For curious minds, it’s a dream job: breaking windows for a living. For Andersen, rigorous testing makes sure products perform as expected.
At Andersen’s Bayport, Minnesota facility, engineers work nonstop testing products for durability and performance. One such test takes on the task of pushing impact-resistant glass to the breaking point.
Testing windows and patio doors with Stormwatch® protection means recreating the conditions of flying debris that could break a window – a common threat during severe weather. In this case, a nine-pound, eight-foot-long 2-by-4 traveling at 34 miles per hour.* Engineers test this scenario over and over again using a cannon in a controlled environment to simulate flying debris in extreme weather conditions. The glass may break but the laminated membrane must remain intact to protect the home’s envelope. If the envelope of a house is compromised, that’s when serious damage can occur. So, once the windows and doors withstand the projectile test, it’s off to a test wall where they are required to withstand wind and air pressure for up to 8 hours in wind speeds up to 150 miles per hour; the equivalent of some 9,000 gusts, to pass the test.**
Interested in seeing how this works? The Minneapolis affiliate for CBS News aired a story that shows how this process works.
*Tested in accordance with ASTM F588 (windows), F476 (swinging doors) and F842 (sliding doors) at a performance level 10 rating.
**AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S. 2/A440-08 PG70.