Safety Never Looked So Good

Date: 8 August 2005
Source: schott.com
SCHOTT has established itself for more than 25 years as a fire-rated glazing specialist across Europe and Asia and now has entered the American markets with the introduction of two new glass-ceramic product lines, PYRAN® Crystal and PYRAN® Star -- two high quality solutions for the American markets.

PYRAN® is available in a variety of finished forms: standard, polished, laminated and filmed. Each of the finishes offers its own advantages and is suitable for a variety of applications. The highlight of the North American offering is PYRAN® Crystal, which offers true color rendition and sets new standards in clarity.

“All too often meeting safety requirements translates into sacrificing the aesthetic beauty of an architect’s vision,” commented project team member Dr. Norbert Hildebrand. “With PYRAN® and especially PYRAN® Crystal, architects no longer have to settle for simply meeting code requirements. Clarity is what sets PYRAN® Crystal apart. What SCHOTT has done is eliminate the trade-off between safety and aesthetics.”

The US is unique in that it is the only country that requires the hose stream test, which involves spraying water from a high-pressure hose onto a pane of glass that has been exposed to fire for a specified period of time. Both new PYRAN® lines pass the hose stream test and are UL tested for fire ratings from 20 to 90 minutes.

To launch PYRAN® Crystal and PYRAN® Star in the US, the Home Tech team and the Elmsford marketing group joined forces to create an integrated marketing campaign comprised of public relations, print advertising and trade show participation. While PYRAN® Star and PYRAN® Crystal are undeniably the stars of the campaign, the product mascot – our prized Dalmatian -- won over the architects at AIA, and PYRAN® promises to become their best friend.

SCHOTT will supply the North American market with PYRAN® fire-resistant glass-ceramics through established distribution channels, ensuring that it is readily available across the country. AFG Industries and General Glass International (GGI) will be leading SCHOTT’s PYRAN® distribution network.