What is smart film and why is it needed?

Varieties

Currently, smart film with variable and adjustable transparency is a very popular and demanded product. That is why a wide range of products from various manufacturers is presented on the market. There are different types of film.

Among all the above types of products, the most popular is the electrochromic film, which is considered the most versatile. It can be used in various fields. Of course, most often it is placed on window panes. It perfectly prevents sunlight from entering the room, protects against UV radiation. The work of electrochromic "smart" glass is impossible without the presence of:

• an inverter with an input voltage of 240 V, and an output voltage of 110 V;
• control panel to control the operation of the product.

A smart product of absolutely any kind can be applied to the glass surface yourself. But experts still recommend that only a professional be engaged in this process. The thing is that you need to correctly connect the contacts, isolate them, apply the product at a certain angle and remove it, making sure that bubbles do not form. And also the product must be chosen correctly, taking into account:

• the size;
• scope of application;
• physical and technical properties and parameters;
• production technology;
• manufacturer and cost.

Since most types of products are manufactured abroad, when buying, you must make sure that these are original products. The company that sells the product must be an official distributor.

How to do electronic tinting of front windows with your own hands and how much does it cost

Before proceeding with the procedure, it is necessary to wash the car windows. In addition, prepare tools: a stationery knife, tint film, napkins, a few spatulas and a ruler.

Electronic tinting of the front windows is performed as follows:

1. Measure the glasses and make a pattern at the rate of +1 cm.
2. Remove the protective layer from the film.
3. Apply the tinting to the inner glass and gently spread it with a spatula or napkins from the center to the edges.
4. Trim excess film around the edges.
5. Connect regulator and inverter.
6. Insulate the contacts and hide them under the casing.

If you plan to do everything yourself, you will have to spend money on the material. It will cost about 50 thousand.

Nano tinting meets all the requirements of GOST.

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By installing adjustable tinting, the driver will avoid fines and create comfortable conditions in the car.

What it is?

First of all, you need to understand what is meant by smart technology. This is how they define the acquisition of special qualities by a product that were previously lacking. Smart film (or glass) is a polymer material. It is characterized by transparency, light transmission and heat absorption. It is thanks to these properties that the product is used in such fields of activity as advertising, architecture, and interior design.

The technology of its manufacture is rather complicated and requires certain knowledge, skills and equipment. It is made from smart polymers: chemical composites coated on a regular transparent film. At the heart of production is the process of placing liquid crystals (PDLC) between 2 layers of film that are conductive. And also in the process of making "smart" films, manufacturers use various polymers and chemicals.

The product, due to its unusual structure, is able to change the coefficient of transparency, opacity, light absorption under certain conditions.On the edges of some types of film, electrodes are placed, with the help of which the transparency of the product is adjusted. Smart film has the following specifications:

• low power consumption ratio;
• high blocking rate of sunlight and infrared rays - retains up to 87% of ultraviolet radiation;
• long service life;
• high coefficient of sound insulation.

Where is it used?

Due to its excellent physical and technical characteristics, smart film is widely used in various industries. Since the main task of the product is to control the transparency (opacity) of glass, it is used wherever privacy and confidentiality need to be ensured. It is used for arranging and decorating various structures.

The film allows you to create unusual LED partitions in the interior. It is installed in a different frame base: aluminum and steel, frameless. Most often, smart films are installed on partitions:

• in an office space;
• in the conference room;
• in the office;
• in the bathroom.

The product is suitable for all doors: swing, swing, sliding or folding. Very often, a product is chosen matte or with a darkening effect. It all depends on where the doors are and what level of privacy they want to achieve. The product is used for security systems for arranging a control area, for example, a vestibule or an ATM area.

And also this product is an indispensable attribute in the process of displaying images. In this case, smart glass is a screen on which the projector displays both pictures and video clips. Notable examples of use are:

• outdoor outdoor screen;
• shop window;
• meeting room fencing;
• home theater;
• informational or interactive outdoor stand.

Car enthusiasts often use smart stretch film to tint the windows of their "iron horse". They especially like that they can do it with their own hands, although some of them still go to the salons to the masters.

The following video explains how to connect the smart film.

Principle of operation

One of three technologies is commonly used:

• PDLC - the product is milky, darkening is obtained using liquid crystals.
• SPD - suspended particles are the basis. The glass is matte blue.
• Electrochromic glass is a nano-coating. The product is dark blue.

The first two products have the following feature: when the voltage is turned off, they become completely darkened, transparency is minimized. Electrochromic glass differs in that it has several degrees of darkening. It is based on lithium ions, which move under the influence of an electric current. The polarity and voltage value can be set, thereby controlling the movement of ions and obtaining the desired degree of shading.

How is it managed?

Glasses with variable transparency can adjust the dimming on their own, or the owner can do this using the remote control. In this case, the system will consume only 7 W / sq. m.

The technology is based on smart film. This electrochromic product, which is excellent for display glass applications, can serve as projection glass, and can also be combined with ordinary glass, thus reducing the cost of a self-darkening window.

Scheme of work

The smart glass itself is a triplex on which a PDLC film is applied. For this, glasses of different thicknesses can be used, the strength of which is quite high. Such structures can be used even in rooms with high humidity, where there is a high probability of water ingress, for example, bathrooms, kitchens, showers. The window shape can be absolutely any.

Prices

The most common on sale is smart tinted glass with adjustable dimming, which costs an average of $ 450 per square meter of film. This film is called Smart-film and has an adhesive base. A more expensive analogue is Smart-glass: its price is higher, but this is already a different level. You can purchase a ready-made double-glazed unit, the cost of which starts at $ 740 per square meter.

An example of the price of ordering glasses with electric dimming

Smart glass: price

The cost is different, it depends on the option chosen:

• smart glass is installed,
• the smart film is glued to the previously installed standard glasses.

For glass and for smart glass, the price is significantly different: for smart glass the price is higher, for film - lower, but the characteristics are somewhat different.

Examples of the cost of starting glass at manufacturing companies.

* Prices are indicated in conventional units of 1 USD. = 1 €

In addition, the price depends on the choice of tinting method. There are two types:

• Installing smart glass.
• Sticking smart films on ordinary glass.

These two materials differ in cost and characteristics. The film is cheaper.

The average cost of such glass is from $ 800. Many companies offer discounts if they purchase a large volume at once. In order for the system to be controlled and to work stably, it is necessary to purchase one more device - a controller. In comparison with the glass itself, it is inexpensive - about 8-12 thousand rubles, depending on the manufacturer and the ability to control the system remotely. A controller with a remote control costs on average three thousand rubles more than usual.

Technology features

Most often you can find SPD technology. Devices created on it have particles suspended in a liquid, deposited on a special film. It is placed between two durable glass or plastic plates. Under the influence of an electric current, the system begins to absorb light, blocking its penetration through the particles. In the activated state, the glass will be black, less often gray or blue.

Smart Film Colors

The color gradation can be controlled manually or automatically. For this, the system is equipped with a control panel. Auto-dimming windows are comfortable enough; the brighter the sun outside, the darker they will become. Switching smart glass is very fast, so you have to wait less than a minute.

Another smart glass technology is
LC. It differs from SPD in that in a completely dimmed state it can transmit light, maintaining comfortable lighting in the room without additional light sources. Such glass can be used both indoors and as external windows.

Vario Plus Sky tinting

Vario plus sky is an exclusive product of the American company AGP, which is the market leader in the production of high-end glass.

The multilayer product has some differences from other polymers:

• almost complete protection from ultraviolet radiation - up to 96%;
• strength reaches 800 J, while ordinary products break even at 200 J;
• due to the multi-stage structure, the thickness and weight of the glass are 1.5 times higher than usual;
• there is additional heating of glass without visible sources.

The package includes a key fob - a switch with four buttons.

The advantages of smart tinting

• High comfort. This tinting makes the room light, while isolating harmful infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
• Energy saving. The film serves as a good heat insulator, so the effect of a thermos is preserved in the room.
• Safety is increased. From the street you will not be able to see what is happening inside the building. Smart windows are highly durable, exceeding the reliability of standard glass.
• Additional insulation is not required when using such windows as stained glass windows.
• Light transmittance is not tied to the transparency of the glass.
• Liquid crystals are reliably protected by two thick glasses, scratches on which do not affect the operation of the structure in any way.
• Windows can be washed.
• Management is carried out using the remote control or automatically.
• Low power consumption - only 7 watts.
• Attractive glass appearance when off.
• Ease of use, quick installation.

Smart windows are an excellent solution for both business and a country house. They will make the interior special, fit perfectly into the concept of a smart home, give comfort, additional warmth, silence and energy savings. You do not have to wake up from the sun shining in your face, think about how to separate the space so as not to clutter it up. Smart film or glass is an excellent modern solution to many problems, allowing you to increase the functionality of windows.

Application area

This property is widely used for car tinting, used for windows of business centers, offices, private households. In the modern world, this technology has found distribution in the so-called smart home. The fact is that it is enough to press one button, and the glass of the building will become opaque, separating you from the bustle of the street and the curious glances of passers-by.

A smart glass unit will help isolate harmful ultraviolet light, will not let infrared radiation into the room, making your stay in the room comfortable in the summer season. Thanks to this property, significant energy savings occur, since cool air stays in the room for a longer time and you do not need to use the air conditioner constantly.

This technology is also convenient for a meeting room. If it is necessary to hold a confidential meeting, tinted glass will help to fence off the space, while it will be impenetrable from the outside and bright enough for the people inside.

You can install smart glasses in the apartment. They will help get rid of the summer heat, make the room comfortable for living: if you do not like curtains, electric tinting can completely replace them, while any, even the densest, fabric will be much more effective.

The properties of such windows change depending on lighting conditions, ambient temperature. This is due to special sensors that monitor these conditions.

What is electronic tinting

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Electronic tinting of car windows is a special film consisting entirely of liquid crystal crystals, which is supposed to change the light transmittance of the glass depending on the lighting. In cloudy weather or at night, it can be turned off altogether, and in bright sunlight, the level of dimming can be adjusted at your discretion.

Today there are two ways to install:

1. Smart glasses are installed instead of the factory ones. They have a three-layer structure: two outer ones with a tinted film between them.
2. A special film with a tinted effect - glued to car windows and connected to the wiring. The bandwidth depends on the electricity supplied to the film. A voltage regulator is used for regulation.

Electrochromic film

Smart polymers are capable of changing light transmission and transparency when exposed to electric current. Energy consumption - from 7W per 1 m2.

The polymer coating is also called “smart toning”. It is a composite combination of a colorless film and some chemical constituents. As a result, the optical properties of the glass change. When the temperature in the passenger compartment or the light intensity changes, the following factors change:

• transparency of glass;
• coefficient of light transmission and thermal conductivity.

The use of such toning can reduce heat loss, as well as the cost of using an air conditioner and electricity.