Translated from the Chinese article dated 14 February 2024. Construction schedules, production targets and product-performance statements refer to that report.
On 31 January, two production lines were operating in Workshop No. 1 at the Hengzhen tempered vacuum insulating glass industrial park in the Xiaohe Emerging Industries Park, within Shanxi's transformation and comprehensive reform demonstration zone. The park was financed and built by Chunfen Group. Trial production of independently developed vacuum insulating glass without a conventional evacuation tube marked a step towards industrial-scale manufacturing.
A smart manufacturing project
The project was identified in the Chinese article as a key provincial project and an investment-attraction project for the demonstration zone. It covers 215.45 mu, approximately 14.36 hectares, with a total floor area of 105,000 square metres. Facilities include production workshops, a research centre, offices, staff accommodation and a product exhibition centre.
The project was intended to become a smart vacuum-glass manufacturing plant with annual capacity exceeding one million square metres. The article describes an ambition to be the world's first plant of this kind at that scale; this is the project's stated goal, rather than an independently verified ranking.
A company representative said trial products had met the specified indicators and reached the stage needed for mass production. Construction began in November 2022. At the time of the report, the first phase included approximately 30,000 square metres of workshops and supporting office, research and staff facilities, with two lines in trial production. The second phase was expected to be completed and handed over in May 2024. The representative described a target of one million square metres of annual capacity after full commissioning, alongside low energy use and no pollutant emissions during production.
Evacuation through the edge of the glass
Ultra-low-energy and near-zero-energy buildings have increased interest in high-performance windows and vacuum insulating glass. The article explains that conventional manufacturing methods often evacuate air through a hole drilled in a glass pane. It associates that approach with breakage, lower production yields and an evacuation port that can affect service life.
The Hengzhen project instead uses edge evacuation and a low-temperature sealing material, avoiding a drilled hole in the glass surface. The company said this approach maintains a flat appearance while improving yield and service life, and addresses problems including loss of tempering, low yields and weak production economics.
Product characteristics described in the report
Thermal insulation: The article reports two to four times the insulation performance of conventional insulating glass units, with two panes providing insulation comparable to that of an ordinary external building wall.
Condensation resistance: It describes resistance to frost and condensation in an environment at −50 °C.
Vacuum retention: A low-temperature powder edge-sealing material is intended to limit deterioration of the vacuum and extend service life.
A thin, lightweight structure: The minimum thickness reported is 8.3 mm, with weight per square metre more than 30% below that of the insulating glass products used for the comparison.
Wind-pressure resistance: The article identifies high-rise buildings and high-speed trains as potential applications.
These product statements come from the original report. Test conditions and the precise comparison products are not supplied in the excerpt, so they should not be treated as specifications for unrelated products.
Further development
The company representative said the industrial park would continue technical innovation and detailed management, use its Shanxi base to expand nationally, and support the development of the vacuum-glass industry and China's carbon-emissions goals.
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