Bulletproof glass is a broad term for a transparent material that withstands the impact of various ammunition. In every case, however, it’s not 100% glass. There is bullet-resistant acrylic security glass, polycarbonate security glass and glass-clad polycarbonate. Both polycarbonate security glass and ballistic glass-clad polycarbonate are capable of withstanding higher levels of security than acrylic when tested according to the UL protection level rating system.
Polycarbonate is great for exterior windows because of its resistance to forced entry: a sheet of polycarbonate will take an hour of beating with a sledgehammer, where a comparable piece of acrylic might succumb in just minutes. The qualities that make polycarbonate an excellent material for securing a facility – lightweight, strong, great impact resistance – are the same qualities that make it a valuable resource for everyday applications as well.
Bulletproof Glass Vs Regular Glass
In a recent episode of You Make It, We Skate It in which the host, Aaron Kyro, encourages viewers to make a unique skateboard and send it in for testing, they had the opportunity to test a skateboard with a bulletproof glass deck. The board held up well to just being rolled around and despite a little hesitation to attempt any sort of tricks after a previous failed glass skateboard challenge, the bulletproof glass skateboard proved to be superior then regular glass in withstanding basic wear and tear. They went on to increase the difficulty of tricks and while the bulletproof glass was more challenging due to its slippery surface, they were able to complete some impressive skateboard tricks.
This isn’t the first time, however, that You Make It, We Skate It has taken on the challenge of a glass skateboard. In its first trial, the skateboard was made of regular glass and if you watch the video below, you will see at approximately 7 min 30 seconds in that the glass was not tempered. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it became quite obvious very quickly that regular glass was not a good material for skateboard construction.
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Videos courtesy of BrailleSkateboarding.com
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org