Technology Glass
Industry News

Celebrating 125 years of innovation
PPG introduces glass tints with second-surface MSVD low-E coatings
As PPG Industries celebrates its 125th anniversary, the company
continues to expand its product line by introducing Solarban 70XL and
Solarban 60 solar control, tinted glass with low-emissivity coatings on
the second surface.

Celebrating 125 years of innovation
PPG introduces glass tints with second-surface MSVD low-E coatings

As PPG Industries celebrates its 125th anniversary, the company continues to expand its product line by introducing Solarban 70XL and Solarban 60 solar control, tinted glass with low-emissivity coatings on the second surface.

The new product launch marks the latest development from a company that has been on the forefront of glass innovation since its founding as the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. in 1883.

All PPG tints from the Oceans of Color collection, including Atlantica, Azuria, Caribia and Solexia glasses, as well as Solargray and Solarbronze tinted glasses, are now offered with Solarban 70XL or Solarban 60 solar control, low-E coating on the second surface of the glass. In addition to providing improved environmental performance, the availability of second-surface coated tints expands aesthetic options for architects and building owners.  The move also allows customers of PPG high-performance glass and members of the PPG Certified Fabricator network, to offer architects and building owners more products with superior energy performance. 

Over the 125 years, PPG has carved a legacy of innovation resulting in the development of many products and technologies that remain industry standards, such as Solex (now Solexia) glass, the first heat-absorbing, energy-efficient glass was introduced in 1934 to a variety of heat-reflective, spectrally-selective, clear and coated glass products. In 1963 the company became the first U.S. manufacturer to use the float glass process.

Today, PPG is a recognized leader in green building products, not just through the development of environmentally progressive architectural glass products, but also through its continued efforts to refine and enhance glass performance for solar power applications such as photovoltaic glass and large, solar-collecting mirrors.

Vicki Holt, PPG senior vice president, glass and fibre glass, says the company’s long history in the glass industry and its continuing commitment to research and development enables it to remain on the cutting edge of technological development.

“Many people think of glass as a commodity product, but when you consider its relative abundance, functionality and high-performance coating technologies, you begin to understand its value as a highly functional, building material,” Holt says.  “We’re already using high-performance glass to reduce the amount of fossil fuels our buildings consume, but we’re also learning how to produce glass with other critical properties and characteristics that will enable it to conduct a current, or collect and amplify energy from sources such as the sun.  At PPG, we’re devoted to ensuring that glass achieves its full potential as a building product, as an energy provider and as an integral part of our future.”

In an independent study, buildings glazed with Solarban 70XL and Solarban 60 glasses were shown to have significantly lower energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and HVAC requirements than those glazed with double lite tinted glass and other less advanced glazings.

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Edgetech I.G. sales team partners with Lauren Manufacturing
Edgetech I.G. has announced that its industry sales team will now represent products from sister company, Lauren Manufacturing, in the window, door and insulating glass markets. This strategic integration, effective immediately, brings greater expertise to the market and further establishes both companies’ dedication to providing comprehensive solutions to the industry.

Lauren Manufacturing is a producer of high-quality, pre-packaged retail weather stripping and custom-engineered polymer seals for residential and commercial window, door, storefront and curtainwall applications. With a clear overlap in the Lauren Manufacturing and Edgetech customer bases, the companies began an intensive cross-training program in 2007.

“This diligent training ensures the absolute highest level of expertise and technical knowledge from our sales representatives,” says Larry Johnson, executive vice president of Edgetech I.G. “We look forward to adding Lauren Manufacturing’s products to our comprehensive line of value-added products and solutions.”

According to Scott Peters, Lauren Manufacturing’s vice president of sales and marketing, existing relationships established by Lauren representatives will stay intact. Any new opportunities in the window, door and insulating glass market will be managed by Edgetech.

“This focused team of sales professionals will further facilitate our ‘Problem Solver, Solution Provider’ service offering to the industry,” Peters says. “Blending the talents and expertise of our sales teams will have lasting and important benefits for all customers; we’re proud of our ability to make these lateral moves within our organization.”

Edgetech sales representatives trained in Lauren products include Ted Hoehn, Rick Matthews, Shawn Hannux, Jim Plavecsky, Tony Palandrani, John Burnett and Roberto Becerril. Some sales agencies will also carry Lauren Products.

In July, Edgetech I.G. announced that its production operations have been certified to the ISO 9001:2000 International Quality Standard. The company’s entire quality system for the manufacturing of Super Spacer products has been audited and certified.

ISO 9001:2000 is a set of standardized requirements that take a systematic approach to managing an organization’s processes so that they consistently manufacture products that satisfy cus-tomer expectations.

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Kawneer puts the spotlight on sustainability
As an expression of the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability, Kawneer Company, Inc., has launched Kawneergreen.com.

Kawneer is part of Alcoa’s global Building and Construction Systems business unit. The new website will serve as a resource for Kawneer’s green focus featuring products, systems, tools and support to help architects and building professionals achieve their sustainable vision.

The company says it is dedicated to providing high-performance, sustainable solutions and continuing to challenge the status quo, while practicing social and environmental responsibility.

Kawneergreen.com showcases the company’s green products, explores recent Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects and includes a LEED Certification section that brings Kawneer’s printed LEED Planning Tool to life.