What You Actually Need to Make IG Units In-House

Insulated glass is a unit made up of two or more panes of glass sealed and sandwiched together with an air space between them. This space is filled with air, argon, or krypton gas. This system keeps interior and exterior air temperatures separate more efficiently than single panes of glass.

The term “insulated glass” is somewhat of a misnomer. The glass itself is not insulated, but the unit as a whole is. This unit consists of the exterior glass pane, a spacer bar around the perimeter of the glass, a seal, a desiccant material to absorb moisture, and the interior pane. The spacer bar creates a consistent, even gap between the glass panes, leaving space for the inert gas. Some insulated glass units (or “IG units”) feature three or four panes, with gas filling the spaces between them.

All of these components, including the glass, work together as one unit. The way to feasibly repair an insulated glass unit is to either remove the entire insulated glass from the window frame unit and replace it, or replace the entire sash (including the frame).

Basic Materials

• • Two panes of glass (annealed, tempered, or laminated depending on spec)

  • Spacer bar (aluminum or warm-edge)

  • Desiccant (moisture absorber)

  • Primary seal (butyl)

  • Secondary seal (silicone or polysulfide)

  • Argon gas (optional but recommended)

Basic Equipment (Entry-Level Setup)

✔ Glass Washing Machine

This is not optional if you want professional results.
Cleanliness is critical to prevent seal failure. A horizontal glass washer is recommended for an easier washing application but if pricing is a big factor a vertical washer can be used and is more cost effective.                                                                        Click for more details on glass washers

✔ Spacer Cutting & Assembly Tools

• Spacer saw

• Corner keys or bending machine

• Desiccant filling station

✔ Butyl Applicator

Manual or semi-automatic hot-melt butyl machine is need. We do offer a small rugged compact system specifically for hot melt buytl. The system is designed for applications involving the assembly of sealed insulating glass units. The melt unit features a 15 lb (6.8 kg) capacity tank. The cylindrical design accepts briquette form butyl sealants, which are converted to fluid state and pumped by an electric motor-driven gear pump through a L2 handgun/hose assembly. A rotating chain and scraper in the tank propels the molten butyl sealant.

                                                                                                            Click for more details

✔ IG Assembly Table

Press table (manual or pneumatic) or rotary sealing table to:

• Align panes

• Apply Seal

• Apply pressure

• Ensure uniform thickness

                                                                                                              Click for more details

✔ Secondary Seal Station

Manual caulking guns or 2-part sealant pump system.

Basic Step-by-Step Process          

1. Wash and dry glass

2. Cut & assemble spacer frame

3. Fill spacer with desiccant

4. Apply butyl to spacer

5. Set spacer onto first lite

6. Place second lite

7. Press unit

8. Apply secondary seal

9. Cure

10. Quality check

Cutaway view of an IG unit showing spacer, desiccant & seal layers — illustrates the typical double-pane insulated glass structure with spacer and seals between panes.