Wednesday, April 15, 2015

How The Smart Glass Film Technology Can Transform Your Firm

By Leslie Ball


If you are still thinking that curtains are the reliable solution to privacy on demand at your home, then you have been overtaken by the technology. The smart offices and business premises are now turning to innovative solutions for the purpose of solving the privacy, security, and transparency nightmare. Today, there exist smart glass film that will change your office from an open office to a private office within seconds. All you need is a switch.

The smart glass is designed to control light transmission properties by applying voltage, heat, or light on activation. On activation, it changes from blocking all wavelengths (opaque) or some wavelengths (translucent) to letting all light to pass through (transparent). The applicable technologies in this field include the photochromic, electrochromic, micro-blind, thermochromic, liquid crystal device, or the suspended particle technology.

On installation in the envelope of buildings, the smart glass has the ability to create a climate adaptive building shell. The result is the opportunity for cost saving on lighting, heating, and air-conditioning. In addition to this, it offers the opportunity to avoid the installation and maintenance costs for curtains, blinds, and even motorized light screens. They are also known to block the ultraviolet radiation, which in turn helps reduce fabric fading.

Normally, it is relied upon to create climate adaptive sky scrappers and other commercial buildings and the cost has come down, allowing its application in residential buildings as well as hotels and restaurants. It greatly cuts on costs related to air conditioning, heating and as well as lighting in offices. In many commercial buildings, it is now used as a replacement for curtains, blinds and the motorized light screens, thus doing away with the cost of buying, installing, and maintaining them.

The areas of applications are as wide as the glasses. They are mainly used for room partitions, security and privacy glazing, skylights, vision panels, counters and furniture in businesses premises, conservatories, sunrooms, screen for video projections, blinds, windows, and doors.

The specifications vary widely and may largely depend on the intended use. However, some factors to consider under specification include the power consumption, the frequency, the current required, the operation specifications, and the time taken to switch from translucent to transparent, the light transmittance, the thickness, and the haze coefficient among others.

The additional features like the UV protection capability also help when making your selection. It is also better if the chosen brand can work in both the permanent and temporary fitting. In addition to this, it should be available in custom sizes and come with self-adhesive film to make fitting easier.

The additional factors to look for are the durability, low maintenance cost, availability in different sizes and shapes. In residential buildings, they are appropriate for internal partitions, doors, windows, conservatories, and en-suite. In commercial applications include doors, roof lights, windows and other partitions. The healthcare applications are the X-ray protection screens, ICU partitions, examination rooms, and even the movable privacy screens.

The additional areas of application are the bank teller counters, partitions for prison cells, bullet resistant glass, the vision panels, projection screens, partitions for hotel rooms, conference rooms, bar and restaurants and even the toilet cubicles. The areas of application are very wide. However, with hundreds of manufacturers in the market, it is best if you take your time to shop around and choose the one that will perfectly fit your demands and budget.




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