It shouldn’t come as news to anyone reading this that developing more sustainable building infrastructure is one of the major trends impacting commercial glass and glazing. Stringent energy efficiency codes and standards drive the trend, and commercial fabricators must keep up with the right technology.

One of those technologies is warm-edge spacer systems—something I’ve blogged about extensively in this space. But as the demand for energy-efficient glass continues to grow, I thought it was worth revisiting the fundamentals of warm-edge. What it is, how it works, and what to look for when adopting the technology to meet today’s market needs.

Thermal Performance—and Beyond
Flexible warm edge offers significant improvements in insulating glass’ thermal performance by reducing heat flow through the edge of the glass. This equates to major improvements in thermal properties compared with more traditional spacer options. For example, foam silicone—a good material choice for warm-edge systems—offers dramatically higher thermal performance figures than aluminum, a highly conductive material that has been a popular spacer material for many years.

While thermal performance is probably the most desirable advantage when choosing a warm edge spacer, the right system can deliver additional benefits for fabricators and the end user.  A good, flexible, warm-edge solution covers a variety of other performance benefits, such as improved unit quality, durability, condensation resistance, sightline aesthetics, reduced touch points during fabrication, acoustic benefits, and more. 

Indeed, one major advantage of flexible warm-edge systems for manufacturers is the material’s compatibility with modern automated equipment. Following installation, a manufacturer’s IG line can become significantly more efficient while saving as much as 60% in labor costs and requirements. It’s a major value proposition for any fabricator who has struggled with labor or production efficiency and consistency.

Evaluating the Options
Importantly, not all warm-edge spacers are the same. The term can be relatively broad, with no hard-and-fast industry definition. Generally, a “warm edge” spacer provides improved thermal performance over traditional conductive aluminum or other metal spacers.

But that still leaves room for a wide variety of products and technologies. So, as you’re evaluating what’s available, from less-conductive metallic options to flexible foam technologies, it’s important to dig into the details to ensure you’re making the right choice for your business needs. If in doubt, you can seek options from reputable suppliers with a strong history in the commercial glazing industry.

Supplier Support
If you’re converting from a rigid spacer application process to a flexible one, it’s important to have some technical support lined up to help you with the transition.

Rigid spacers require the fabricator to assemble many components offline into a spacer bar frame that includes the bar, joiner keys, primary sealant, and desiccant, which is then applied to the glass. However, flexible warm-edge technology is different; there is no spacer frame assembly process required. Flexible spacers are delivered on continuous reels and applied directly to the glass via manual or robotic applicators as needed.

In short, it requires a mindset shift and some upfront training for your technicians—and a good supplier of warm-edge spacer systems should be able to provide some of that to you as a value-add. Once workers are accustomed to the new process, their production should become significantly more streamlined and efficient.

As commercial glass continues to evolve, I believe warm-edge technology will continue to play an important role in how we can deliver on demands for thermal efficiency and continuously improve our manufacturing processes. For fabricators, it’s worth your consideration if you haven’t already made the switch.

Joe Erb is a national account manager for Quanex.