Revolutionary Technology
  • The history of window films goes back many decades. Initially, window films are just “coloured” polyester films. These “coloured” polyester films were term as dyed films. Dyed films can come in many shades and colours. However, dyed films offer only a certain degree of UV protection and glare control. Heat control is virtually non-existent!

    The next breakthrough in window film design comes in the form of metalized coatings. Electrical currents are passed through blocks of aluminum, making it super hot. The super heated aluminum is essentially melted and aluminum vapours are “deposited” onto polyester films that are passing overhead. Aluminum is widely used because it has the lowest melting point and therefore uses the least amount of energy for the “deposition” process. Aluminum is also widely available and is the most economical on a “cost to effectiveness” comparison.

    The next step of window film evolution happened when NASA decided to send Man up into space. The extreme conditions of space meant that NASA has to take radical steps to protect the occupants of the spacecraft from the heat of the sun. Commonly used technology such as aluminum deposition is simply not up to the task. Other types of metal with better heat rejection properties had to be used. In order to utilize these metals, a new radical approach to deposit these metals onto the glass of the spacecraft had to be found.
  • The solution came from a guy that lived 150 years ago. W. Grove first discovered the sputtering technique in 1852. He observed that silver can be “sputtered” onto a film on the anode plate during the discharge of a high voltage current through a silver needle cathode. As silver is one of the best heat “reflector” and that sputtering is the best way to deposit silver onto a substrate, this technique was further pursued and refined. As this technique progresses, it was incorporated into the designs of window films manufacturing. Many different types of metals and alloys were tried and tested. Initially, only a single layer of metal was able to be sputtered onto the polyester. As the technology progresses, multi layers of metal deposition can be made using the sputtering technique. The main benefit of this multi layer deposition is that it allows different kinds of metals to be used at the same time and that the different layers of metal will each have its own functions.

    ICE Solar Films utilizes this multi layer sputtering technique to sputter very thin layer of multiple metal alloys onto an ultra clear polyester film substrate. Various precious metal compounds such as silver alloys and indium oxide are used in the sputtering process. The use of these precious metals allows ICE Solar Films to effectively reflect the heat away from the glass. It keeps the absorption of the sun’s heat into the glass at a minimum. The lesser the heat that is absorbed into the glass, the lesser the heat that is re-radiated into the interior of your home or car. ICE Solar Films are able to allow up to 70% of the natural light to pass through while blocking up to 97% of infra-red heat and 99% of the harmful UV rays.