Interlayer

To proces interlayers you need to laminate the interlayers between glass.

There are different polymeric interlayer materials that can be used to produce laminated (safety) glass, these are polyvinyl butyrale, ethylene vinylacetete, thermoplastic polyurethanes or ionomers.
The glass and interlayer can be of variety of colors, types and thicknesses designed to meet building code standards and requirements as necessary.
Laminated glass is considered “safety glass” - it meets the requirements of the various code organizations that set the standards for safety.

To laminate interlayers between glass you need heat and pressure, which can be done in an autoclave system or autoclave free system.
This process is very delicate and there are guidelines how to laminate. One of the key parameter is temperature – in the process and in the environment – as it affects the mechanical properties of interlayers during the glass lamination process. Many of the issues that laminated glass producers face can come from inadequate control of the production line.
Durability of laminated glass will therefore depend on many factors: from quality of the laminating process, quality of glass, type of glass, the right interlayer in terms of type and thickness, temperature, storage and preparation room, to installation and exposure of the glass edges to moisture temperature and sealants.

QTint is not responsible after laminating as material performance can vary with processing conditions / multi layer combinations, we always recommend internal testing.
After laminating we accept no liability

The most common method to laminate is :

    Laminated glass is a method of creating flat or bended glass bonded together over the entire surface by liquid or polymeric film materials.
    Laminated glass can be made from most combinations of all types of glass, plastics glazing sheet material (polycarbonate or acrylic) and interlayers in solid form (film) or liquid form (resins) such as: 
    PVB, EVA, TPU, Ionomer or the use of Liquid: - one-component resins - multi-component resins - intumescent gel.
    Both techniques are world wide used.

    When we talk about the technique to laminate glass with a polymer film, this film technology is divided into 2 groups: • autoclave • non-autoclave.
    Both techniques are based on the same physical principles (Heat, controlled temperature, pressure to bond the laminates), major difference are technical realization and sequence of process steps.
    Autoclaves are used for glass laminating as they apply pressure equally in all directions at all times within the autoclave chamber, which also aids complete and uniform heat transfer for bonding lamination layers.

    Manufacturer’s produces films for both autoclave and non-autoclaves. But both techniques can have high defect rates, which results in production loss.
    It is highly important to understand the chemical nature of polymeric materials included in multilayer glass composition. Major important as well is maintaining strict technological rules of preparatory processes from glass, interlayer to the right lay-up and uniform pressure and temperature. Also taking into account that certain interlayers needs to pre-dry or stored with certain humidity and temperature before use. However, the main reason for defects is originally incorporated in the heating cycle. It is not only important to understand the polymeric materials, but also thermal properties of glass. Which can result in uneven heating of multilayer composite. IR heating is a method to control the IR energy to penetrate the glass as well as to heat the interlayer.
    The right equipment is important for your laminating process.

What can you laminate between glass ?

    Almost anything that is flat and uniform can be laminated between two sheets of glass.  The laminate must be able to fill the voids between the object to be laminated and the glass itself, so the thicker the object to be laminated the more laminate interlayers required to fill the voids.

Requirements of laminated glass :

    There are several certifications available that prove the quality of the laminated product. This must be carried out by the glass laminator.
    In many fields a certification is needed: For example; not many companies are approved to produce bullet-proof glazing - these are especially important in public or private buildings, where personal protection is a major concern. The market leaders we work with has Quality System Certification. Parts of their businesses also comply with applicable sector-specific standards such as automotive standard Technical Specification, aerospace standard and/or the standards ISO environmental, Occupational Health & Safety Assessment.

    Requirements for laminators might slightly vary from country to another and time to time. Laminators are responsible to know if they comply with the norms. In Europe for example there is the harmonised European Norms ((hENs). Conformity to the definitions Products intended to belong to the product group laminated and laminated safety glass units shall be conform with the definition of laminated and laminated safety glass defined by National and/or European Standards. On that basis, the laminated glass shall resist the durability tests: high temperature, humidity and radiation tests Additionally for laminated safety glass, it shall be tested and catalogized conform with the human impact pendulum test.
    The performances of the characteristics shall be determined when required.
    You can think of:
    Fire resistance
    Reaction to fire
    Light transmittance and reflection
    Solar energy characteristics
    Wind, snow and/or permanent load resistance
    Human impact resistance
    Explosion resistance
    Sound reduction
    Energy saving
    Bullet resistance
    Burglar/vandalism resistance
    Release of dangerous substances

Laminating Machinery :

    1] Laminating kiln; if you want to laminate several interlayers you need a laminating machinery that is capable to laminate all type of glass, thickness and shapes.
        Laminate all kind of interlayers, from EVA, PVB to TPU and polycarbonate.
    2] For certain interlayers, like PVB, you need to storage the interlayer under a certain condition. There are boxes available for storage and preparing PVB rolls.
        These units are self-contained modular units developed to maintain proper humidity to ensure optimum lamination.
    3] Preparation room; clean room with controlled temperature and humidity and is dust-free to prepare the lay-up for your laminating process.