Over the last few years, specifiers and design companies have warmed up to the use of Smart Glass, also known as Switchable Glass for partitions.
The main reason for increasing demand is Cost rationalization of the product, making it increasingly affordable for large scale use in projects.
Two main products available in this category are Smart Retrofit Films and Laminated Smart Glass . Which product is best suited for your project?
Without much ado, our immediate response would be Laminated Smart Glass, which has several quality, durability and performance advantages over Smart Retrofit films.
It is important to know the most common problems faced by clients who opt for retrofit smart films:
- Rapid aging and limited life cycle: Retrofit films being externally applied on glass surfaces face very rapid aging and yellowing. The electrical copper contacts which are required to pass electricity through the films also face the issue of corrosion, thus limiting the use life of these films.
This is a big problem with cities like MUMBAI having high humidity.
As against this, the PDLC film in smart laminated glass is fully sealed and airtight between two glasses protecting it fully against any kind of environmental damage. - Cleaning and Maintenance limitations: Retrofit films can only be cleaned using dry cloth, since it’s an electrical product. Most product failures occur after the project handover, when the housekeeping teams do not follow correct cleaning procedures. In our experience, 90% of performance issues with Retrofit Smart Films happen due to improper cleaning procedures.
Smart Laminated Glass has no such cleaning restrictions as all electrical components are fully sealed within two glass panels. - Limited 2 years warranty: One area where Laminated Smart Glass scored big over Smart Retrofit Films, is the unbeatable warranty of 5 years offered for Smart Laminated glass against the limited 2 years offered for retrofit films.
- Retrofit Smart Films are NOT cheaper than Smart Laminated glass: One of the biggest reasons customers choose retrofit films over smart glass is the notion of being cost effective.
A quick cost comparison between both products will give you a clear idea that in hindsight, Smart Laminated Glasses cost as much as retrofit films – MINUS the frequent need of service and repairs and the rapid wear and tear. Get in touch with our representative for cost comparison between both products. - Performance of retrofit films depends too much on the quality of installations: One of the major reasons of product failure or frequent repair requirement for retrofit films is improper installation procedures. Relying too much on skills of untrained, unskilled installers is a recipe for disaster!
Laminated Smart Glasses are industrially manufactured in our factory in a controlled environment and processes. This enables the best possible quality standards and longer life cycles
These factors have been instrumental in the shrinking market size of retrofit smart films worldwide in favor of Laminated Smart Glass, which offer unbeatable optical performance with much better durability.
Contact the Privetek team for more details.