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| Glaverbel invests in Italian production of superinsulating glass  In response to the strong demand for superinsulating glass on the Italian construction market, Glaverbel is to install the country's first magnetron unit for applying low-emissivity coatings at its Cuneo plant in North-East Italy (Piedmont). The surge in demand is due to the recent introduction of new regulations requiring higher thermal insulation, both for residential and for commercial buildings. The Cuneo plant already has a float glass line with various downstream processing facilities for producing mirror glass, laminated glass for the construction industry and automotive glass. The new magnetron coating facility represents an investment of around 20 million euros. It will be operational by the second half of 2008, and will mainly supply markets in the Mediterranean region (Italy, Spain and France).The investment is a new step by Glaverbel towards sustainable development. "Replacing ordinary single glazing with coated superinsulating double glazing cuts CO2 emissions by 91 kg per square metre per year, " points out Jean-François Heris, President and CEO of Glaverbel. To cover the European demand Glaverbel will be able to call on four plants, all equipped with specialised magnetron low-E coating units: Tiel (Netherlands), Teplice (Czech Republic), Klin (Russia) and Cuneo. The coatings are almost invisible layers of metal oxide deposited on the surface of the glass, giving it greater thermal insulation against cold and/or heat. They can be applied in-line on the hot float glass, or they can be deposited under vacuum in a magnetron. Depending on the composition of the coatings, superinsulating glass (also known as "low emissivity" or "low-E" glass) can have its U value (level of heat loss) reduced to 1.1, compared with 2.8 for ordinary double glazing and 5.8 for single glazing. In other words, superinsulating double glazing has more than twice the insulating power of ordinary double glazing. For this reason it is strongly encouraged by governments in numerous countries. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |