Ceramic Printed Glass - AIS Glass Solutions

Overview

Architectural creations in glass would not be so attractive without colour. Besides having a protective function, the possibility of colouring and printing glass opens up new dimensions in creativity to the architect.

Enameled layers of special colours or silk-screen prints have made it possible to augment and enhance normal tempered safety glass with an unlimited range of colour combinations, motifs, shapes and patterns. Because of its safety properties, enameled glass is most suitable as a facade cladding, while the right choice of colour ensures a perfect match between the window and the surrounding glass cladding. Ceramic printed glass is in fact tempered safety glass to which a special paint, composed of powdered glass and pigments, has been applied by way of a silk-screen print, rollers or spraying immediately prior to the tempering process. During tempering this paint becomes permanently fused onto the surface of the glass. This colour layer is resistant to mechanical damage and ageing, a feature, which makes cleaning and maintenance easier. Furthermore, its increased resistance to pressure, impact and temperature fluctuations makes it a distinguished tempered glass.

Process

Depositing special mineral pigments on the glass surface that vitrify at the annealing or tempering temperatures produces ceramic glass. This is a stable, non-biodegradable deposit and can be made in one or more colours, and in different figures.

Key Quality Areas

The increasing demand for higher, sustained and constant product quality requires lower tolerances during the printing process. However, to achieve this goal without production problems, a manufacturer needs to know which parameters of the screen-printing process must be carefully controlled and which can be allowed to vary. Therefore, some of the most relevant process parameters and their influences are on the reproduction of print and product quality.

The most important objective quality criterion is the comparison of color values.
The glass and ceramic market is intriguing because of the diverse range of products being decorated. This diversity also creates challenges for ink manufacturers. Different markets have varied end-use requirements. For example the cosmetic market wants chemical resistance (to widely varied test criteria). The tableware market requires resistance to commercial and residential dishwashing and must be suitable for direct food contact.
Tile decoration must be very durable and have excellent abrasion resistance.

Applications

Facades

a. Appearance: Ceramic printed glass offers great variety of creative design options. In addition to the standard range, virtually any pattern or design can be screen-printed onto the glass.

b. Solar control: Depending on the colour and density of the screen-printed pattern and the type of glass used, ceramic printed glass provides or enhances the solar control performance of the glazing.

c. Protection against glare: Depending on the pattern and its distribution over the glass, ceramic printed glass acts as a filter against direct sunlight and helps reduce glare.

d. Aesthetic: One major application is hiding the spandrel panels in a building (spandrel panels are the area between the floors, which has the concrete or the piping which is visible if glass is used). Spandrel panels are designed specifically for use in non-vision areas such as floor slabs, false ceilings, internal walls and columns. Ceramic printed glass acts as a cover to such an area, and also has an additional quality of improving the overall aesthetic of a building.

Due to its qualities as a tempered safety glass, its durability and low-maintenance requirement, ceramic printed glass can be used in outdoor furniture, such as bus shelters, advertising panels, etc. Also ceramic patterns are scratch and wear-resistant. This quality, coupled with the flexibility of the screen-printing process, makes it ideal for outdoor signs.

a. Decoration: Ceramic printed glass can create numerous finishes and effects to embellish interiors: not only in partitions and doors, but also shower screens cubicles, furniture, etc.

b. Durability: In addition to its safety features as tempered glass, it is a durable product and is suitable for wet or humid conditions, and the ceramic patterns are resistant to cleaning agents and scratches.

c. Vision control: In partitions, it provides varying degrees of privacy whilst still creating a sense of openness and space, affording good light levels in the room space. By experimenting with the colour, density, distribution and orientation of the patterns, an endless variety of effects can be achieved to satisfy design, vision control and personal requirements.

Types

Ceramic printed glass can be assembled into double-glazed and laminated units. Whilst they are thermally safe, consideration should be given to the other component glass and also to the overall heat energy absorption of the assembly.