Radio Frequency (RF) Lamination is a new technology that shows promise forsignificantly reducing the need for energy intensive autoclaving of laminated glass. RFlamination, which has been named FastFuse?, uses radio-frequency dielectric heating to directlyheat the polymer interlayers that are used to laminate glass for automotive windshields, hurricaneglass, safety glass, solar panels, and transparent armor. The direct heating virtually eliminatesthe reliance on thermal conductivity for heat transfer, which is inherent in traditional autoclavemethods. RF technology has been used to laminate single-pane glass laminates in less than oneminute, and multilayer transparent armor panels (up to 3 inches thick) in just five minutes. Thiscompares to process times of 1 to 6 hours using autoclaves, and provides an energy savings ofover 90%. Quality testing of RF laminated windows has confirmed that properties andperformance meet or exceed the quality of autoclaved windows. Demonstrations to date haveshown equivalent performance for all of the major interlayers, including thermoplasticpolyurethane (TPU), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). A cost andenergy analysis was performed, comparing RF lamination to the state-of-the-art autoclaveprocess. RF lamination can lower the cost of high value laminates such as photovoltaic panelsand transparent armor, by improving product throughput, energy efficiency, and enable rapidjust-in-time manufacturing for glass laminates.
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