Clearview National June 2018 - Issue 199 | Page 66
GLASS&SEALEDUNITS
Use Super
Spacer to
tap triple
glazing’s
potential
Four years on from
the ground-breaking
glazing event, Edgetech
Managing Director Chris
Alderson revisits ‘The
Triple Glazing Question’.
» » FOUR YEARS AGO, IN APRIL, WE
brought together 600 key decision-makers
from across fenestration for the Triple Glazing
Question – a landmark summit focusing on
the benefits, challenges and prospects of triple-
glazed windows.
We wanted to gauge the industry’s mood in
relation to triple glazing – and, at the time, we
concluded that there was little appetite for it
among fabricators, IGU manufacturers, and
other vital players in the fenestration supply
chain.
There were widespread concerns about the
complexity of manufacturing triple-glazed
units, about the availability of suitable profiles
and other components, and a feeling that,
especially given the excellent performance
offered by ‘clever doubles’, adding a third
pane of glass might not be the step-change in
thermal efficiency that some expected.
In the intervening four years, we’ve not
seen anything to suggest those opinions have
substantially changed. But if many in the
industry aren’t interested in triple glazing,
it’s becoming increasingly clear that a lot of
homeowners are.
Look at retail glazing, for example. When
some of the biggest installation firms in the
country want to boost sales, the promotion
they run offers ‘triple for double’ – triple-
glazed windows for the price of double. They
do it because they know it works.
66 » JUN 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
So, is it time for the industry to reconsider
triple glazing? Obviously, the challenges
remain. It undoubtedly does introduce an
element of complexity to your manufacturing
operation. But given the demand, it also offers
big opportunities.
It’s unfortunate but true – the market for
double-glazed IGUs is experiencing very little
growth. In fact, respected industry analysts
D&G Consulting have forecast less than 1%
growth until 2020. So rather than sacrificing
margin by fighting for bigger shares of a
stagnant double-glazing market, companies
can use triple glazing to differentiate
themselves and add value to each order.
And if you do decide to give triple glazing
a try, Edgetech is here to help. It’s undeniably
true that triple-glazed units are more complex
than double-glazed ones – there’s more that
could potentially go wrong. But choosing an
outstanding spacer product like Super Spacer
makes triple glazing quick, easy and reliable.
One of the biggest issues affecting triple-
glazed units is fogging. The temperature
within a triple-glazed IGU can get extremely
hot, particularly in direct sunlight – it’s
recommended that centre panes are reinforced
for this reason. But exposed to intense heat,
inferior spacer products can give off volatiles,
which cause units to fog up.
With Super Spacer, this isn’t a problem.
Successfully tested in temperatures from -40 to
85˚C, IGUs manufactured with Super Spacer
have been installed everywhere from Alaska to
Dubai.
Similarly, it takes the complexity out of making
triple-glazed products. Using Super Spacer
in combination with high speed automated
application machinery, a triple-glazed IGU can
be manufactured every thirty seconds. And what’s
more, Super Spacer offers outstanding aesthetics.
During application, Super Spacer references the
glass edge, making it a perfect choice for achieving
consistent sightlines in triple-glazed units.
While triple glazing undoubtedly remains
a small part of the UK IGU market, and
double-glazed units are likely to account for
the overwhelming majority of IGU sales for
the foreseeable future, it would be short-
sighted to dismiss it entirely.
Interest in triple does exist – and, with
Edgetech’s help, IGU manufacturers can use it as
a lucrative way of differentiating themselves from
the competition and growing their businesses.
www.edgetechig.co.uk