Vetrotech Shooting Lab in Würselen open | Vetrotech Global
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Image: Vetrotech Shooting Lab - Würselen, Germany: Christoph Mertens, Manager Production site Würselen, Fabrice Didier CEO Saint-Gobain Architectural Solutions, Reto Cometta CEO Vetrotech and Ulrich Hermens, Manager Shooting Lab
High-security glass put to the test
On November 22, 2023, the new Vetrotech Shooting Lab on the company premises in Würselen, Germany, was ceremoniously put into operation by CEO Reto Cometta. Vetrotech can now test complete glass and frame system solutions to best advise and support customers at the earliest stages of product development.
In Vetrotech's experience, the demands placed upon imperceptible safety glass solutions have increased in recent years. Architects and building owners expect discrete and aesthetic solutions that reflect both architectural style and the needs of building occupants. This also applies to bullet-resistant glass. At the same time, building requirements are becoming more complex. By testing project-related risk scenarios early in the development phase, project partners can shorten the path to market introduction – saving time and money.
"The new firing chamber allows us to test not only the respective glass compositions, but complete glass frame assembly," says Vetrotech CEO Reto Cometta. "As a result, we are able to more effectively help our customers incorporate our products into a suitable system solution able to meet performance requirements and achieve the prescribed approvals, and thus win projects.”
The testing process is fully automated. Firing is triggered remotely and the test process is captured on camera and transmitted to the control room. This remote process ensures that neither the operators nor visitors are not put in the path of any danger. In the ballistics tests, Vetrotech adheres to the standards for special safety glazing and bullet resistance, EN 1063 and EN 1522/23.
No compromises: quality assurance through experience
Vetrotech has decades of expertise in testing bullet-resistant glazing. The new Shooting Lab expands its capabilities and brings state-of-the-art testing facility at the location of the recently opened Würselen production site. This move not only eliminates travel and logistics costs for the tests – it also offers a time advantage. "We can now carry out bullet tests much faster. The proximity to safety glass production, as well as to research and development, shortens the development time and simplifies communication, especially for bringing innovations and customer-specific product solutions to market. In fact, the new laboratory streamlines the entire process from idea to certified product," says Ulrich Hermens, Manager Shooting Lab, Product and Application Developer at Vetrotech.
