ANALYSIS: From classical glazing solutions to modern high selectivity models

The glass used in the construction industry and designated for the production of insulating units is a material based on silicon dioxide, sodium carbonate and iron oxide/ calcium hydroxide, obtained by melting the aforementioned compounds at high temperatures ranging up to 1,600 °C. Standard thickness of the glass sheets, produced by casting on a special layer of tin, which ensures the flatness of the finished product, is between 3 mm and 25 mm, the maximum size of the Jumbo models being 6.000 mm x 3.210 mm. Currently, on the market is recorded a special request for special products obtained by applying of special metal oxide layers, offering to the packages in which are incorporated optimized properties in terms of heat transfer, the luminous radiation etc. According to the EN 1096 standard, there are several classes of such products (A, B, C, D, S), depending on the external or internal use and on other criteria. From the production point of view, the coated glass can be manufactured through magnetron sputter technology (obtaining the so/called "soft" models) or pyrolytic method ("hard" units). The first solution involves placing one or more layers of silver oxide on the surface of clear or colored glass materials mass, using a magnetron-type machinery. The method suppose multiple processing chambers used to carry out high-performance products. The solution relates to pyrolytic coating is applied immediately after the glass sheet is removed from the casting bath at which the glass has a temperature of about 600°C. By this process is produced a glass with superior mechanical strength and durability to negative interactions with various chemicals substances. Also, the solar control performance are significantly improved, although including by magnetron technology, can be achieved similar results with the accelerated development of this method. Of course, nowadays the technologies promoted by the major international suppliers have diversified greatly, in their portfolio being included antibacterial models (with silver ions), painted, sanded, laminated products etc.