What Fabricators Should Know About VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass
A Q&A with Nathan McKenna, Director of Marketing and Innovation
Vitro Glass’s Director of Marketing and Innovation Nathan McKenna was integral to the launch of VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass (VIG) in September. In his role, Nathan reimagines how Vitro products work together to deliver real, next-generation sustainability and energy efficiency. What should fabricators know about this new product and its capabilities?
In July, Vitro Architectural Glass announced that it reached an exclusive agreement with LandGlass and VIG Technologies to sell their tempered vacuum insulating glass (VIG) products in North America. In September, Vitro launched VacuMax™ VIG, a tempered glass product that seamlessly integrates into traditional and advanced glazing systems to deliver extraordinary R-values and exceptional insulating performance.
VacuMax™ VIG is an excellent example of a Vitro product that meets an industry challenge with unmatched performance and quality. Following the launch of VacuMax™ VIG in September, Nathan shared key factors fabricators need to know about working with VIG units.
Q: What is VacuMax™ VIG?
A: Vacuum insulating glass is two 4mm glass lites separated by a vacuum space, which minimizes the transfer of heat or energy between the lites. By effectively blocking thermal transmission, vacuum insulating glass can deliver thermal insulation performance that is two to four times better than conventional insulating glass and up to 10 times better than monolithic glass.
VacuMax™ VIG considerably closes the gap between the R-values of glass and walls, even in a monolithic configuration. When used as the interior lite in a hybrid IGU, it gets even better.
One thing that’s important to know about VacuMax™ VIG is that it’s a product suitable for both retrofit projects and new builds. In existing buildings, VacuMax™ VIG can replace standard sized windows without having to replace the framing system; it’s roughly the same width as default monolithic lites and fits very will into the traditional glazing channel.
Q: Why has Vitro decided to offer a vacuum insulating glass product?
A: In general, our desire at Vitro is to be an innovative company, and specifically, building codes for energy efficiency have been getting more stringent. We’ve been offering energy-efficient glass for decades, and while there are sometimes challenges (such as reflectivity, performance, bird friendliness, etc.), the demand is still very much there.
As part of our commitment to innovation and sustainability, bringing vacuum insulating glass to North America was a significant goal of ours. We believe this is a superior technology because of the energy performance that it offers, so we worked closely with LandGlass and VIG Technologies to become the sole distributor of LandVac Glass in North America. Our relationship with our network of glass industry partners was a major asset in accomplishing this deal.
Q: How is VacuMax™ VIG different from other manufacturers’ products?
A: VIG isn’t something new, but there have been generations of improvements over the years that have resulted in a strong, high-performance product like VacuMax™ VIG.
VacuMax™ VIG is one of the only tempered products of its kind on the market. This is a significant advantage, because tempered glass can be considered a safety product, so it can be used in most locations in a building. VacuMax™ VIG is also one of few IG products on the market that are lead-free, which was an important factor for us as we strive to provide products that are as sustainable and healthy as possible.
Additionally, Vitro offers some of the largest sizes of VIG in the industry to help meet commercial needs. Historically, a lot of VIG has gone into residential and specialty projects because of size constraints, but with VacuMax™ VIG, commercial use is positioned to grow significantly.
Q: How does VacuMax™ VIG fit in with existing Vitro Glass products?
A: For monolithic lites, VacuMax™ VIG is available with Solarban® 60 solar control, low-e glass by Vitro Glass, which can help to further enhance the energy efficiency of the VIG unit. The R-value of VacuMax™ VIG is already eye-opening, but Solarban® 60 can help take it a step further.
As far as hybrid units go, to improve thermal efficiency even further, the exterior lite in a VacuMax™ VIG hybrid IGU is available with the full range of Solarban® glass products and substrates by Vitro glass for a custom aesthetic and energy performance factor.
Q: What should fabricators know about project timelines and the supply chain?
A: Vitro’s intention is to build VIG plants in North America in the near future, as we are big believers in this product and the value it offers. However, currently we are only distributing the product in North America from China, and the normal timeline for delivery is eight weeks.
Of course, the size of the order and any customizations made will affect this timeline, and, as many fabricators will know, international shipping of building products has been especially challenging in the last year. Right now, we typically quote a lead time of eight to 8-12 weeks.
Q: What should fabricators do if they’re interested in learning more or working with VacuMax™ VIG?
A: They should contact their local National Architectural Manager or Commercial Account Manager for additional information about VacuMax™ VIG.
Because this product is so new and has so many potential applications, we’re offering our assistance in evaluating the fit of the product for specific projects. The performance of VacuMax™ VIG should be a major consideration for fabricators for upcoming projects, especially commercial.
To get in touch with Nathan, email him at nmckenna@vitro.com. Contact your Commercial Account Manager for more information about working with VacuMax™ Vacuum Insulating Glass.
