Online LOWE glass hardness coatings
Manufacturing process: At the end of the float glass production line, when the high-temperature glass strip (about 600°C) has not yet cooled down, a layer of semiconductor metal oxide (such as tin dioxide) is directly deposited onto the glass surface using chemical vapor deposition technology. This film is hard and firmly integrated with the glass body.
Film layer firmness：Very high. The film layer is "burned" on and adheres firmly to the glass, making it less likely to fall off.
English name: Often called Hard-Coat Low-E glass.
Offline LOWE glass Flexible Coating
Manufacturing process: On a separate processing line, coating is applied to the already cut ordinary float glass. Usually, in a vacuum environment, multiple layers of metals (such as silver) and dielectric compound films are deposited onto glass through the magnetron sputtering process. This film is soft.
English name: Often called Soft-Coat Low-E glass.
The differences in application scenarios
Based on the above characteristics, the typical application scenarios of the two are different:
The application of online LOWE glass
Due to its durability and cost advantage, it is often used in:
Building doors, Windows and curtain walls: Especially for some projects where the requirements for heat insulation performance are not extremely strict, but cost and durability need to be taken into consideration.
Applications that require single-piece use: for instance, it is used for balcony railings, indoor partitions, etc. It not only has a certain energy-saving effect but also does not need to be made into insulating glass.
In situations with high secondary processing demands: When a project requires a large amount of irregular-shaped, curved steel or tempered LOWE glass, the "coating first, then tempering" process of online LOWE is more convenient and cost-effective.
The application of offline LOWE glass
Film layer firmness：Lower. The film layer is relatively soft and prone to scratches or oxidation, so it must be used inside insulating glass.
Due to its outstanding heat insulation performance and aesthetic appeal, it is the top choice for high-performance buildings and projects with high energy-saving standards
High-end residential and commercial buildings: pursuing extremely low energy consumption and the best comfort.
Passive houses: There are extremely strict requirements for the U-value (heat transfer coefficient) of Windows, and high-performance offline LOWE insulating glass or vacuum glass must be used.
Projects with strict requirements for the building's appearance: Colorless, transparent or specific-colored LOWE glass is needed to match the building's facade design.
In extremely cold or hot regions: Buildings that need to minimize energy consumption for heating and cooling.
Summary and Selection
Features If you value more... Then the choice should be...
Cost, durability single-piece usable online LOWE glass
The best heat insulation performance and a wide range of appearance options offline LOWE glass
The trend in modern architecture is to use offline LOWE glass as it can better meet increasingly strict building energy-saving regulations. By making it into hollow or vacuum glass, the problem of its fragile film layer has been perfectly solved, and at the same time, the heat insulation performance has been maximized. Online LOWE glass still holds an important position in some specific markets and application scenarios, thanks to its unique advantages.
