Quality

Insulated Glass Quality Control

It is a good practice to get all your staff involved in understanding the importance of Quality Control in the manufacturing of insulated glass.

While this process ends with the visual inspection of the finished units bondlines per the above chart – it begins as all components – glass, spacer profile, corner keys, muntin bars, desiccant and PIB are cut, stored, filled, assembled and applied. It is during this process that all staff doing these independent job duties can assist the overall QC of your insulated glass production.

Proper handling of each component, prior to final assembly and sealing is key to overall unit integrity.

Examples of mishandling of the components while preparing for assembly include the following:

• Glass edges can chip or shell
• Spacers can burr while being cut, may make contact with glass skin surface causing breakage in the field
• Spacers if handled improperly can pick up dirt and residue
• Proper argon hole drilling or punching
• Desiccant bin may be open to the atmosphere, compromising the manufacture’s drying capacity of the product
• Spacer legs filled improperly or not completely
• Corner keys not snug, creates possible opening for desiccant dust to enter air space
• Muntin bar cutting and assembly, creates oils and residue that can remain in the air space if not cleaned
• Muntin bar touch up paint – use what your supplier recommends – not typical ‘White Out’ – some contain solvent that may not flash off before assembly
• Proper muntin clip insertion, not forced to disfigure spacer profile
• Finished spacer assembly allowing to hang on rack squarely, avoiding contact with the ground (can pick up debris)
• Glass fed thru the washer, not being allowed to touch – possible glass edge damage if the ‘bang’
• Spacers being placed onto the glass, squarely and evenly

While this list is brief, it gives one the idea that – if each person in contact with these components, were aware of what to look for – the overall finished quality of your production will be improved on a regular basis.
And, all of this is before you introduce argon into the cavity – which, creates another list of QC concerns for staff to be aware of – i.e. for the proper gas fill rate, not allowing gas hole to remain open too long after filling before proper patch applied, correct plug or screw insertion, proper patching and sealant coverage over the hole etc.