Glaston Corporation is addressing one of the biggest challenges in next-generation architectural glazing: how to process ultra-thin glass with thicknesses below 1 millimeter at industrial scale.

The company highlights that ultra-thin glass is becoming increasingly important for advanced insulating glass units (IGUs), especially in applications where weight reduction, thermal efficiency and sustainability are critical. When used as the center pane in a triple-glazed IGU, ultra-thin glass enables manufacturers to achieve improved insulation performance while maintaining a similar overall weight and thickness compared with conventional double glazing.

This makes the technology particularly relevant for the global building renovation market, where existing structures often require improved energy performance without increasing façade loads.

However, manufacturing IGUs with ultra-thin glass requires significant changes to traditional processing methods. Glaston explains that the complete production flow – from raw glass storage to final assembly – must be redesigned to protect the fragile material.

A key challenge begins before processing, during storage and crate opening. The handling process has been modified to prevent mechanical stress, with factors such as the opening procedure and glass tilt angle carefully controlled to avoid damage.

The cutting stage requires highly precise adjustments. Unlike standard soda-lime glass, ultra-thin glass requires special serrated scoring wheels, specifically defined scoring pressures, and controlled scoring speeds. These parameters are essential to create a stable score line, achieve clean separation and maintain sufficient edge strength for further processing.

To reduce the risk of breakage during movement, Glaston has developed automated, vibration-free handling systems designed to minimize impact forces on the glass sheets. The company also adjusted production line configurations, including the tilt angle of the handling equipment, to support safer transportation.

Within IGU production, the manufacturing sequence has been reorganized to reduce stress on the ultra-thin pane. One specific adjustment is that spacers are applied only to the outer panes of the triple-glazed unit, preventing unnecessary pressure on the lightweight center sheet. Additional post-processing improvements address potential issues such as glass bowing and optical distortion.

For laminated applications, Glaston confirms that ultra-thin glass can be processed using standard nip-roll laminating equipment combined with an appropriate heating furnace. Nevertheless, automated glass positioning and interlayer handling are recommended due to the sensitivity of the material.