So, I was watching the debates and the news. I learned that Joe the Plumber isn’t exactly what the news director had ordered. It was then that I realized that neither candidate had taken a position on the glass industry and our questions---soft coat vs. hard coat, union vs. non-union labor, Viracon vs. Oldcastle Glass vs. Arch.
I sent an immediate e-mail to both campaigns asking for guidance on these key issues. An hour later, the phone rang. The Dems said to check in with them next week, but the Republicans needed every plug they could get. They sent the investigators and discovered I was not part of the liberal eastern media, and thought it would be a great chance for Governor Palin.
Here is the transcript of my interview with Governor Sarah Palin about the current state of the glass industry.
Paul: Welcome Governor Palin. It is an honor to have you visit my office in New Hampshire to discuss the glass industry.
Sarah: It is an honor to be here in a New Hampshire, which is a border state, just like my state of Alaska. Can you see Canada from your home here?
Paul: Almost—it’s only 153 miles to the border with Quebec. Sarah, what was it like when you first saw Russia? Were you looking through float glass or sheet glass up there in Alaska?
Sarah: Oh, it was a sheet of glass. In fact, it might have been one of these sheets with the vacuum in it. You know the vacuum glass that saves energy. It was a vacuum glass because there was no dust in it.
Paul: You mean insulating glass?
Sarah: Oh no, there were no pink fibers in the center, there was no insulation in the middle.
Paul: I see. Governor Palin, do you think the future is in soft-coat or hard coat low-e glass?
Sarah: Paul, I am glad you asked this question and not another question about which newspapers I read. You see, I have studied this in preparation for this interview. Moreover, as a mother and almost as a grandmother, you have to be hard with your children. You have to teach them about the hard decisions there are to make, as citizens, and that people will always be trying to trip them up. So, while I know soft-coat may give better insulation, I think we need hard coat. Everything in life will be hard and we have to teach that to our kids. Of course, we have enough oil in Alaska to make up for all of the energy wasted. If only John were to become President, then we could drill-baby-drill right in my backyard.
Paul: Uh, Governor, what is your stance on union labor requirements in the glass industry?
Sarah: I am all for the union. 150 years ago the South tried to break up the union, and I, for one, am glad they didn’t succeed. The union is very important to us in Alaska. We weren’t a state during that war, but if we were, we would have been for the union. If there is another war about the union, count on me to send the Alaska National Guard.
Paul: Governor, I meant union labor on construction work in the glass industry. Should it be required?
Sarah: Now I get it. Thanks for explaining the question. I believe every union worker should work; so should all of the regular Americans who want to work. Working is the cure for our economy. John wants to cut taxes on the rich and on my oil companies so they can spend more and hire your union workers. Of course, we will trickle our money down to all workers, and I sure hope that those union workers vote for me because I work hard too.
Paul: I see. (Pause) Now, Governor, Do you think Viracon, Oldcastle or Arch is the premier glass fabricator in the United States?
Sarah: Thanks for this question Paul. I studied this on the drive here to New Hampshire, knowing you would ask it. On my way here, I looked out the window of my armored Suburban and saw all the pretty colors of the leaves. The reds and yellows and the oranges. In fact the oranges reminded me about pumpkins, and Halloween is coming next week, and I think all of the little ghosts and goblins coming to your door should get candy. None of this healthy stuff…this is the night for candy. If you give out what you grow, then the workers at Hershey can’t make any more chocolate bars, and they are important workers in our economy. In these tough economic times, spending money on chocolate is important. When I grew up we never had chocolate melt in our pockets…it was way too cold…but when I was thirty years old I finally came to the lower states and had my first melted chocolate bar, and it was gooey and it tasted good. If you don’t support these workers making American chocolate you are hurting our country.
Oh, where were we?
Paul: I asked you about Viracon, Oldcastle and Arch.
Sarah: Oh yeah, I studied them on the way up here. And you know what, they are all confused. One of them has only three branches, and the others have way too many. Is there really that much glass business in the Chicago area that there are so many fabricators? When I become the Veep, I will call for a summit meeting of the Chicago fabricators and help them carve up the territory so that all companies can be profitable and pay less taxes under the McCain economic plan. Then I thought why Chicago? Should there be more in New York, or Los Angeles? Or Cleveland? Of course there should. So, I agree that Arch does have the shortest name.
Paul: Sarah, you have left me speechless. Thanks for visiting me and for being on our blog, where next week we will meet Joe Biden and learn about the state of the glass industry in Scranton. After that we will go back to fraud in workers comp.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
You Should Be Afraid of Fraud
Fraud Happens. Never in your business. Always in someone else's. You watch things too closely. You know what is going on. And, you trust your people. They would never steal from you. And by the way, be sure to leave your list for Santa; Christmas is only 72 days away.
You get a call to give a quote and it looks like a home-run. All you have to do is send in a small deposit to get the plans. Just give your AMEX number and the plans will be overnighted. You think anyone would know this is a rip-off, but thousands of contractors, in many fields, fell for this one last year. IF IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE--it is. No one picks you out of the yellow pages to give you a guaranteed hit. Never give your credit card number to someone you don't know. If you are interested, call them back at their office. Google the name. Are they in the Yellow Pages? Will they give references? If they want the cash or your card number now, run in the other direction. Any legit business relationship can stand a day's wait while you check it out. If they won't wait...don't do the deal. If someone calls your company asking for bank or credit info, instruct your staff that this type of call goes directly to senior management. Teach your crew that all company information is confidential and cannot be given out except by management.
Most fraud is done by employees. According to one survey in the late 90's, 58% of fraud was committed by ordinary workers, 30% by managers, and 12% by executives. Look at all aspects of your organization. Also, men were responsible for four times as many frauds as women, but women had a higher average take than men.
Checking your credit for identity theft is advertised on TV every day. Did you ever check your company's history with the credit bureaus? A company is easier to scam than an individual! At least twice a year you should get your profile. Always check your credit card bills, demand receipts from each employee who has a card, and match them to your monthly statements.
Employees who have committed fraud have been interviewed. One of the most common reasons given is: They saw the boss do it, so it was OK for them to do it. If you handle cash in your company, put every cent on the books, and let your people know you do this. You set the tone of the ethics of your business. No one else. If employees see you pocket cash, they will too. And if you catch someone doing it, they can easily blackmail you on your own creative accounting.
Are you checking the references and backgrounds on potential employees? Most of you are not. I've seen too many companies that hire anyone who comes in the door, and wait a couple of weeks to see if they can cut it in their company. If some one is a part-timer, or a temp employee, they can do as much damage as a full-time employee--in fraud as well as worker's comp problems. Look for gaps in employment of longer than a month. Run their driver's license through your insurance agent to check for suspensions. Call their previous employers and get valid references. I do not accept the excuse that it will delay the hiring a couple of days, and you might loose a good employee who wants to work right away. You are paying dues to the short-run devil at the expense of the long-term health of your company.
Another common scam is the office supply scam, where a company calls you, saying they are your supplier of copier paper, and it is time for a re-order. You might just sat yes to a reorder too easily. Many do as this is one of the most profitable scammers games there is. Confirm that this is indeed your vendor, ask for their address, for your account number from them, the brand of paper they sell. If you just give them a verbal yes, you will get a delivery at a higher price than you expected, and you will receive lesser quality than you paid for. The tip-off is the delivery is COD. Never, ever, give COD for basic products that you buy in your community, to a company you don't know. If they want to visit you, and have you fill out a company credit application that is OK; they will never show up and you will be ahead of the game.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, flies like a duck, it is not a diamond in the rough waiting just for you. Don't be naive in business. The people who create and implement these scams are pros at it. Be careful and you will avoid their duck droppings!
Next week we will discuss fraud in worker's compensation--the biggest single extra cost to small and medium sized businesses in the US.
You get a call to give a quote and it looks like a home-run. All you have to do is send in a small deposit to get the plans. Just give your AMEX number and the plans will be overnighted. You think anyone would know this is a rip-off, but thousands of contractors, in many fields, fell for this one last year. IF IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE--it is. No one picks you out of the yellow pages to give you a guaranteed hit. Never give your credit card number to someone you don't know. If you are interested, call them back at their office. Google the name. Are they in the Yellow Pages? Will they give references? If they want the cash or your card number now, run in the other direction. Any legit business relationship can stand a day's wait while you check it out. If they won't wait...don't do the deal. If someone calls your company asking for bank or credit info, instruct your staff that this type of call goes directly to senior management. Teach your crew that all company information is confidential and cannot be given out except by management.
Most fraud is done by employees. According to one survey in the late 90's, 58% of fraud was committed by ordinary workers, 30% by managers, and 12% by executives. Look at all aspects of your organization. Also, men were responsible for four times as many frauds as women, but women had a higher average take than men.
Checking your credit for identity theft is advertised on TV every day. Did you ever check your company's history with the credit bureaus? A company is easier to scam than an individual! At least twice a year you should get your profile. Always check your credit card bills, demand receipts from each employee who has a card, and match them to your monthly statements.
Employees who have committed fraud have been interviewed. One of the most common reasons given is: They saw the boss do it, so it was OK for them to do it. If you handle cash in your company, put every cent on the books, and let your people know you do this. You set the tone of the ethics of your business. No one else. If employees see you pocket cash, they will too. And if you catch someone doing it, they can easily blackmail you on your own creative accounting.
Are you checking the references and backgrounds on potential employees? Most of you are not. I've seen too many companies that hire anyone who comes in the door, and wait a couple of weeks to see if they can cut it in their company. If some one is a part-timer, or a temp employee, they can do as much damage as a full-time employee--in fraud as well as worker's comp problems. Look for gaps in employment of longer than a month. Run their driver's license through your insurance agent to check for suspensions. Call their previous employers and get valid references. I do not accept the excuse that it will delay the hiring a couple of days, and you might loose a good employee who wants to work right away. You are paying dues to the short-run devil at the expense of the long-term health of your company.
Another common scam is the office supply scam, where a company calls you, saying they are your supplier of copier paper, and it is time for a re-order. You might just sat yes to a reorder too easily. Many do as this is one of the most profitable scammers games there is. Confirm that this is indeed your vendor, ask for their address, for your account number from them, the brand of paper they sell. If you just give them a verbal yes, you will get a delivery at a higher price than you expected, and you will receive lesser quality than you paid for. The tip-off is the delivery is COD. Never, ever, give COD for basic products that you buy in your community, to a company you don't know. If they want to visit you, and have you fill out a company credit application that is OK; they will never show up and you will be ahead of the game.
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, flies like a duck, it is not a diamond in the rough waiting just for you. Don't be naive in business. The people who create and implement these scams are pros at it. Be careful and you will avoid their duck droppings!
Next week we will discuss fraud in worker's compensation--the biggest single extra cost to small and medium sized businesses in the US.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Keeping Your Money In Your Business
FRAUD. The single word that scares business owners more than any other. You can control purchasing, labor, even customers. You only spot fraud after a loss has occurred. As you take measures to prevent fraud, you never know if they are successful, as you hope there are no problems in your company in the first place. There are many easy-to-implement fraud controls you can put in place that are sound business practices. Let's look at a few that every glass shop should implement.
The single most important control is to enforce that any employee who handles financial information, and especially cash, must take their annual vacation. A bookkeeper who insists that no one can do his/her job, and doesn't take a vacation, is becoming your silent partner. Bet on it.
You, as the owner or manager should sign every outgoing check. Time consuming--yes--it is worth it. Not only is this rule #2 in fraud prevention, but you will know more about your business than you every thought possible. When I worked at Floral Glass in New York, either the President, Chuck Kaplanek or myself hand signed every check. This would take two-to-three hours twice a month, but it was worth the effort. We spotted problems early on; we prevented fraud; and all of our employees knew there was no way to hide a problem, so we worked them out rather than burying them in another purchase order. If you use a payroll service to prepare checks and they are presigned, then look at the register that comes from the service and scan each name and the amount of the check. If you don't recognize the name, ask. If someone has earned more than you expected, ask.
Every check written should have back-up documentation--the invoice from the vendor, the packing list from your receiving of the product, and a sign-off that the received goods are correct and usable. If you don't recognize the vendor name, stop and find out who they are. You must know every vendor. One of the most common fraud tricks is to create a dummy vendor, and process checks to them as normal business.
Never let the person who prepares your checks balance the checkbook. Even if you have just one person in your office, do the bank reconciliation yourself, or have your accountant do it.
If you use your credit card to purchase company goods, take a hard look at the monthly statement. If you use electronic payment for bills, then have your bookkeeper prepare the list of payments for your approval, and when you are ready to have them input to your bank, sit with your bookkeeper for five minutes and have all of the input done at one time. You should keep the password to yourself. You are saying, why should I do this when I have hired a bookkeeper? Just like your parents told you when you were a kid...because I said so. You reserve the final sign-off on all quotes for yourself, cash flow is just as important.
There is a line between your installer doing a good job and earning a tip, and doing extra work that should have been billable through your company. This is the hardest fraud to detect. You can look at the supplies used for a job, you can look at time sheets, and you can make follow-up phone calls inquiring if everything is OK with the work your firm did. About the only way you will really know this one is for your customer to call up and say they wanted more work done at the cash price, or they have a complaint about the work or the installer.
Teach each and every person in your firm that doing extra work is immediate cause for discipline, up to and including termination. Explain that if one person does this, they are stealing from all the other employees as well as the company. Don't back-down on this one if you find your best installer is your partner for a few minutes every day. If one person gets away with this, and you don't react, every work crew you have will be doing this real soon.
Just about everyone takes credit cards. The most common fraud here is giving credits. An employee swipes their own card, or an accomplice's, and issues a small credit to their own account. Credit card merchant statements are tough to read. Have your bookkeeper highlight every credit on your monthly statement and give you the back-up paperwork why a credit was issued. This also helps you understand where problems occur and a customer is asking for a refund.
You can buy a simple cash register at your office supply vendor for a couple of hundred dollars. Insist that all transactions get rung up and a receipt be given to each customer. Follow this yourself and set the example. If an employee sees you putting some cash in your pocket, they will feel they can also. I know...some people creatively handle their cash transactions. Just don't do that in front of your staff.
Next week we will talk about other fraud detection and prevention ideas.
The single most important control is to enforce that any employee who handles financial information, and especially cash, must take their annual vacation. A bookkeeper who insists that no one can do his/her job, and doesn't take a vacation, is becoming your silent partner. Bet on it.
You, as the owner or manager should sign every outgoing check. Time consuming--yes--it is worth it. Not only is this rule #2 in fraud prevention, but you will know more about your business than you every thought possible. When I worked at Floral Glass in New York, either the President, Chuck Kaplanek or myself hand signed every check. This would take two-to-three hours twice a month, but it was worth the effort. We spotted problems early on; we prevented fraud; and all of our employees knew there was no way to hide a problem, so we worked them out rather than burying them in another purchase order. If you use a payroll service to prepare checks and they are presigned, then look at the register that comes from the service and scan each name and the amount of the check. If you don't recognize the name, ask. If someone has earned more than you expected, ask.
Every check written should have back-up documentation--the invoice from the vendor, the packing list from your receiving of the product, and a sign-off that the received goods are correct and usable. If you don't recognize the vendor name, stop and find out who they are. You must know every vendor. One of the most common fraud tricks is to create a dummy vendor, and process checks to them as normal business.
Never let the person who prepares your checks balance the checkbook. Even if you have just one person in your office, do the bank reconciliation yourself, or have your accountant do it.
If you use your credit card to purchase company goods, take a hard look at the monthly statement. If you use electronic payment for bills, then have your bookkeeper prepare the list of payments for your approval, and when you are ready to have them input to your bank, sit with your bookkeeper for five minutes and have all of the input done at one time. You should keep the password to yourself. You are saying, why should I do this when I have hired a bookkeeper? Just like your parents told you when you were a kid...because I said so. You reserve the final sign-off on all quotes for yourself, cash flow is just as important.
There is a line between your installer doing a good job and earning a tip, and doing extra work that should have been billable through your company. This is the hardest fraud to detect. You can look at the supplies used for a job, you can look at time sheets, and you can make follow-up phone calls inquiring if everything is OK with the work your firm did. About the only way you will really know this one is for your customer to call up and say they wanted more work done at the cash price, or they have a complaint about the work or the installer.
Teach each and every person in your firm that doing extra work is immediate cause for discipline, up to and including termination. Explain that if one person does this, they are stealing from all the other employees as well as the company. Don't back-down on this one if you find your best installer is your partner for a few minutes every day. If one person gets away with this, and you don't react, every work crew you have will be doing this real soon.
Just about everyone takes credit cards. The most common fraud here is giving credits. An employee swipes their own card, or an accomplice's, and issues a small credit to their own account. Credit card merchant statements are tough to read. Have your bookkeeper highlight every credit on your monthly statement and give you the back-up paperwork why a credit was issued. This also helps you understand where problems occur and a customer is asking for a refund.
You can buy a simple cash register at your office supply vendor for a couple of hundred dollars. Insist that all transactions get rung up and a receipt be given to each customer. Follow this yourself and set the example. If an employee sees you putting some cash in your pocket, they will feel they can also. I know...some people creatively handle their cash transactions. Just don't do that in front of your staff.
Next week we will talk about other fraud detection and prevention ideas.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Owning a Glass Shop is Better Than Owning the New York Mets
My dreams have been shattered yet again. There is always next year. There is no joy in Mudville. So what, it is only a game. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a die-hard New York Mets fan. And my boys dropped the ball, again. They had it in their hands, and no one could take it away, if they just held on. They didn't, I'm upset, and yet, this morning in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, the sun did rise.
My boys came in second in the American League East, and second in the National League Wild Card. In baseball, second is just not good enough.
Is it good enough for the glass business? You bet it is. We all set different goals for our businesses. It may be a sales total, or having a certain backlog amount or getting a certain share of the market. You can set any goal you want, but the most basic of all goals, and in the long-run the only one that counts, is achieving an amount of profitability to pay yourself, your investors, and have extra to grow the business.
The American League East has five teams. If you have five competitors, and somehow you knew every one's profit, and you were in second place, meeting the above goals, I would consider that just about wonderful. I remember watching the Olympics last month, and how disappointed the Silver medalists were. They had worked so hard, and yet were heart-broken not to earn the Gold. To me, they were still second best in the world at their specialty. Not Bad.
A glass shop owner or manager has to set goals and monitor the success of reaching these goals. This is the way to motivate people, to measure yours and their successes and to stop problems when they are small. When you set your goals for all aspects of the business, keep in mind that setting a profit goal is key. Don't set it to be the best in your area in profit. Set it to be enough to pay yourself a fair salary, earn a return on your investment in equipment and maybe a building, and to have something to grow with. Do this and you will be a champion each and every year. Just don't bet your profits on my Mets.
How much is enough profit? If you make 10-15% net profit before taxes, give yourself a pat on the back. From 5-10%, it is time to take a good hard look at specific areas in the company. Where are you spending? What is your overhead? How can you bring in more profitable business? Are you paying yourself a nice paycheck, without the profit being there? Speak with your accountant to help pin down where the profit is or isn't. Maybe you run a really good shop, but you need more sales. Maybe it is in your purchasing. Maybe it is your collections.
If your profit is less than 5% of sales, you really have to consider if this is the best line of work to be in.
My consulting partner, Stan Lane, has told me that he never bought a loaf of bread with a percentage point. So, if your profit is 5%, but that is still a lot of money, than you are OK. But if your overall dollars are that good, then you should find the reasons in your company you are not making a higher percentage.
Check your profit at least once a quarter. Many companies do it monthly. Do you have a bookkeeper? She/He should be able to do this easily. Now, one month does not make a panic, but trends are easy to spot if you look for them. Is labor, as a percentage of sales, increasing? Are materials costs going up, and you are not passing these increases through?
So, second best in profits is great, if it meets your goals.
My boys came in second in the American League East, and second in the National League Wild Card. In baseball, second is just not good enough.
Is it good enough for the glass business? You bet it is. We all set different goals for our businesses. It may be a sales total, or having a certain backlog amount or getting a certain share of the market. You can set any goal you want, but the most basic of all goals, and in the long-run the only one that counts, is achieving an amount of profitability to pay yourself, your investors, and have extra to grow the business.
The American League East has five teams. If you have five competitors, and somehow you knew every one's profit, and you were in second place, meeting the above goals, I would consider that just about wonderful. I remember watching the Olympics last month, and how disappointed the Silver medalists were. They had worked so hard, and yet were heart-broken not to earn the Gold. To me, they were still second best in the world at their specialty. Not Bad.
A glass shop owner or manager has to set goals and monitor the success of reaching these goals. This is the way to motivate people, to measure yours and their successes and to stop problems when they are small. When you set your goals for all aspects of the business, keep in mind that setting a profit goal is key. Don't set it to be the best in your area in profit. Set it to be enough to pay yourself a fair salary, earn a return on your investment in equipment and maybe a building, and to have something to grow with. Do this and you will be a champion each and every year. Just don't bet your profits on my Mets.
How much is enough profit? If you make 10-15% net profit before taxes, give yourself a pat on the back. From 5-10%, it is time to take a good hard look at specific areas in the company. Where are you spending? What is your overhead? How can you bring in more profitable business? Are you paying yourself a nice paycheck, without the profit being there? Speak with your accountant to help pin down where the profit is or isn't. Maybe you run a really good shop, but you need more sales. Maybe it is in your purchasing. Maybe it is your collections.
If your profit is less than 5% of sales, you really have to consider if this is the best line of work to be in.
My consulting partner, Stan Lane, has told me that he never bought a loaf of bread with a percentage point. So, if your profit is 5%, but that is still a lot of money, than you are OK. But if your overall dollars are that good, then you should find the reasons in your company you are not making a higher percentage.
Check your profit at least once a quarter. Many companies do it monthly. Do you have a bookkeeper? She/He should be able to do this easily. Now, one month does not make a panic, but trends are easy to spot if you look for them. Is labor, as a percentage of sales, increasing? Are materials costs going up, and you are not passing these increases through?
So, second best in profits is great, if it meets your goals.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tempered Glass Is Always Perfect...Except When It Isn't
Every fabricator strives to deliver perfect tempered glass. That is why you buy from them. Most of the time, they succeed in this perfection. Sometimes their in-house quality program will reject glass, but you never know this. What happens when they ship the glass and your foreman says, "Boss, we have a problem!" Could be you and the fabricator are working to different standards of perfect. ASTM C 1048-04 is the standard for Heat-Treated Flat Glass, either Heat-Strengthened or Fully Tempered. This is the puppy we should all be petting.
Last week we learned that flat glass isn't perfect, so if a fabricator tempers a piece of flagrantly flawed float (say that three times), and it still meets the standards, you own it. Tempering adds even more variables to the mix.
Let's read excerpts of the standard on distortion in glass:
7.4.1 "Thermally tempered and heat-strengthened glass is made by heating glass in a furnace to a temperature at which the glass becomes slightly plastic. Immediately after heating, the glass surfaces are rapidly cooled by quenching with air from a series of nozzles. The original flatness of the glass is slightly modified by the heat treatment, causing reflected images to be distorted."
7.4.2 "...Fully tempered and heat-strengthened glass that has been made in a horizontal furnace my contain surface distortion. Distortion will be detected when viewing images reflected from the glass surfaces.
7.4.4 "Sealed insulating glass units also exhibit distortion regardless of glass type. Air or gas, trapped in the sealed airspace between the panes, expands or contracts, with temperature and barometric changes, creating a pressure differential between the the airspace and the atmosphere. The glass reacts to the pressure differential by being deflected inward or outward."
The standard addresses concerns that we all have. It acknowledges that glass isn't perfect. Mostly, when it comes to scratches and rubs in glass, the flat glass standard C1036, applies. So if a scratch is not visible from 11 feet away, it doesn't exist. These standards are critically important to your business. Ask your fabricator for a copy, or go to ASTM.org, where you will pay a fee for a download.
The biggest issues with tempered glass is size tolerance and 'bow and warp'.
There are special sections that address both of these.
Here is a basic chart for size tolerance that should be adhered to:
Thickness.........Finished Size Tolerance, Length or Width, plus or minus
1/8 ......................... 1/16
3/16 ....................... 1/16
1/4 ......................... 1/16
3/8 ......................... 3/32
1/2 ......................... 1/8
3/4 ......................... 3/16
As this is a plus or minus tolerance, one side of a 1/2 lite can be full by an eighth, the other side shy an eighth, making the lite 1/4 out, and it still is acceptable.
The standard for bow and warp is based on the overall size and thickness of the finished lite. Let's look at the allowable bow in just two thicknesses,
Size(in) 20-35...35-47...47-59...59-71...71-83...83-94...94-106
1/4 ..... (.12).....(.16) .....(.20)....(.28)....(.35)....(.47).....(.55)
3/8 ..... (.08)......(.08)....(.16).....(.20)....(.24)....(.28).....(.35)
A lite of 1/4 tempered, 48 x 96, can be warped over a half-inch! Do you find this acceptable? The standard does, and if your glass comes in with this warp, what do you do?
Talk with your fabricator early-on in your relationship and understand what tolerances they ascribe to. Do they have a tighter standard for a high-quality piece like a shower door or table top, than they do for general glazing? This is the key. Know what your fabricator expects of themselves and you will know the standard you can promise your customers.
One last thought, these standards are not law. If you make a contract with a customer to provide perfect glass, that is fine. Buy you probably will need to order two or three lites to get one that is dead-on perfect. If you try to always sell perfect, you better adjust your pricing now.
Last week we learned that flat glass isn't perfect, so if a fabricator tempers a piece of flagrantly flawed float (say that three times), and it still meets the standards, you own it. Tempering adds even more variables to the mix.
Let's read excerpts of the standard on distortion in glass:
7.4.1 "Thermally tempered and heat-strengthened glass is made by heating glass in a furnace to a temperature at which the glass becomes slightly plastic. Immediately after heating, the glass surfaces are rapidly cooled by quenching with air from a series of nozzles. The original flatness of the glass is slightly modified by the heat treatment, causing reflected images to be distorted."
7.4.2 "...Fully tempered and heat-strengthened glass that has been made in a horizontal furnace my contain surface distortion. Distortion will be detected when viewing images reflected from the glass surfaces.
7.4.4 "Sealed insulating glass units also exhibit distortion regardless of glass type. Air or gas, trapped in the sealed airspace between the panes, expands or contracts, with temperature and barometric changes, creating a pressure differential between the the airspace and the atmosphere. The glass reacts to the pressure differential by being deflected inward or outward."
The standard addresses concerns that we all have. It acknowledges that glass isn't perfect. Mostly, when it comes to scratches and rubs in glass, the flat glass standard C1036, applies. So if a scratch is not visible from 11 feet away, it doesn't exist. These standards are critically important to your business. Ask your fabricator for a copy, or go to ASTM.org, where you will pay a fee for a download.
The biggest issues with tempered glass is size tolerance and 'bow and warp'.
There are special sections that address both of these.
Here is a basic chart for size tolerance that should be adhered to:
Thickness.........Finished Size Tolerance, Length or Width, plus or minus
1/8 ......................... 1/16
3/16 ....................... 1/16
1/4 ......................... 1/16
3/8 ......................... 3/32
1/2 ......................... 1/8
3/4 ......................... 3/16
As this is a plus or minus tolerance, one side of a 1/2 lite can be full by an eighth, the other side shy an eighth, making the lite 1/4 out, and it still is acceptable.
The standard for bow and warp is based on the overall size and thickness of the finished lite. Let's look at the allowable bow in just two thicknesses,
Size(in) 20-35...35-47...47-59...59-71...71-83...83-94...94-106
1/4 ..... (.12).....(.16) .....(.20)....(.28)....(.35)....(.47).....(.55)
3/8 ..... (.08)......(.08)....(.16).....(.20)....(.24)....(.28).....(.35)
A lite of 1/4 tempered, 48 x 96, can be warped over a half-inch! Do you find this acceptable? The standard does, and if your glass comes in with this warp, what do you do?
Talk with your fabricator early-on in your relationship and understand what tolerances they ascribe to. Do they have a tighter standard for a high-quality piece like a shower door or table top, than they do for general glazing? This is the key. Know what your fabricator expects of themselves and you will know the standard you can promise your customers.
One last thought, these standards are not law. If you make a contract with a customer to provide perfect glass, that is fine. Buy you probably will need to order two or three lites to get one that is dead-on perfect. If you try to always sell perfect, you better adjust your pricing now.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Understanding the Glass Standards
Glass and perfect don't go together in the same sentence. There will always be something that the fussiest customer will complain about. Your two options are curling up with a bottle of Southern Comfort or understanding the glass standards that are used within our industry.
The basic standard is ASTM C 1036-06. This means: American Society for Testing and Materials, Standard # C1036, updated in 2006. If you want to download the full standard (for a small fee) go at ASTM.org and you will see the breadth of their offerings. You may be able to get a full copy from your glass wholesaler or key fabricator.
This is the standard for flat glass, that is annealed glass coming from the floaters. Tempered and laminated glass have different standards which we'll discuss in the future. But this is the parent of all the standards. If something is allowable by this standard, it is allowable in tempered or IG, or Lami, or whatever. I cannot stress how important it is for you to use this standard. Your vendors do. I bet every glass shop in America has called up their fabricator complaining about a small scratch on Mrs. Johnson's IG unit, and hears that it is within standards. You must understand these standards, and be able to manage your installs and problems using C1036-06 as a guideline.
Let's look at the standard. Again, this is for annealed glass, coming from the floater, or going to you, or to your customer. there are various sections in the standard, here is section 1.3: "The specification cover the quality requirements of flat, transparent clear, and tinted glass. This glass is intended to be used primarily for architectural glazing products including: coated glass, insulating glass units, laminated glass, mirrors, spandrel glass, or similar uses." This covers it all. Your products are in this list.
The next point to understand is there are 4 different qualities of glass mentioned, Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Each has different standards, with Q1 being the fussiest and Q4 the most lax. Q1 is defined as glass for high-quality mirrors, Q2 for general use mirrors, Q3 for "Production of architectural glass products including coated, heat treated, laminated and other glass products.", and Q4 as general glazing applications.
The average glass shop should expect their products to meet Q3. Here are some examples of the Q3 standard:
So if there is on small blemish in a piece delivered to you, you own it.
The basic standard is ASTM C 1036-06. This means: American Society for Testing and Materials, Standard # C1036, updated in 2006. If you want to download the full standard (for a small fee) go at ASTM.org and you will see the breadth of their offerings. You may be able to get a full copy from your glass wholesaler or key fabricator.
This is the standard for flat glass, that is annealed glass coming from the floaters. Tempered and laminated glass have different standards which we'll discuss in the future. But this is the parent of all the standards. If something is allowable by this standard, it is allowable in tempered or IG, or Lami, or whatever. I cannot stress how important it is for you to use this standard. Your vendors do. I bet every glass shop in America has called up their fabricator complaining about a small scratch on Mrs. Johnson's IG unit, and hears that it is within standards. You must understand these standards, and be able to manage your installs and problems using C1036-06 as a guideline.
Let's look at the standard. Again, this is for annealed glass, coming from the floater, or going to you, or to your customer. there are various sections in the standard, here is section 1.3: "The specification cover the quality requirements of flat, transparent clear, and tinted glass. This glass is intended to be used primarily for architectural glazing products including: coated glass, insulating glass units, laminated glass, mirrors, spandrel glass, or similar uses." This covers it all. Your products are in this list.
The next point to understand is there are 4 different qualities of glass mentioned, Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Each has different standards, with Q1 being the fussiest and Q4 the most lax. Q1 is defined as glass for high-quality mirrors, Q2 for general use mirrors, Q3 for "Production of architectural glass products including coated, heat treated, laminated and other glass products.", and Q4 as general glazing applications.
The average glass shop should expect their products to meet Q3. Here are some examples of the Q3 standard:
- Blemishes under 1.2 mm allowed
- Blemishes 1.2-2.0 mm allowed if 24" apart
- Blemishes over 2.0 mm not allowed
So if there is on small blemish in a piece delivered to you, you own it.
Let's look at one other part of the standard--The Q3 "allowable Shell Chip Size", which details what size chips are allowed:
- Chip Depth Less than or equal to 50% of glass thickness
- Chip Width Less than or equal to glass thickness
- Chip Length Less than or equal to 2 times the chip width.
So if you sell 'perfect glass' and promise beautiful glass, you may not be able to purchase beautiful glass from your fabricator. Sure, you can buy two of every order, and one will be better than the other, but you won't be in business for more than a week or two. Ask your fabricator what standards they use, and if they do the same or better than C1036. That answer is what you have to sell to.
Tempered and Lami have even looser standards, which we will discuss next week.
Monday, September 8, 2008
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