Improving long-term energy performance of insulating glass in buildings

Mr. Gerhard Reichert, Edgetech I.G. Inc.

The quality of an insulating glass unit is a key factor in determining the life expectancy of a unit, and therefore the true energy savings and environmental protection offered by it. It is well known that workmanship is the number one factor affecting quality of an insulating glass unit, and that automation helps raise quality through consistency, and reduction of the human factor.

Insulating glass, and especially high performance insulating glass, is most often specified and manufactured with a dual seal system for reliable long term performance. (Figure 1) The primary butyl (PIB/polyisobutylene) seal is the workhorse sealant for keeping moisture vapor out of the IG unit, and any energy saving gas enhancement in. This very critical butyl seal has most often been extruded to the sides and shoulder of a spacer off-line, away from the main IG assembly line. Quality butyl extrusion and the handling of butyl coated spacer frames, may well be the most workmanship prone area of insulating glass production...

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The Authors

Mr. Gerhard Reichert V.P. Business Development Edgetech IG Inc Gerhard Reichert is the Vice President of Business Development at Edgetech I.G. Inc of Cambridge, Ohio. Reichert’s responsibilities include marketing Edgetech’s complete Super Spacer IG manufacturing ... Read more