We make windows and glass sun-proof, heat-proof and cold-proof – enabling our customers to fine-tune the insulating and solar control performance of glass, reducing the energy consumption for cooling and heating by up to 30% and delivering a comfortable indoor climate. We do this through a combination of proprietary sputter coating and large-area manufacturing process technology.

Proprietary Technology

Southwall Technologies manufactures its films using a proprietary sputter coating process that deposits a thin layer of metals and metal oxides onto a flexible substrate, usually polyester. In the sputtering process, a solid target and a substrate are placed in a large vacuum chamber.

By adding a small amount of process gas to the chamber and negatively charging the target, the process gas is ionized and a plasma discharge is formed. The positively charged gas ions strike the solid target with enough force to eject atoms from its surface. The ejected atoms condense on the substrate and a thin film coating (only nanometers thick) is constructed atom by atom.

By placing a magnet behind the target, the electrons in the ionized plasma are confined to a specific region on the target, enhancing the creation of ionized gas atoms and increasing the efficiency of the atom ejection process. A multi-layered coating, or stack, is created by using different targets as the substrate moves through the vacuum chamber. Key advantages of the sputtering process include the high density of the formed coatings and the high degree of uniformity control that can be achieved.

Large Area Roll-to-Roll Process

production_machine Southwall produces its films with a proprietary roll-to-roll coating process using large, two-story sputtering machines located at its world-class manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany. These sophisticated production machines manufacturer transparent sputtered films on 2 meter wide by 5,000 meter long rolls of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate that is 25µm or 50µm thick. One roll allows fabrication of up to 10,000 square meters of film.

Spectrally-Selective, Intelligent Films

The high precision and uniformity of sputter processing enables Southwall to fine-tune its thin film coatings to control specific areas of the spectrum by reflecting, absorbing or transmitting various types of electromagnetic radiation. Such intelligent films serve a broad range of functions, including reflecting infrared heat, attenuating low frequency microwaves, conducting electrical current, and reducing surface glare of visible light.

Energy Efficiency Without Compromise

While green building is expected to grow 50% annually over the next several years, inefficient glass remain the weak link in the performance of the building envelope and is responsible for more than 30% of a building’s total energy waste. Conventional glass products achieve energy savings by using either dark tints or visibly reflective coatings, or both, resulting in low light transmission and an undesirable mirror-like appearance.

By selectively reflecting invisible heat while transmitting maximum visible light, Southwall’s performance glass solutions provide energy efficiency without compromise.