A First For The Industry: AGC Flat Glass Europe Combines LEDs And Glass

Date: 6 November 2007

AGC Flat Glass Europe has launched Glassiled. This new product, an industry first, combines LEDs(1) and glass and has been specially designed for use in façades and interior decoration.

Glassiled will be on display at the Batimat international exhibition in Paris on 5 November. In keeping with its tradition of innovative products, AGC Flat Glass Europe has carved out a new niche by expanding its concept of how class can be used: it is now a significant medium of communication, both during the day and also at night.

Capture the light and glass

Light is a vital part of our everyday lives. It is a major source of inspiration when planning working spaces, homes and commercial buildings. It drives architects and designers to find materials which can be used for specific applications to create a certain atmosphere or express creativity. Keenly aware of this trend, AGC Flat Glass Europe has designed a product which combines the durability of laminated safety glass with LED technology. Natural light, artificial light and transparency are now available in a single product: Glassiled.

The latest technology

Glassiled is the culmination of research into the relationship between glass and communication, and its production represents a real technological achievement and a first for the industry. The principal behind this innovative product is simple: the LED (i.e. the light source) is sandwiched between two sheets of glass(2) with no visible wires. The colour and number of LEDs and the base glass used can be varied, allowing the product to be customised.

Glassiled capitalises on all the advantages of LED technology: long life, intense light and the possibility of varying the colours (RGB).

"With the development of AntiBacterial glass in September and now Glassiled, AGC Flat Glass Europe has once again expanded the range of potential glass applications in line with its ambition to make a name for itself as a leading innovator in the glass industry. This product opens up a wealth of opportunities for architects and designers to explore their creativity," says company President and CEO Jean-François Heris.

When LED inspires glass

Glassiled is an attractive product with multiple applications, both indoors and outdoors. It can be used in interior design to create a certain atmosphere. With designs and decorative effects created using light and colour, Glassiled can both communicate and captivate.

When used as a partition, Glassiled does more than play a functional or aesthetic role. It can communicate specific messages, guide the public and subtly draw attention to specific features.

The unique qualities of Glassiled mean it also lends itself to use in shelves or showcases where it can attractively light the products on display. Glassiled adds that special touch to attract customers' attention to a key product or service. It also dispenses the requirement for additional lighting and therefore offers the direct advantage of saving space on sales floors.

When used in a façade (houses, industrial sites and office/apartment buildings), Glassiled is the perfect way to combine the potential of LEDs with the technical specifications and aesthetics of glass. It offers a highly personalised way to use light, during the day and at night. By day, transparent Glassiled allows light into buildings. By night, Glassiled is a dynamic light source, bathing buildings in light and colour and creating new landmarks on the urban landscape.

Glassiled: see how AGC has captured light… at Batimat 2007. Stand 3C - 52

1 Light Emitting Diodes

2 Technology patented by AGC Flat Glass Europe and co-developed with Glas Platz within an open innovation process.