Advanced coatings manufacturer NxLite announced that its air-stable low-emissivity coatings are now available on thin float glass from 0.5 millimeter and up to 1.3 millimeter in addition to standard float glass thicknesses. This coated thin glass can be used by window manufacturers in advanced insulated glass unit configurations for efficiency in a double-pane profile.
"Until now, the only way to get low-E and solar-control coatings on materials this thin was to use specialty products," says Lisa Green, Director of Product Management at NxLite. "We've figured out how to coat low-E on standard float glass, which opens up thin-triple IGUs to any manufacturer, not just the ones willing to pay for costly specialty substrates or dedicated thin glass manufacturing equipment."
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, up to 30% of building heating and cooling energy is lost through windows. As energy codes tighten, manufacturers need a triple-pane solution that scales.
Triple-pane IGUs deliver energy performance, but conventional triple-pane units are thicker and heavier, often requiring frame redesigns, new hardware, and reinforced structures. Those barriers have kept triple-pane penetration low in North American residential windows.
A NxLite-coated thin glass center pane changes that. It drops into a standard double-pane frame, creating a triple-pane IGU with no retooling, no costly frame redesign, and with a similar aesthetic to double pane. And a NxLite coated middle lite means window makers can still use an interior surface low-e for superior window performance.
Key advantages
- Triple-Pane Performance, Double-Pane Envelope: A coated thin center pane fits within the space and weight of existing double-pane frame systems. No redesign required.
- High Light Transmission and Color Rendering: NxLite's coatings deliver high visible light transmission and true color fidelity. Windows stay bright, clear, and visually neutral.
- Durable, Air-Stable Coatings: Unlike conventional soft-coat low-E products that degrade in open air, NxLite's coatings are air-stable—giving manufacturers handling flexibility and long life on the production floor.
- No Specialized Equipment: NxLite-coated glass can be processed, cut, and assembled using standard IG fabrication equipment.
- High-Performing Options: A NxLite-coated middle lite enables an interior surface low-e for u-values that push the limit of performance.
"We've removed the last barrier—the glass itself," says David Mather, chairman and CEO of NxLite. "Triple pane can now scale the way this industry needs it to."