Anti-vandalism
on trains
Hammerglass SA was launched
at the 2nd Annual African
Railway Summit, held on
5 and 6 November, at the
Radisson Gautrain Hotel in
Johannesburg.
TRAINS OPERATE
in harsh environments where 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 almost
unbreakable.
Hammerglass is an abrasion-resistant, chemical-resistant, age resistant polycarbonate which
is 300 times stronger than ordinary glass, half the weight of glass, and virtually unbreakable.
Sheets are coated with a thin film of silicon oxide that looks like glass and protects against
scratches and wear. Nanotechnology provides UV protection of 99.96%, which helps prevent
the glass from becoming cloudy, bleached or otherwise aged over time.
The product is available for fitting new trains, where existing glass windows can be replaced
with Hammerglass with a 10-year warranty against discolouration and a five-year general
guarantee.
A 12mm Hammerglass sheet weighs 14kg/m
2
. To achieve the same protection with safety
glass, a 24mm thick sheet with a weight of 70kg/m² would be the equivalent.
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 needles and acid, to create
their tags.
Applying a sacrificial film on the Hammerglass is a way to reduce costs of this type of
vandalism. The thickness and three-layer construction increases resistance of the screen
to scratching, etching and blows, thereby protecting the underlying surface. Thanks to the
coating’s special adhesive system, it can be easily and inexpensively replaced after an attack.
Hammerglass vehicle glass is 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 are mixed with a heat absorbing medium, stopping solar heat from entering the
train.
The product has been tested and approved in explosion tests performed by the Swedish
Technical Research and Test Institute. A 12mm Hammerglass sheet, installed in a Hammerglass
framing system, withstands 3kg of TNT, detonated at a distance of three metres. These
Hammerglass applications will be marked ‘RABS approved’. RABS is an acronym for glass
windscreens in vehicles for use in places where there is a risk of explosion, vandalism and theft.
The window glass has been tested and
approved for the following classes:
R43
: Extensive series of tests for glass windows.
Compulsory for vehicles that travel more than
50km/h.
AXE:
Sharp object (EN356, P8B). The glass sheet
receives a minimum of 72 blows from an axe
mounted in a test machine.
BLAST:
Pressure wave from detonation
(EN13123-2 and EN13124-2). 3kg of TNT is
exploded three metres from glass sheets fitted in
an approved steel frame.
STONE:
Heavy object at high speed (EN15152-
2). A 1kg aluminium projectile is propelled at a
speed of 450km/h and angle of 90° at the glass.
Clear glass material for Hammerglass vehicle
glass comes in thicknesses of four, six, eight,
10, 12, 15 and 17mm. Heat reducing glass is
available as a green shade in 6mm HmG-IR and
grey in 12mm HmG-IR.
TFL DEC
18
FREIGHT & LOGISTICS
RAIL
