Eliminating time consuming film removal and environmental waste, Vitro’s EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat delivers full surface solar control low-e glass protection during transit, storage and fabrication.
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Engineered to remain on the surface through fabrication, low-e glass covered in EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat tempers faster and flatter and reduces edge kink by up to 33% on glass with pre-temper edge deletion and minimizes roll wave distortion.
Skipping the messy and tedious process of pealing protective film off the glass, not to mention the expense and non-eco-friendly practice of waste removal, the topcoat is fully compatible with standard fabrication practices. Consequently, fabricators can proceed straight to processing, using the same equipment already in place. This effectively streamlines fabrication workflows from cutting to seaming to washing and decreases cycle times by 10 to 20%.
“EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat is a more sustainable, future-ready alternative to traditional protective films, which are time consuming, messy and send unnecessary material to landfills while adding complexity and inefficiencies to glass fabrication,” said Fernando Diez, Vice President of Marketing, Innovation & New Business Development, Vitro.
Currently available on select Solarban® glass products, including Solarban® 90 glass and Solarban® 70 glass, trials with Vitro Certified® fabricators revealed observations of more uniform glass exiting the furnace as compared to traditional temporary protective films. Fabricators also reported improved production flow and higher overall quality.
EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat is a non-toxic coating with no harmful ingredients. The protective coating burns off in the heat-treatment oven, leaving no particles or odor. Meanwhile, Solarban® glass performance remains fully intact.
To optimize EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat quality and performance, the following guidelines through processing are recommended:
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Storage and Handling: Avoid unnecessary contact with the coated glass surface, store glass indoors and use low-e slings when moving glass.
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Cutting: A regular cutting wheel can be used, along with scoring the glass consistently and achieving a high-quality edge. The cutting parameters are similar to glass with TPF protection. This includes a 5° to 10° sharper wheel with a lower angle value than uncoated or un-filmed glass. In addition, pressure may need to be increased by 5 to10 lbs.
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Seaming: Glass edges can be seamed using conventional seaming equipment. While dry seaming is preferred, wet seaming is also acceptable. If wet seamed, ensure that none of the seaming liquid is allowed to dry on the glass.
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Washing: Use low-e brushes in washers that handle low-glass and don’t stop the glass cycle inside the washer. The EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat is not water soluble and will not dissolve in the washer.
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Heat Treating: The coating supports a more efficient heat-treatment process as it allows the low-e coated glass to heat up faster. Begin the process with the current recipe and cycle time as a baseline. Then reduce in 5% increments until acceptable distortion quality results are achieved. Continue normal break pattern tests. It is not recommended that any furnace doors be opened to prevent incomplete combustion.
With EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat production and availability stronger than ever, now is the ideal time to evaluate how this technology can support your operations. Contact your Vitro representative to request a trial pack or arrange a technical product review.
We encourage you to explore more information about EcoArmor™ Protective Topcoat. For general information, click here. To delve into the details, see Technical Document TD-156.
