The process of making Hush Glass is similar to that of traditional laminated glass, with an emphasis on enhancing acoustic properties. Here’s an overview of the manufacturing process:
- Selection of Glass Sheets: The process starts by selecting two or more sheets of glass. These could be float glass or any other type of glass depending on the desired properties and applications.
- Interlayer Preparation: The distinctive feature of Hush Glass is its specialized interlayer, which is thicker and often made of a combination of materials designed to dampen sound. This acoustic interlayer is typically a viscoelastic material that has the ability to convert sound energy into heat energy, thus providing effective sound insulation.
- Assembly: The glass sheets and the acoustic interlayer are assembled together in a clean environment. The interlayer is placed between the glass sheets, forming a sandwich-like structure.
- De-Airing: The assembled layers go through a process to remove any air bubbles trapped between the layers. This is crucial to ensure clarity and prevent defects in the finished product.
- Autoclaving: The assembled glass is then subjected to heat and pressure in an autoclave. This process helps the interlayer to adhere to the glass sheets, creating a single, solid product.
- Quality Checks: After the autoclaving process, the Hush Glass undergoes rigorous quality checks to ensure that it meets the required standards for sound insulation, clarity, and safety.
- Cutting and Finishing: The final sheets of Hush Glass can be cut to size, and edges can be polished or finished as per the requirements of the application.
By incorporating a thicker, acoustically engineered interlayer, Hush Glass provides enhanced sound reduction compared to standard laminated or float glass. This makes it a popular choice for applications where noise reduction is a priority.
