Double Glazing Unit Manufacture

With effect from 1st April 2002 all replacement double glazing window installations in England and Wales become subject to Document L of the Building Regulations. These regulations state that replacement double glazing units must not have a thermal transmittance (U-value) greater than 2.0 W/m2K (watts per metre squared, kelvin). The lower the U-value the better the level of insulation. For comparison a typical U-value for single glazing is 4.8 W/m2K. In Scotland the changes are reflected in Part J of the Building Regulations where the maximum permitted U-value for units is dependent on the heating system’s fuel and boiler efficiency.

Furthermore, Window Energy Ratings (WER) were launched in March 2004 by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC), an independent government supported body established to develop and administer the system in the UK. A window’s rating is determined and matched to an A-G rating value band that is labelled on the product itself. This makes the system rating consistent with other energy performance labels that can be found on electrical appliances.

Why use argon in double-glazing?

Gaseous argon is a colourless, odourless, non-flammable, non-reactive, inert gas. These properties in addition to its lower thermal conductivity relative to air means it greatly improves the insulation characteristics of double glazed units. An argon gas fill reduces heat loss in sealed units by slowing down convection movement in the space between the panes of glass. The insulation properties of argon are a result of it having a greater density than the density of air. Argon is the most commonly used fill gas, due to its excellent thermal performance and cost-efficiency in comparison to other gases and material changes. A mixture of argon and krypton can also be used and has better insulating qualities than argon alone, it also allows manufacturers to achieve even lower U-values with a smaller cavity size.

What can BOC Cryospeed offer?

BOC Cryospeed has many years experience in working with the double glazing manufacturing industry and supplies argon to companies nation-wide. BOC Cryospeed can supply the liquid argon and a wide range of cryogenic pressurised vessels and equipment. Liquid product is delivered into the storage vessel directly on your site reducing the hassle of manual handling during cylinder changeover.

Supporting the BOC Cryospeed Sales and Service Operators is the BOC account management team. Your local account manager will be happy to discuss your requirements and investigate how argon filling can be integrated into your manufacturing process.

Further Information

• BOC Special Productswww.bocspecialproducts.co.uk
• The British Fenestration Rating Council www.bfrc.org
• The Energy Saving Trust www.est.org.uk
• Office of the Deputy Prime Minister www.communities.gov.uk provides access to building regulation documents

Please Note: For further information or to discuss your requirements, please call 0800 111 333 BOC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites