| Glass Safety Type | GB 15763.2; EN 12150; ANSI Z97.1; CPSC 16 CFR 1201 | Shower doors and panels should use safety glazing, normally fully tempered glass rather than ordinary annealed glass. | Product specification, safety-glazing declaration, applicable test reports, and production batch records. | Check permanent safety markings where required, match the glass type with the purchase order, and verify the report number with the issuing laboratory. | Critical |
| Glass Thickness | Project specification and applicable local building code; EN 14428 may apply to shower enclosures. | Common architectural shower-glass thicknesses are 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm. The selected thickness must be supported by the enclosure design, panel size, hardware, and installation method. | Approved shop drawings, thickness tolerance data, panel-size calculations, and hardware compatibility statement. | Measure multiple points with a calibrated glass thickness gauge or micrometer; compare the result with the approved specification. | Critical |
| Tempering Performance | GB 15763.2; EN 12150-1; ASTM C1048 | Tempered glass should meet the applicable fragmentation and mechanical-strength requirements. Tempering does not make glass unbreakable; it makes breakage generally safer by producing small, relatively blunt particles. | Heat-treatment process record, fragmentation test report, surface-stress or heat-soak test report when specified. | Review laboratory results from representative production batches. For destructive testing, use samples from the same production batch rather than testing only a showroom sample. | Critical |
| Fragmentation Test | EN 12150-1 and the applicable national standard | The test must confirm the required particle pattern and particle count for the specified glass size and standard. Acceptance limits vary by standard and test method. | Signed fragmentation test report identifying glass thickness, dimensions, furnace batch, test method, and result. | Ensure the report identifies the same glass construction and manufacturing process as the order; do not accept an undated or generic certificate. | Critical |
| Heat-Soak Testing | EN 14179-1; project specification | Heat-soak testing can reduce, but cannot completely eliminate, the risk of spontaneous breakage caused by nickel sulfide inclusions in tempered glass. It is especially relevant for large or premium installations. | Heat-soak test certificate, furnace temperature-time chart, batch traceability, and tested-panel identification. | Confirm that the certificate covers the actual batch and that the furnace chart records the required heat-soak cycle under the selected standard. | High |
| Optical Quality | Applicable glass product standard and agreed visual-quality specification | Glass should be free from unacceptable scratches, edge chips, cracks, deep roller-wave distortion, excessive bow, and visible contamination when inspected under agreed lighting conditions. | Approved visual inspection standard, defect classification table, inspection photographs, and quality-control records. | Inspect both surfaces at a defined distance and lighting level. Check reflection distortion, roller wave, haze, scratches, and inclusions. | High |
| Flatness and Bow | EN 12150-1 or the agreed project tolerance | Tempered glass can have limited roller-wave distortion and overall bow because of the heating and quenching process. The buyer should define measurable tolerances before production. | Flatness inspection record, measuring method, tolerance specification, and sample approval record. | Measure on a flat reference surface using a straightedge, feeler gauge, or suitable optical inspection method. | High |
| Edge Processing | Purchase specification and hardware manufacturer’s installation requirements | Edges should be correctly polished, arrissed, beveled, or seamed as specified. Tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled, or significantly modified after tempering. | Edgework drawings, hole-location drawings, CNC inspection records, and first-article approval. | Check edge finish, corner radii, hole diameter, hole-to-edge distance, and dimensional accuracy before tempering and shipment. | Critical |
| Holes and Cut-Outs | Approved engineering drawings; hardware installation requirements | All holes and cut-outs must be completed before tempering. Their size, position, and edge distance must match the hardware design to prevent local stress concentration. | Dimensioned CAD drawings, drilling tolerances, inspection report, and hardware compatibility confirmation. | Use calibrated measuring tools or a coordinate measuring system to verify hole locations and dimensions against the approved drawing. | Critical |
| Laminated or Special Glass | EN 14449; EN ISO 12543; ASTM C1172 where applicable | Laminated glass may be required by a project or jurisdiction for specific impact, acoustic, security, or post-breakage-retention requirements. It should not be substituted with monolithic tempered glass without approval. | Lamination certificate, interlayer specification, adhesion or delamination test results, and product construction details. | Confirm glass layers and interlayer type from the production label and documentation; inspect for bubbles, delamination, and edge defects. | Project-Specific |
| Shower-Enclosure Function | EN 14428; applicable regional shower-enclosure requirements | The complete enclosure should provide safe operation, stable movement, adequate water containment, and compatibility between glass, seals, hinges, rollers, handles, and support profiles. | Complete assembly drawings, performance test results, hardware load data, installation instructions, and maintenance instructions. | Test door opening, closing, alignment, stability, seal contact, drainage, and water containment using a representative assembled unit. | Critical |
| Hardware Compatibility | Approved system design and hardware supplier specifications | Hinges, clamps, rollers, handles, and brackets must be rated for the actual glass thickness, panel weight, edge condition, and installation configuration. | Hardware load rating, corrosion-resistance information, installation torque requirements, and compatibility matrix. | Verify that the hardware is suitable for the specified glass thickness and that holes, cut-outs, gaskets, and fasteners are correctly matched. | Critical |
| Corrosion Resistance | ASTM B117 or ISO 9227 when a salt-spray test is specified; project specification | Metal hardware should resist corrosion in humid bathroom conditions. A salt-spray result is a comparative test and does not by itself guarantee a specific service life. | Material grade, surface-treatment specification, salt-spray report where applicable, and coating thickness report. | Check base material, coating or plating type, visible finish, exposed edges, and test duration. Inspect for blistering, red rust, and peeling. | High |
| Dimensional Accuracy | Approved shop drawings and agreed manufacturing tolerances | Panel dimensions, diagonals, hole positions, corner radii, and hardware locations must be consistent with the installation opening and the approved assembly design. | Final inspection report, dimensional checklist, packing list, and panel identification records. | Measure length, width, diagonals, thickness, hole positions, and corner geometry before dispatch. | Critical |
| Traceability | Quality-management procedure; ISO 9001 framework when certified | Each panel should be traceable to a purchase order, drawing revision, glass batch, processing date, and inspection result. | Panel labels, barcode or serial-number system, batch records, inspection records, and nonconformity reports. | Select random panels and trace them backward from the label to the raw glass, processing records, and final inspection result. | High |
| Quality Management System | ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that a documented quality-management system has been audited. It does not replace product-specific safety testing or prove that every shipment is defect-free. | Valid certificate, certification scope, issuing certification body, audit status, and manufacturing-site address. | Check the certificate validity and scope through the certification body’s public verification system where available. | High |
| Environmental Management | ISO 14001:2015; customer sustainability requirements | ISO 14001 addresses environmental-management processes. It is useful for supplier assessment but is not a substitute for glass safety, mechanical, or enclosure-performance certification. | Valid certificate, scope, environmental permits where applicable, and relevant material or waste-management records. | Verify certificate validity and confirm that the certified site is the actual manufacturing location. | Medium |
| Factory Capability | Supplier qualification and production-capacity review | The facility should have suitable cutting, edge-processing, drilling, washing, tempering, inspection, packaging, and corrective-action capabilities for the ordered product. | Process-flow chart, equipment list, calibration records, maintenance plan, and recent production samples. | Conduct a remote or on-site audit and observe production controls rather than relying only on brochures or certificates. | High |
| Calibration and Testing Equipment | ISO 9001-controlled calibration process; applicable test standards | Measuring devices used for thickness, dimensions, hole positions, coating thickness, and test equipment should be calibrated and identifiable. | Calibration certificates, equipment register, calibration intervals, and out-of-tolerance corrective-action records. | Check calibration labels, certificate dates, instrument serial numbers, and whether the calibration range covers the required measurement. | High |
| Packaging and Transport | International shipping practice and project packaging specification | Glass should be separated with suitable protective material, secured in rigid crates or stillages, kept dry, and protected from impact during handling and transport. | Packaging specification, loading photographs, crate-strength information, moisture-control procedure, and damage-claim process. | Inspect crate condition, panel separation, edge protection, markings, center-of-gravity information, and unloading instructions. | High |
| Certification Validity | Applicable national, regional, and project requirements | Certificates must identify the correct legal entity, manufacturing site, product scope, standard edition, test method, and validity period. A certificate for a different site or product should not be treated as equivalent. | Original or independently verifiable certificate, complete test report, scope statement, laboratory accreditation details, and certificate number. | Verify the issuing body, laboratory accreditation, certificate status, product description, and manufacturing address independently. | Critical |
| Pre-Shipment Inspection | Approved inspection and test plan; purchase contract | A defined inspection plan should cover appearance, thickness, dimensions, holes, edgework, safety markings, hardware, quantity, packaging, and documentation before shipment. | Inspection and test plan, sampling plan, signed final inspection report, nonconformity records, and corrective-action evidence. | Use an independent inspection agency or qualified buyer representative and require photographic evidence linked to panel identification. | Critical |