Annealed Glass | Custom Annealed Glass for Architectural Projects
Annealed glass is the foundation of many architectural glazing applications.
Before glass gets toughened, laminated, bent, or coated, it begins as annealed glass. It is the base material that the entire glazing industry builds from. And while it rarely gets the attention that processed glass types do, specifying it correctly matters more than most people expect. This is particularly so when the project involves large-format panels, custom shapes, or glass that will be further processed before installation.
Archi Glass manufactures and supplies annealed glass across Australia for residential, commercial, and architectural projects. This includes oversized formats, custom-cut sizes, and annealed panels destined for further processing at our Fairfield East facility in NSW.
What Is Annealed Glass?
Annealed glass is standard float glass that has been slowly cooled in a controlled process after forming. That slow cooling - the annealing process - relieves the internal stresses that would otherwise make the glass unpredictable and prone to spontaneous fracture.
The result is a glass that is optically clear, dimensionally stable, and highly workable. It can be cut, drilled, polished, and shaped before further processing such as toughening or laminating. Once glass has been toughened or heat-strengthened, these processing options are no longer available.
That workability is precisely why it remains the starting point for most custom and complex glazing projects. A panel that needs to be cut to an irregular shape, drilled for fixings, or edge-polished to a specific profile must undergo those operations before it is toughened or heat-strengthened.
Types of Curved Glass
Mirror Glass
We are your trusted curved glass suppliers near you, offering curved glazing that not only adds aesthetics but also enhances energy efficiency in buildings. Our curved glass panels are perfect for creating captivating facades and reducing solar heat gain.
Double Glazed Glass
When it comes to insulation and noise reduction, curved double glazing is the answer. Our experts create curved double-glazing units where you need rounded or curved surfaces.
Toughened Glass
Safety and durability are paramount in architectural design, and as established curved glass suppliers, we also provide curved toughened glass, offering both strength and elegance. These curved toughened glass panels are ideal for balustrades and staircases.
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is designed for applications where safety, security, acoustic performance, and structural integrity are essential. By bonding multiple glass panes with specialised interlayers, laminated glass provides enhanced protection while remaining in place if broken.
Annealed Glass
Before glass gets toughened, laminated, bent, or coated, it begins as annealed glass. It is the base material that the entire glazing industry builds from. And while it rarely gets the attention that processed glass types do, specifying it correctly matters more than most people expect
Printed Glass
Printed glass combines the performance of architectural glass with custom graphics, patterns, colours, and decorative finishes. Ideal for commercial, residential, and architectural applications, it allows designers to introduce branding, privacy, and visual impact without compromising the performance of the glazing system.
Security Glass
Security glass is designed to provide enhanced protection against forced entry, impact, and other security risks while maintaining the transparency and appearance of standard glazing.
Acoustic Glass
Acoustic glass is designed to reduce unwanted noise while maintaining the transparency and performance of modern glazing systems.
What Annealed Glass Is and Is Not
Understanding where annealed glass belongs in a specification requires being clear about its properties.
Annealed glass is suitable for applications where safety glazing is not required and where the glass is appropriately specified for the project's structural and environmental conditions. It cuts cleanly. It polishes well. It bonds reliably with interlayers in laminated assemblies. It accepts coatings and films without compatibility issues.
Unlike toughened or laminated glass, annealed glass is not designed for applications where safety glazing is required. When annealed glass breaks, it produces sharp shards. That fracture pattern is why building codes mandate safety glass - toughened or laminated - in locations where human contact is likely.
Knowing which locations require safety glass and which do not is part of getting the specification right from the start.
Standard PVB
the most widely used interlayer. Provides post-breakage integrity and a baseline level of acoustic performance. Suitable for most residential and light commercial applications
Acoustic interlayers
a softer, purpose-engineered PVB variant that significantly reduces sound transmission. Used in facades, partition walls, and glazed enclosures where noise control is a design requirement
Structural interlayers
rigid resin systems used where the laminated unit carries load or forms part of a structural assembly, such as glass floors, canopy beams, and frameless structural glazing
Graphic interlayers
printed or coloured film sandwiched between panes for decorative, privacy, or branding applications without compromising structural integrity
One specification. Multiple outcomes. The interlayer is chosen at the design stage, before production begins.
Key Features and Benefits
- Full workability after production - can be cut, drilled, edge-polished, and shaped to exact dimensions before further processing
- Optically clear with no distortion introduced by heat treatment
- Suitable base glass for toughened, laminated, coated, and printed glass products
- Available in a wide range of thicknesses to suit different load and span requirements
- Compatible with CNC machining for complex edge profiles and internal cut-outs
- Suitable for framed glazing applications where safety glass is not required
Common Applications
Annealed glass is used across a broad range of project types where workability, optical clarity, and framed installation are the primary requirements:
- Framed window systems in low-risk residential and commercial locations
- Mirrors and decorative glass panels
- Glass shelving, display cases, and interior fitout elements
- Intermediate product for laminated glass production
- Base glass for coated, printed, and filmed glass products
- Large-format glazing in protected or framed structural systems
Annealed Glass in Large and Custom Formats
Archi Glass manufactures annealed glass in custom sizes and oversized formats for architectural and commercial projects.
At our Fairfield East facility in NSW, we produce panels up to 3,660mm × 18,000mm, with custom shapes, internal cut-outs, and edge profiles produced using our CNC machining capabilities.
Annealed panels can also be prepared for further processing, including toughening or laminating, allowing cutting, shaping, and machining to be completed before the glass undergoes its final treatment.
Every panel is manufactured and checked against your project drawings before dispatch.
A Note on Specifying Annealed Glass Correctly
Selecting the correct glass type is an important part of every glazing specification. While annealed glass is suitable for many applications, Australian building standards require safety glass in certain locations.
If there is any uncertainty about whether a location requires safety glass, that question belongs at the specification stage, before production, not after installation.
The Archi Glass team works with architects, builders, and homeowners at specification stage to confirm the correct glass type for each location in a project. Getting it right before manufacture is always faster and less expensive than correcting it after.
Talk to the Archi Glass Team
Whether you require standard, oversized, or custom-cut annealed glass, the Archi Glass team is ready to assist. Contact us today to discuss your project, review your drawings, and receive expert advice tailored to your specification.
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