The use of smart glass into corporate and commercial buildings makes it secure and high-tech. From monitoring to the aesthetic, the safety glass technology has been getting better.
The glasswork has been in use for most of the commercial and architectural work which is fair enough for its smart properties and advantages. While it’s mostly used in commercial places and buildings, many corporate owners and working alliance are still confused on if they should use tempered glass patterned glass or smart glass is the best choice. Let’s explore one by one all.
What is Smart Glass?
Smart glass is a type of innovative glass that remarkably changes its optical properties. This glass is also referred to as switchable glass, dynamic glass, and smart-tinting glass. Smart glass is quite high-end when it comes to change in opaque or tinted in view of the electrical or thermal signals response.
The smart glass technology works to control multiple forms of light such as UV, IR and visible light. Therefore, the privacy factor gets robust and incredibly optimal with smart glass technology. This glass lets the transparent materials such as glass and polycarbonate switch from clear to tinted and entirely opaque, depending on the requirement.
Mainly the smart glass technology uses door partitions, windows, and transparent surfaces in multiple applications. It’s used in interior design, on smart retail windows, consumer electronics and architecture, automotive, and consumer electronics.
Manufacturing Process of Smart Glass
First of all the glass sheets are cleaned from fingerprints, smudges and stains. After that the glass sheet is covered in EVA film. Next is to prepare the lamination coat of PDLC film with busbar and wires installed with the same size as toughened glass.
After peeling the protection film for each side, the glass is covered with the EVA film with PDLC Switchable film. Then PDLC film is covered with another layer of EVA film and these steps are done under dust-free environments.
After trimming the EVA file edges and positioning them the edges are sealed with heat-resistant PET double-sided tape. Next is to fix the wire with and trimming the tapes again in order to make the right dimension with the toughened glass.
At the end, the glass is covered in the PET bag, and after evacuating the glass is laminated in an autoclave for lamination. The process of autoclave takes 5 hours. The smart glass is ready.
Properties of Smart Glass
- Energy efficiency
- Noise Reduction
- Privacy
- UV protection
- Thicknesses available from 6mm to 15mm
Types of Smart Glass
Electrochromic glass
This glass type is active in privacy and it readily changes the transmission depending how much light passes through it. However, electro chromic smart glass works when the electric signal triggers it. This glass is controlled using electrical power where the coating on the glass changes its appearance and performance. The tint works as a solution for solar shading.
Suspended particle
This type of smart glass features the liquid crystals or other particles suspended in a gel-like material. The gel-like material is used in the SPD glass and the glass is layered in two pieces of polarised glass where the gel is in the middle. Mainly this glass controls the light transmission and works smartly when it comes to privacy and defection.
Thermo chromic glass
This type of smart glass uses the inter-layer of thermo chromic. Therefore, this smart glass is used on dynamic windows that get lighten and darken on their own. The heat management of this glass is efficient and the more sunlight falls on the glass the darker it becomes.
Laminated switchable smart glass
The laminated smart glass is a PDLC glass technology that is used in interlayers. The glass gets frosted to transparent the moment there is current application on it. These are highly innovative smart glass and offer utmost privacy and it’s also available in the toughened, laminated, double glazed, fire rated and acoustic selections.
Binocular smart glasses
This glass from the smart glass type has a dual transparent display followed by the optical engine in the front of each eye offering users stereoscopic vision. The smart binoculars glass has an optical engine in the front of the eye!
Applications of Smart Glass
Technology-driven Hotels
In hotels, the use of smart glass is pretty much evident. Not all hotels use this technology but the innovative restaurants or hotels are using this smart glass for added privacy. It is widely in use in hotel lobbies, amenities, open spaces and where dressing rooms are common. It’s easy to clean glass and gets smartly active while windows are more suitable for people staying in hotels.
Smart homes
If you have a smart home with everything innovative and high-end the smart glass would add to the privacy and ease. Smart homes are using smart glass where there is no need for blinds and traditional curtains. Its response for UV light makes it best for its residential use.
Commercial places and offices
If offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms and wherever there is a need, the use of smart glass is common. It comes with enhanced privacy and security. Most commercial buildings and working places are using smart glass for privacy matters. Smart glass applications are serving in a number of public and commercial places such as in school, airports, hospitals and clinics.
Benefits of Smart Glass
Ease of use
In smart homes and offices, the use of smart glass in windows and in partitions comes with added ease to change light. You Don’t need to use a traditional curtain and blinder as the UV light on the glass makes it efficient to change color accordingly.
In smart homes and offices, the use of smart glass in windows and in partitions comes with added ease to change light.
You don’t need to use a traditional curtain and blinder as the UV light on the glass makes it efficient to change color accordingly. Moreover, the subtle elegance and simple appearance of smart glass definitely looks amazing. For a smart home the smart glass comes to uplift the interior.
Rich privacy and security
With just a tip to turn on and off the smart glass activity you get instant and enhanced privacy. The window smart glass and divider of the glass makes it favorable when you have small space but want more privacy. His quick transformation of the glass outlook makes it instantly user-friendly and handy for smart technology users.
UV protection and energy saving
There are many glasses that offer a UV protection factor but smart glass has a changing of its color feature when it detects the UV light.
The UV protection factor and smart response to get darker when sunlight falls on the glass is another advantage you get only with smart glass. Also it cuts down the energy use and saves more than 30% energy in summers.
Low maintenance
Smart glass is easy to clean and maintain. There are no technical or complex steps you need to maintain the glass and its performance. You just need to press a button to change the glass from transparent to opaque, whereas for cleaning you can simply wipe it just like you do with regular glass.
Drawbacks of Smart glass
Expensive
Since the manufacturing process of smart glass involves careful use of technologies and multiple film coating, this glass is quite expensive. Therefore, this is majorly in use for commercial purposes. The added privacy, sensors and smart interaction make it expensive.
Professional Installation
This glass is not easy to install and only professional experts who know smart glass handling can install it. Therefore it makes it more expensive to get the glass installed in the desired place.
Not suitable For Exterior Applications
The smart glass on the exterior of the building would like to damage the film and which is why it’s not suitable for exterior application in most cases. The reason for not using smart glass outside of homes and buildings is the film will get damaged with harsh sun, rain and debris, which can damage the film and result in a shortened lifespan.
Consumes Electricity
Smart glass technology relies on electricity. While this is another reason why it’s expensive it’s a disadvantage when you don’t have power. Although smart glasses are energy efficient and block UV and IR light, they still need electricity to be operated. Without 110 Volts AC electricity the smart glass would not work.
Not common
Only certain places require a careful amount of privacy and security. Therefore smart glass is not common. Being expensive and demanding of professional staff for installing it make it a demanding glass which is why it’s not very much common. In short, smart glass technology is not common in many places.
Comparisons Between Smart Glass and Smart Film
Smart glass and smart film work the same way however, there is a difference in its manufacturing. The smart glass features the switchable PDLC layer laminated between two pieces of glass while the smart film is coated or applied on the outer surface of any glass.
Smart film is easy to install, affordable, quick to transform and can be tinted to odd window shapes (triangular windows, round windows). On the other hand the smart glass operates quicker within 10 milliseconds, blocks 99% of IR (infrared) and is ideal for space optimization.
How to maintain and clean smart glass
Smart glass is easy to maintain and clan. It’s very important to keep them dust-free and dry. moisture is damaging for the glass as it mostly works on electricity. For cleaning, use a lint-free cloth or microfiber cloth to remove excess water, dirt, smudges etc. never use a hair dryer on the glass to dry it because it will damage the film.
Why to choose smart glass?
Smart glass is ideally for modern homes and places where privacy is needed the most. It optimises the space with a modish appearance, controls energy consumption and blocks most of the UV light and IR interference. For better and easier interior renovation, smart glass is highly recommended. Moreover, it does not require special maintenance or care.