A Game-Changer in Architecture: Multicurved Tempered Glass

Multicurved Tempered Glass

Abstract

A new large-format glass bending furnace has been developed to advance the current boundaries of hot glass forming for architectural applications. The new system can process glass panels up to 11.5 × 3.6 m with a maximum bending pitch of 1.2 m and radii below 500 mm. Central to this development is an innovative bending system in which each glass ply is optimally shaped at the very beginning. The system continuously supports the newly generated geometry throughout the oven to the quenching phase, enabling complex multicurved, conical, J-shaped (a glass panel comprising a central curved segment with straight tangential extensions at one or both ends), and anticlastic configurations with tight dimensional tolerances. Unique worldwide, this innovation enables fast production of challenging 3D shapes with altering curvature in different axis in high performance heat strengthened and fully tempered quality. Without the bespoke moulds required in traditional gravity bending (annealed) manufacturing time, cost, and material waste are significantly reduced. The glass is processed in just a few minutes, lowering energy consumption compared to conventional methods. Developed by sedak, this game-changing technology accommodates all available energy-efficient coatings for tempering, such as low-E, solar-control, and high-selectivity coatings, double and triple-silver, without limiting which face the coating or ceramic frit is located on. This extensively expands architectural flexibility without compromising performance.