Toughened Glass Service Windows and Speech Panels Made to Measure in Luxembourg
A made-to-measure toughened glass service window answers a precise need: to separate a reception area physically while keeping both eye contact and speech contact with the visitor. Vitralux designs and makes bespoke counter screens for banks, public offices, hospitals, corporate receptions and any organisation that needs functional glazing with particular cut-outs: a slot for passing documents through, holes for a speech grille or a microphone, satin-etched zones for privacy.
Every Vitralux service window is unique: the overall size, the position and the dimensions of the document slot, the number and diameter of the speech holes and the finish (clear, satin-etched, screen-printed) are all worked out to suit your reception desk.
Made-to-measure glazing for every reception area
Vitralux designs and makes bespoke counter screens for banks, public offices, hospitals, corporate receptions and any organisation that needs functional glazing with particular cut-outs: a slot for passing documents through, holes for a speech grille or a microphone, satin-etched zones for privacy.
Every Vitralux service window is unique: the overall size, the position and the dimensions of the document slot, the number and diameter of the speech holes and the finish (clear, satin-etched, screen-printed) are all worked out to suit your reception desk.
Known in German trade usage as a Schalterscheibe (the pane at the counter) and a Kassentrennscheibe (the till screen), this speciality calls for millimetre precision: every cut-out is made before toughening, in our own workshop in Howald, with nothing subcontracted.
The parts of a made-to-measure toughened glass service window
A glass service window made by Vitralux brings together several technical features, all worked into the same pane at the same time and always before toughening. Every cut-out, slot and hole is made in the Howald workshop to within a millimetre.
Document slot
A horizontal incision cut through the thickness of the glass, set at counter height. Standard sizes: 200 to 400 mm long and 8 to 15 mm high, depending on the thickness of the glass and on what has to pass through (letters, cards, banknotes).
- Edges of the slot polished and rounded — no risk of a cut
- Height: set to suit the height of the counter
- Width: made to measure for the documents concerned
Speech holes
A set of cylindrical holes drilled before toughening, letting the voice carry through the glass. Arranged as a grid or a pattern to get the best out of the sound transmission.
- Standard diameter: 8 to 12 mm per hole
- Layout: an even grid or a pattern of your own
- Screen printing around the holes is available (circles, visual discretion)
Satin-etched zone (privacy)
The lower part of the pane is satin-etched or screen-printed to hide the base of the counter, the screens, the paperwork and personal belongings. The upper part stays clear for eye contact.
- Satinato: translucent, light-diffusing
- Screen printing: a pattern, a logo, your corporate identity
- Lacquering: opaque, in any RAL colour
Fixing and framing
The pane is set into an aluminium or stainless steel profile chosen to suit the existing partition. Vitralux supplies the glass and fits it into the framework provided.
- Anodised or powder-coated aluminium profile
- Brushed or polished stainless steel profile
- Adapted to the existing framework
Technical specification — made-to-measure toughened ESG glass
Every Vitralux service window is made in toughened safety glass (ESG, Einscheibensicherheitsglas). There are two reasons for that choice: impact resistance, because a counter screen gets touched constantly, and safety if it does break, since it falls apart into small, blunt-edged pieces.
| Material | Toughened ESG safety glass · Certified to EN 12150 |
|---|---|
| Thicknesses available | 8 mm (standard) · 10 mm (large sizes) · 12 mm (tall panes) |
| Document slot | Length: 150 to 500 mm · Height: 8 to 20 mm · Polished edges |
| Speech holes | Diameter: 8 to 15 mm · Layout: made-to-measure grid · Polished edges |
| Finish | Clear · Low-iron · Partly satin-etched · Screen-printed · Lacquered |
| Dimensions | Made to measure — any size · Formats up to large sheets |
| Framing | Anodised or powder-coated aluminium · Brushed or polished stainless steel |
| Standard | EN 12150 (toughened safety glass) · Polished edges to EN 1863 |
| Manufacture | The Vitralux workshop in Howald — everything in-house — nothing subcontracted |
One absolute rule
Toughened glass cannot be cut or drilled once it has been toughened. Every cut-out (slot, holes, notches, shapes) has to be specified precisely before manufacture. On complex projects we recommend that the Vitralux teams measure up on site.
Where is a made-to-measure glass service window used?
The toughened glass service window with its slot and its holes — the Schalterscheibe of the German catalogues — is a common answer in every reception area that needs a physical separation without cutting off communication. In Luxembourg, Vitralux works for many kinds of organisation.
Banks & financial institutions
Teller positions, customer reception, bureau de change. A separation between adviser and customer, with documents passed through and speech carrying across.
Hospitals & clinics
Patient admissions, administrative counters, outpatient departments. Hygiene and a physical separation without shutting the clinical staff away visually.
Public offices & town halls
Public reception, counters for handing in paperwork, cash desks. A secure public area with official documents passed through.
Pharmacies
The area where prescriptions and medicines are handed over. Staff protected at night while the service continues through the glass.
Corporate receptions
Reception and visitor handling in companies and business centres. A premium look, personalised with a logo or your corporate identity in screen printing.
Embassies & institutions
Visa counters, consulates, consular services. Heightened security is available by combining laminated glass (VSG) with further security measures.
How Vitralux makes your glass service window
Measuring up on site
The Vitralux teams come to you to measure the opening and settle the height of the slot, the position and number of the holes, and the finishes you want.
Technical proposal and quotation
A manufacturing drawing with every dimension, the finishes and the recommended glass thickness. A detailed written quotation.
Manufacture in the Howald workshop
The glass is cut to the exact size. The holes are drilled. The document slot is cut. Every edge is polished. Screen printing or satin etching is applied if specified. Then comes the toughening.
Quality control
Every cut-out and every hole is checked, along with the edgework and the agreement with the dimensions ordered.
Fitting on site
The glass is installed in the framing provided. Adjustments if needed. A final clean.
Vitralux makes it and fits it
The service is complete, from measuring up to final handover. Nothing subcontracted — everything is made in our own workshop in Howald.
Frequently asked questions
No. Toughened glass cannot be cut or drilled once it has been toughened: it would shatter on the spot. If your existing counter glazing is toughened and does not have the cut-outs you need, Vitralux makes a replacement pane with every cut-out worked in. If, on the other hand, the existing glass is annealed rather than toughened, an alteration in place can sometimes be considered — that has to be assessed on site.
For a standard service window (up to 1 m high and 1.2 m wide), 8 mm toughened glass is the norm. For large sizes, or for counters that take frequent knocks, 10 or 12 mm is recommended. Vitralux advises on the right thickness when measuring up.
Yes, under normal conditions of use. A well-proportioned grid of holes (10 mm diameter, 15 mm apart, 20 to 40 holes depending on the area) makes for comfortable conversation. In noisy settings, or for people who are hard of hearing, an electronic intercom fitted into the glazing completes the acoustic answer.
Yes. Vitralux offers screen printing on glass, so a logo, a corporate identity or a pattern can be applied straight to the pane. The lower part can be satin-etched or lacquered in any RAL colour. The result is permanent and stands up to cleaning products.
Yes. Vitralux makes replacement panes identical to the original: the same dimensions, the same position and size of cut-outs. Measuring up on site, or simply passing on the existing dimensions, is enough for manufacture to start.
Other Vitralux answers in partitions and special glazing
Deubl Alpha Partitions
Modular glazed partition systems for offices. Hinged doors.
View the pageSecurity Glass
P1A to P8B, bullet-resistant BR1-BR7. Secure counters for jewellers and banks.
View the pageUV Printing & Signage
Logos, patterns and numbering on glass. Vitralux's own UV machine.
View the pageYour made-to-measure glass service window in Luxembourg
Toughened ESG · Document slot · Speech holes · Screen printing · Made in Howald