to as described above. The final "Lay-Up" can be from 2-5 units of glass and 1-2 layers of Polycarbonate. The protected side of your Bullet Resistant Glass can be manufactured for you in two ways: Low Spall: Glass on the protected side / No-Spall : Polycarbonate on the protected side  Clean Room Assembly: All the individual units are then completely cleaned. We now take the cleaned "Lay-Up" to our "Clean Room " for final assembly. Now all the glass and the layers of polyurethane bonding inter-layers and assembled in the proper configuration. We now thoroughly inspect the final assembly for proper size, and for defects in the manufacturing process. Our General Manager, Shop Foreman, and Production Manager must all check off on the final assembly before it is sent to the Autoclave for final Bonding of the unit. Vacuum Bag Assembly: After passing our very stringent inspection the full "Lay-Up" is then inserted into a Vacuum Bag and Sealed . We then pull a vacuum on the bag (removing all of the air) Auto claving: The final step in Manufacturer is loading the Vacuum Bagged Assembly in to one of our two large Autoclaves (These are just a slightly larger version of what your local Dentist uses to sterilize their instruments.) The heat and pressure of the autoclave bonds all of layers of Polyurethane, Glass, and Bonding Inter-layers together. The autoclave cycle takes 12 hours to bond the Vacuum Bagged Assembly in to the finished product. It also takes about 8 hours for the proper "Cool Down Time". Final Inspection & Boxing: After the finished Bullet Resistant Glass has been removed from the autoclave it is now re checked against the drawings and specifications. Again our General Manager, Shop Foreman, and Production Manager must all check off on the final assembly before it is boxed for shipment to you. Tested By: H.P. White Laboratories Inc. Information and Pricing Request Return to Flat Bullet Resistant Glass Page Our Bullet Resistant Glass At Work: (With our Customers Knowledge and Permission) When the Military Installation at Fort Knox, Kentucky needed Special Bullet Resistant Glass: Bulldog Direct was the only source that could meet their Special Requirements. In 2002 and now into 2003 Bulldog Direct also provided other U.S. Military Installations in the USA and Over Seas with our Bullet Resistant Glass Protection. Both the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Hostage Rescue Team and the Cobb County Georgia SWAT Team use our Flat Sheet Bullet Resistant Glass in their Armored Response Vehicles. A few years back, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Armored Response Vehicle came under Heavy Rifle Fire from a barricaded suspect. using a .30-06. The Armored Response Vehicle took two direct hits to each front window. [ With no penetration into the Vehicle. ] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation now keeps a few extra sets of our Bullet Resistant Glass on hand..... Just in case!! One of our Customers has a fleet of 27 fully Armored Tractor-Trailers. These Armored Trucks are on the road 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They use both our Flat Sheet and Curved Bullet Resistant Vehicle Glass in their Vehicles. When Governor Mike Foster of the State of Louisiana (USA) asked on a radio talk show for suggestions on how to help New Yorkers in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, one caller suggested that the State should fund the construction of a custom-designed fire truck to help replenish the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) fleet. The job of building a 'pumper' fire truck to FDNY's specifications went to local firm Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc. of Holden, Louisiana, a custom manufacturer of fire apparatus. Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc. contacted us at Bulldog Direct Protective Systems Inc. for help with their glass needs to protect the dedicated Fire Fighters from projectiles or flying debris that could hit the pumper's cab area. Please see related story in: DuPont's Laminated Glass News. |
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