Fabricated Glass 101 | Types, Tips, & Working with a Vendor

Let’s say you’re working on a new office building. Your client wants to take advantage of as much natural light as possible but doesn’t want an entirely open-floor concept. You float the idea of glass walls and doors, and your client loves it. 

Or maybe you have a retail client who wants to replace their storefront and doors with glass completely.

Or a homeowner who wants a custom glass shower installed.

No matter the scenario, you’ll need custom fabricated glass services.

Here we’ll cover the basics of fabricated glass and how to find a vendor offering services that will make you (and your clients!) happy.

What Is Fabricated Glass?

Glass fabrication is a broad term. It entails all of the processes for treating and working raw glass panes into a final product. It includes: 

• Cutting
• Shaping
• Grinding
• Drilling
• Polishing
• Tempering
• Laminating
• Finishing
• Edging

Precision and quality are essential in these processes. Fabricators often rely on computer numerical control (CNC) machines that allow them to customize glass according to the exact specifications you request. 

Glass vendors’ equipment and skills are often sought out to create: 

• Glass wall panels
• Partitions
• Commercial glass doors
• Custom shower glass panels
• Commercial mirrors
• Glass cabinetry
• Custom laminated glass
• Insulated glass units (IGU)

Types of Glass Fabrication: A Closer Look 

Using state-of-the-art machinery, glass vendors fabricate your pieces to meet exacting standards and requirements. Typical glass fabrication services include:

Custom-Cut Sizes, Holes, & Cutouts

Commercial glass fabricators have special tools and equipment to cut glass panes to custom sizes accurately. They can also cut holes and cutouts for hardware (for glass railings or showers, for instance) or pass-thru (in reception windows, etc.).

However, not every commercial glass manufacturer has the same equipment. They may have limitations on the size of pieces they can fabricate. For instance, they may not be able to fabricate a wall-to-wall commercial mirror as a single unit.

Custom glass-cutting services can be used for bulk orders as well as one-off orders with intricate specifications.

Shaped Glass

Thanks to state-of-the-art CNC and waterjet machinery, glass can be fabricated into almost any shape, including those with highly detailed designs. 

Custom glass designs can come in a variety of forms. General shapes include:

• Squares
• Rectangles
• Triangles
• Trapezoids 
• Parallelograms
• Arches
• Irregular gables 
• Quarter pie
• Rectangles with radius corners 
• Half-circles 

Many other, specialty custom shapes are also available, such as: 

• French Provincial
• Trefoil
• Gothic arches
• & any other shape imaginable

Keep in mind that non-traditional shapes can pose a problem for some commercial glass manufacturers. It’s important to discuss glass shaping at the beginning of your project to understand a glass manufacturer’s capabilities. 

See our custom shaping abilities: 

Tempering

Glass tempering – heating a pane using an oven and then cooling it under high pressure – strengthens glass by up to 5x.

Tempered glass is much more resistant to impact. Considered a safety glass, it breaks into small, pebble-like pieces instead of sharp, dangerous shards. While these pebbles can still cause injury, they limit the risk of deep lacerations that broken annealed glass poses. 

Due to its durability and unique breaking pattern, tempered glass is a preferred material for interior applications.

Edgework

Custom edgework as a fabrication service adds a level of sophistication and visual interest to a glass piece. Edgework can also help finished pieces meet safety, performance, and cleanliness needs. 

Edge types include: 

• Beveled edge
• Mitred edge
• Flat edge
• Pencil edge
• Bullnose edge
• Ogee edge
• Waterfall
  
  

See what glass edge types are available: 

V-Grooving

V-grooving glass is a method of adding a design to the surface of a piece. 

Like routing a piece of wood, v-grooving cuts v-shaped lines into the surface of a glass plane to create detailed patterns. 

In v-groove pieces, the indentations create a unique effect when light passes through them, refracting light.

V-groove lines are typically linear or curved. They can be left with a rough finish for a textured look or polished for a clear finish. 

Insulated Glass Units 

Insulated glass units (IGUs) are designed with two, or sometimes three, panes of glass separated by a spacer and filled with an inert gas.

The panes of glass and gas layers create insulation, helping to lower heating and cooling bills. IGUs also help block outside noise.

How to Choose the Right Vendor for Your Project 

While all glass projects are different, your glass vendor should meet certain criteria.

By vetting a vendor for glass fabrication capabilities, you’ll save your project from unnecessary delays, cost overages, and headaches.

Make sure your vendor is capable of: 

• Working small – Some of the best glass manufacturers can work on pieces of glass just a few inches in size.
• Completing advanced detailing – Edgework shouldn’t be overlooked for the final aesthetic and functionality of your piece.
• Using a waterjet – The high precision of these machines for both exact and intricate cuts can’t be beaten.
• CNC grinding – This computerized method ensures glass products meet your exact specifications for shape and size. It can also correct production flaws.

How to Communicate Your Fabricated Glass Requirements

When working with a commercial glass fabricator, communicating all the details of your project is key. This ensures the final piece is exactly what you need.

Tell your commercial glass manufacturer exactly what you’ll be using the glass for and discuss all of your specifications up-front, even down to details such as tolerances. 

Save time – and labor – by providing your glass piece’s:

• Application – How will it be used? This helps your glass fabricator determine which processes it needs.
• Fabrication requirements – Will it be tempered? Laminated? Cut to a certain size and shape? Do you need cutouts for hardware?
• Tolerances – Is there a special frame or opening the piece needs to fit? 
• Specifications – By all means, if you have technical drawings or files, share them.
• Budget – Let your vendor help you find ways to consolidate costs.
• Deadline – Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor will your custom glass be fabricated overnight. Well-communicated timelines are crucial.

With in-depth information and excellent communication, a skilled glass vendor using modern technology and state-of-the-art machinery can create custom, high-quality pieces to your specifications and on time.

Looking for Fabricated Glass Services?

As a highly versatile material, glass is seen everywhere in architectural design and décor. 

Whether it’s to achieve a certain aesthetic, create a functional piece, or enhance the safety and security of a space, look for custom glass fabrication services from a reliable vendor. 

Ready to Learn More? 

Find out more about fabricated glass and what’s achievable. Check out our Guide to Partnering with a Commercial Glass Company: 

(Editor's note: This article was originally published in May 2023 and was recently updated.)