LPS 1270 security glazing

LPS 1270 security glazing is glass tested against manual attack, with a three digit rating for hand hole, arm hole and body passage resistance. It protects counters, screens and facades where the glass itself is the barrier. ArxBridge supplies and installs LPS 1270 glazing across the UK.

• LPS 1270 testedThree digit attack rating
• Hand to bodyGraded resistance levels
• Counters to facadesGlass as the barrier
• UK wideSurvey, supply and installation

The basics of lps 1270 security glazing

The Security range covers doors, windows and shutters tested as complete assemblies to LPS 1175, while LPS 1270 tests the glass itself against manual attack. The result is a three digit rating that describes what the glass resists: a hand hole, an arm hole, and full body passage.

Each digit of the rating stands for one of those three attack goals. A higher digit means the glass holds out longer against the tools used to make that opening. The digits let a specifier match the glass precisely to the threat: a ticket window needs to stop a hand reaching through, while a full height screen may need to stop an intruder climbing through.

The glass is laminated, built from layers bonded with interlayers that hold the pane together as it is attacked. Thicker build ups with more interlayers give higher digits. The glass is always installed in a frame suited to the rating, because glass that outlasts its frame still leaves a route in around the edge.

Choosing the right rating for lps 1270 security glazing

Set the rating from what the glass must stop. There is no point paying for body passage resistance on a small ticket window, and no point accepting hand hole resistance on a full height screen.

The LPS 1270 guide explains how the three digits are earned and how to read them on a test certificate. Where the threat is ballistic rather than manual, the BR classes of EN 1063 apply instead, as used in bullet resistant glass.

Specifier note. LPS 1270 rates the glass; LPS 1175 rates the assembly. On a window or door, specify both: the glass to LPS 1270 and the complete unit to LPS 1175, so neither the pane nor the frame is the weak point.

Construction of lps 1270 security glazing

The pane is a laminate of glass layers and interlayers, pressed and cured into a single sheet. The interlayers are the working part: as tools strike and cut, the interlayer stretches and holds the broken glass in place, denying the opening the attacker is trying to make. More layers and tougher interlayers raise the digits.

Edge retention decides whether the rating survives installation. The glass is bonded into a steel or aluminium frame with a deep rebate, so the pane cannot be levered out of its seating. Beads and gaskets are fixed to resist removal, and the frame itself is specified to at least the level of the glass.

For curved counters, angled screens and large panes, the laminate is made to shape. Size affects the rating: a larger pane flexes more under attack, so the test evidence must cover the pane size being ordered, not just a small sample.

LPS 1270 security glazing with combined ratings

Security glazing often works alongside other glass ratings in the same building. A reception screen in LPS 1270 glass can sit in a facade whose windows are blast resistant glass, each pane specified for its own threat. The two ratings are different tests and neither implies the other.

Where manual attack and firearms are both in the threat assessment, laminated build ups can be engineered to carry both an LPS 1270 rating and a BR rating. The specification states both, and the test evidence must cover both, because a pane tested for one threat has not been proven against the other.

Where to use lps 1270 security glazing

High-value retail uses LPS 1270 glazing for jewellery and watch counters, where the glass is the last barrier between the stock and the street. Banking and finance uses it for teller screens and cash office partitions.

Transport ticket offices, government reception counters and healthcare pharmacy hatches all put staff behind tested glass. Anywhere the public faces staff across a counter, and the risk assessment flags manual attack, the glass earns its place in the specification.

What affects the cost and lead time of lps 1270 security glazing

Pane size and the digit level drive the cost: larger panes and higher digits need more glass and more interlayer. Curved or shaped panes add manufacture time, as do holes and notches for counters and pass trays. The frame must be engineered for the pane weight and the rebate depth the rating needs.

Because the test evidence must cover the pane size ordered, unusual sizes can need fresh testing, which extends lead times well beyond standard manufacture. Early confirmation of sizes and the target digits avoids redesigning the counter or screen late in the programme. A site survey and a clear glazing schedule are the basis for a quotation.

How to specify lps 1270 security glazing

1. Name the attack goal. Hand hole, arm hole or body passage, for each glazed element.
2. Set the digits. Choose the rating level the threat assessment calls for.
3. Fix the sizes. Confirm every pane size, because the test evidence must cover it.
4. Specify the frame. State the frame rating and the edge retention detail.
5. Confirm the test evidence. Ask for LPCB test evidence for the exact glass and size.
6. Ask for a detailed quotation. Share the glazing schedule and drawings for an accurate proposal.

Frequently asked questions