The efficiency of glass on a roll
In addition to hundreds of potential applications, Corning® Willow® Glass also opens up new possibilities in manufacturing.
As slim as 100 microns, Willow Glass makes roll-to-roll glass processing a practical, affordable reality. Just as a printing press quickly creates copy after copy on a single roll of paper, manufacturers working with Willow Glass can apply images, coatings, electronic circuitry, and more in a fast-throughput, cost-effective roll-to-roll process.
In short, Willow Glass offers the same efficient processing techniques as thin plastics, while retaining the superior attributes of glass – transparency, impermeability, and thermo-mechanical stability.
Because it can handle processing up to 500°C – a heat that many other materials just can’t tolerate – Willow Glass unlocks new possibilities for manufacturers of smart surfaces and immersive displays.
Walls of Willow Glass — they’re easier than you think
When adhered as a laminate to flat construction materials like wood, metal, or tough polymers, Willow Glass creates an ideal surface for office whiteboards, kitchen cabinets, bathroom walls, and more.
Because an invisible bonding agent creates a strong hermetic barrier, Willow Glass takes on the rigidity of the base material while lending its own sleek, scratch-resistant, easy-to-clean surface. Depending on the base material, a Willow Glass laminate can weigh 50 percent less than a soda-lime glass laminate. And because it’s shipped on convenient rolls, it also has lower transport costs than traditional architectural glass.
Contractors love Willow Glass laminates for their ease of use at the job site. Ordinary construction tools like wet saws are generally all they need to cut the pieces precisely to size. They can create cutouts for wires and electrical plates on the job with a standard router or hole saw – no off-site custom cutting required. And Willow Glass is designed not to shatter when cut, helping contractors install laminated pieces quickly with fewer rejects.
Once in place, Willow Glass Laminates offer a chemically resistant, non-porous surface that’s eight times harder than plastic – with all the natural beauty of glass.
