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Manufacturing Impact-Resistant Windows

Bob continues his tour of the PGT window factory in Venice, Florida. Dave Olmstead shows Bob a standard aluminum window with a thin, non-structural bead on the edge. He compares it to the heavy gauge frame of the two-pane, laminated impact-resistant window. They follow the assembly process from the cutting of the aluminum window parts, which is timed precisely to match the timing of the glass delivery, to the assembly table where the frame is prepared for the laminated glass. At the silicone station a thick bead of silicone adhesive is applied to the frame. The laminated glass must be pressed into the frame without delay to prevent a skin from forming on the silicone, which would reduce its adhesion abilities and prevent it from passing the violent impact test. Finally trim is added, the windows are cleaned and fitted with strucural bead, screens are installed, and the windows are packaged for transport. Olmstead explains that each of these impact-resistant windows is produced to order. They run three to four times the cost of standard windows, but in the year since Hurricane Charley sales of these windows have increased 300 percent.

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Impact-Resistant Windows and PGT Factory Tour Now Playing

Impact-Resistant Windows and PGT Factory Tour

Installing Impact-Resistant Sliding Glass Doors Now Playing

Installing Impact-Resistant Sliding Glass Doors

Installing Impact-Resistant Windows Now Playing

Installing Impact-Resistant Windows

Manufacturing Impact-Resistant Windows Now Playing

Manufacturing Impact-Resistant Windows

Clip Transcript For:

Manufacturing Impact-Resistant Windows

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" All right and now we're at the assembly level were actually looking at one of the final stages of heating a window manufactured but. Dave you're gonna take it through all the step by step process rights. Bob now this is. -- kind of a sample of the the windows that were putting in our house there's there's -- many different ways of creating the structure for a window right yes. What you got here."

" What you're looking at here is a piece of mainframe from an ordinary single hung window. All right and what those six -- over the edge of the glad we call it glazing the this thing here is nothing but a flimsy piece of aluminum. I was really tree -- simply trim it has no structural effect on the frame all right so this is a cutaway of the window that we're installing. Which is the outside. This is the outside wall. This is yes -- them laminated glass on the inside right and in in this case. This is the glass that would have been low. Well the frame is much you compare. Ordinary window for an right we have. Why this these yeah yeah it is thicker milled. -- around the glass is -- Extruded aluminum. So much bigger much heavier."

" I noticed the glass all comes this over here from where gift comes in from the laminated plan here then what happens next. Well but glass comes in in the order these windows are coming down alive. All right starts with an order customer service -- entered in the computer -- writers and -- the flats plant sends the information of this life. What have to be shelved when it's going to be built so all you marries together the same time yeah. Where would we be without. You acknowledge -- and that there's no stock windows that are being made. Is everywhere it is for president now. Every window we build is built to an old -- frames for. The frames all start. Here in the background with those green machines. Those automatically cut all the frame -- same. With the same timing that we're -- The flap over here -- frame parts are cut by those machines and brought over to assembly -- Over here on the assembly table to frame --"

" They go down here and salsa. If you have a single hung window or anything like that."

" They go over to the machine and put the telephone in the field. Is then applied to the brain using silicon -- special silicone. And that machine is also fairly. -- timing is critical from when we put that silicone in the frame -- when we actually had to -- The last time -- Done silicone. Skin over very quickly -- him over before the glasses that. You won't definitely. Which keeps water from infiltrating through. All right then what well from there we come down here and if they're colonial they'll -- Martin to make the windows colonial right. Move on found alive. And I come down here fifty. Telephone things like batteries. And I come over to this -- Which is really our final and I. As they come down here they're glad -- bead we talked about structural bead is installed. More -- take place. They come out of this machine that after the freezer installed. Or turned over final cleaning takes place and they go to the packaging station here. And then they're transported up to our loading areas south Florida. Under way to torture deaths -- guys."

" Now let's talk a little bit about the cost of windows like this I mean the building industry in Florida has traditionally. Big tract houses big developments skimpy on the window quality very much fault here we're looking at something it's really really high and --"

" His window well. Reviled depending on the window style about three to four times. Like about 300 day plant like we ship about 30000. Since last summer all we. You've seen a growth of about 300%. In sales in the Winguard product. 300% we'll."

" You're welcome Bob good to have you thank you."

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