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Double Glazed Windows Export in Foshan China: Double Glazed Aluminium Windows, Triple Glazing and FOB Pricing
ROGENILAN double glazed windows on a residential villa in Foshan China: thermally broken aluminium casement frames with Low-E argon-filled insulating glass units.
This article treats double glazed windows as a specification problem, not a product description. Every thermal figure is calculated to EN 673 and EN ISO 10077-1 and is reproducible from the equations shown, every glass mass is derived from the pane build-up, and every price is FOB Foshan at four volume tiers. The purpose is to let a buyer specify the insulating unit, the spacer and the thermal break as three separate decisions instead of accepting a single “double glazing” line on a quotation.
A double glazed window is a sealed insulating glass unit (IGU) held in a frame. The unit, not the frame, sets most of the thermal result, and the unit is where most specification errors are made. Writing “double glazing” on a PO without the glass build-up, cavity gas, coating position and spacer type leaves the supplier free to supply a 4-6A-4 float unit with an aluminium box spacer, which has a centre-of-glass U-value of about 2.87 W/m²K and a whole-window value above 4.0 in a frame with no thermal break. That difference is not cosmetic: it is the gap between passing and failing a building-code U-value check.
Anatomy of one sealed unit
Layer
Material / parameter
Typical value
What it controls
Pane 1 (outer)
Float, heat-strengthened or tempered
4 / 5 / 6 / 8 mm
Wind span, safety class
Cavity 1
Air, argon or krypton
6 / 9 / 12 / 16 / 20 mm
Ug, acoustic dip
Coating
Low-E soft coat on surface 2 or 3
Emissivity 0.037
Radiative transfer
Spacer
Aluminium, stainless, warm-edge, TPS
Psi 0.032 to 0.068 W/mK
Edge Uw, condensation
Primary seal
Polyisobutylene (PIB)
0.3 to 0.5 mm
Gas retention, moisture barrier
Desiccant
Molecular sieve 3A in the spacer
20 to 35 g/m
Cavity dew point
Secondary seal
Polysulfide, polyurethane or silicone
3 to 5 mm
Structural bond, UV
Pane 2 (inner)
Float, laminated or tempered
4 / 5 / 6 / 6.4 mm
Safety, acoustics
Sealed unit versus two panes in one frame
Site-assembled “double windows” – two single panes fitted into a frame with a reversible sash – are not IGUs. Their cavity is ventilated, so the cavity resistance collapses to the value of an unventilated air layer with an internal surface resistance on both faces, and the U-value lands around 3.4 to 3.8 W/m²K, close to a single pane with a storm window. For a thermally broken aluminium window the sealed unit is the only configuration that reaches code-level values.
Order wording that removes ambiguity: state glass build-up as “5 mm tempered Low-E (e = 0.037) – 16 mm argon 90 % – 6.4 mm laminated”, state the spacer type, and ask for the EN 1279-3 gas-leakage certificate. “Double glazed windows” alone is not a specification.
Ug: How the Cavity Number Is Calculated
Centre-of-glass U-value is calculated with EN 673. The cavity is treated as a gas layer with a Nusselt number based on the Grashof and Prandtl numbers, in parallel with a radiative term driven by the two facing emissivities. Nothing in the calculation is proprietary, so a buyer can reproduce every number in the table below.
The calculation
Gas conductance: Nu = 0.035 · (Gr · Pr)0.38, with Nu = 1 when the product falls below 5 000, and Gr = 9.81 · s³ · ΔT / (Tm · ν²) at Tm = 283 K and ΔT = 15 K. Radiative coefficient: hr = 4 · σ · Tm³ / (1/ε1 + 1/ε2 − 1). Cavity resistance is 1 / (hg + hr), and Ug = 1 / (0.04 + 0.1299 + Σ Rglass + Σ Rcavity), where 0.04 and 0.1299 are the external and internal surface resistances of EN 673.
Gap width: the optimum is flat, not narrow
Build-up
6 mm
8 mm
10 mm
12 mm
14 mm
16 mm
18 mm
20 mm
4 mm float / air / 4 mm float
3.30
3.10
2.96
2.87
2.79
2.75
2.75
2.76
4 mm float / argon / 4 mm float
3.05
2.88
2.77
2.69
2.64
2.60
2.61
2.61
4 mm Low-E / argon / 4 mm float
2.01
1.68
1.45
1.28
1.16
1.08
1.09
1.10
4 mm Low-E / krypton / 4 mm float
1.35
1.11
0.95
0.92
0.93
0.94
0.95
0.96
Reading the table: an uncoated air-filled unit improves steadily up to about 16 mm and then reverses, because natural convection starts to short-circuit the cavity. With a Low-E coating and argon the optimum is also near 16 mm, and the curve is very flat between 12 and 20 mm, so cavity width is not where the money is. Krypton peaks much earlier because its lower conductivity makes convection dominate at a smaller gap.
Build-up
Optimum gap
Ug at optimum
4 mm float / air / 4 mm float
16 mm
2.75 W/m²K
4 mm float / argon / 4 mm float
16 mm
2.60 W/m²K
4 mm Low-E / argon / 4 mm float
16 mm
1.08 W/m²K
4 mm Low-E / krypton / 4 mm float
12 mm
0.92 W/m²K
Where the U-value actually comes from
Splitting the resistance of a 4-16Ar-4 Low-E unit: the coating is responsible for roughly 0.75 m²K/W of the cavity resistance and the gas for the remaining 0.16. In other words, the low-emissivity coating contributes about four times more than the gas fill. Argon buys 0.26 W/m²K over air in a 16 mm cavity; the coating buys about 1.5. Specifying argon without a coating is spending money on the smaller term.
From Ug to Uw: the Frame and the Spacer Decide
The number that goes on a compliance form is Uw, not Ug. EN ISO 10077-1 combines the glazing, the frame and the linear thermal bridge at the glass edge:
Uw = (ΣAg·Ug + ΣAf·Uf + Σlg·Ψ) / (Ag + Af) Reference casement window 1.23 m × 1.48 m: Aw = 1.82 m², Ag = 1.318 m², Af = 0.502 m², lg = 4.62 m.
Full matrix: frame Uf × glazing × spacer
Frame
Uf
4-12A-4 float
4-16Ar-4 float
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4 Low-E triple
No thermal break (aluminium)
Uf 6.8
4.13
3.97
2.83
2.53
14 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
Uf 3.4
3.19
3.03
1.89
1.59
20 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
Uf 2.8
3.02
2.86
1.73
1.42
24 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
Uf 2.4
2.91
2.75
1.62
1.31
34 mm PA66 GF25 + foam insert
Uf 2.0
2.80
2.64
1.51
1.20
40 mm polyurethane (passive class)
Uf 1.5
2.66
2.50
1.37
1.06
The matrix is built with a standard aluminium box spacer (Psi = 0.068 W/mK). Two conclusions follow directly. First, the cheapest way to lose compliance is to pair a good unit with a frame that has no thermal break: 4-16Ar-4 Low-E drops from 1.62 to 2.83 W/m²K simply by removing the polyamide strip. Second, the frame improvement from 14 mm to 34 mm polyamide is worth about 0.39 W/m²K, while moving from uncoated to Low-E glass is worth about 1.30. Glass first, frame second.
Spacer sensitivity at one frame
Spacer type
Psi (W/mK)
Uw (24 mm PA, Low-E)
Delta vs aluminium box
Aluminium box spacer
0.068
1.616
+0.000
Stainless steel thin-wall
0.050
1.571
-0.046
Warm-edge plastic / steel hybrid
0.040
1.545
-0.071
TPS thermoplastic spacer
0.032
1.525
-0.091
A warm-edge spacer costs USD 6 to 9 per m² of window and returns 0.046 to 0.071 W/m²K. The same money spent on Low-E glass returns roughly ten times more thermal benefit, so the spacer is bought for condensation control at the glass edge, not for the U-value.
Double Glazed Aluminium Windows: Frame Selection
Double glazed aluminium windows are aluminium-framed openings carrying a sealed insulating unit. Aluminium is chosen for span, section depth stability and coating life; it is penalised by conductivity, so the thermal break is the specification that matters once the glass has been fixed.
Main frame wall thickness runs 1.4 to 2.0 mm in residential profiles and 2.0 to 3.0 mm for mullions and hurricane-rated sections. EN 1999-1-1 applies a partial factor γM1 = 1.10, so the allowable design stress for 6063-T6 is 170 / 1.10 = 155 MPa. In practice window sections are deflection-controlled, not stress-controlled: at the L/200 serviceability limit the stress utilisation of a standard casement sash is typically under 30 %.
Coating
Standard
Class
Film / exposure
Field life
Qualicoat Class 1
Polyester powder
60 to 80 um, indoor / mild
10 to 15 years
Qualicoat Class 2
Polyester powder
60 to 80 um, architectural
15 to 25 years
AAMA 2603
Powder
1 year Florida
5 years
AAMA 2604
50 % PVDF
5 years Florida
10 to 15 years
AAMA 2605
70 % PVDF
10 years Florida
20+ years
Qualanod AA20 / AA25
Anodising
20 / 25 um
20 to 30 years
ISO 9227 salt-spray hours rank batches against each other; they are not a service-life prediction. A 1 000-hour result on a powder panel says the pretreatment line was under control that week, not that the window will last 30 years on a coast.
Aluminium Casement Windows: Sash Mass and Hardware
Aluminium casement windows are side-hinged sashes that close against a compression seal. The configuration has the best air-tightness of any opening type because the sash is pulled onto the gasket by the locking mechanism rather than sliding past it – which is why casement is the default choice wherever a U-value or an air-leakage target has to be met.
Sash mass drives every hardware choice
Sash size (mm)
Area (m2)
Glass build
Sash mass (kg)
Hinge class (EN 1935)
600 x 900
0.54
5-16Ar-5
17
Class 11 (80 kg)
700 x 1200
0.84
5-16Ar-5
25
Class 11 (80 kg)
900 x 1500
1.35
6-16Ar-6
41
Class 12 (100 kg)
1000 x 2100
2.10
6-16Ar-6.4 lam
68
Class 13 (120 kg)
1200 x 2400
2.88
triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4
96
Class 14 (160 kg)
1200 x 2400
2.88
8-16Ar-8.8 acoustic lam
112
Class 14 (160 kg) + stay arm
The jump from a 25 kg sash to a 96 kg sash on the same frame is the single most common cause of hardware failure in the field: the sash drops, the hinges run out of adjustment, and the locking points stop meeting their keeps. When a specification moves from double to triple glazing, the hinge and the espagnolette have to be re-specified at the same time.
Multi-point locking and compression
Three to seven locking points on sashes taller than 1 500 mm; the top and bottom points carry the corner pull-in.
Compression adjustment of 0.8 to 1.6 mm on the keep; without it the gasket cannot be pre-loaded after the frame settles.
EN 12209 lock and strike: grade 3 durability is 200 000 cycles; grade 7 is not required for residential but is normal for apartment common areas.
EN 13126-1 to -16 for window hardware; torque to operate should be measured and stated, not assumed.
Stay arms on heavy sashes must be rated for the sash mass, not for the frame size.
Air, water and wind: what casement actually achieves
Performance
Standard
Casement (measured band)
Comment
Air permeability
EN 12207
Class 3 to 4
Best of any opening type
Water tightness
EN 12208
Class 7A to 9A
A series = protected opening
Water tightness
EN 12208
Class 5B to 7B
B series = unprotected; 7B caps at 300 Pa
Wind resistance
EN 12210
C3 to C5
Deflection classes B (L/200) or C (L/300)
Operating force
EN 13115
Class 1 to 2
Measured after 10 000 cycles
A supplier quoting “Class 7A” without saying A or B is quoting a protected condition. On an exposed facade the comparable figure is the B series, and 7B is only 300 Pa – roughly a 22 m/s gust. Read the test report, not the brochure line.
Double Hung Windows with Insulated Glass
Double hung windows carry two sliding sashes in a single frame. The type is specified mostly in North America and in retrofit work where the opening has to keep an existing aperture shape and the sash must not project. Fitting an insulating unit into a hung sash changes the balance hardware, not just the glass.
Sash weight and balance selection
A hung sash runs on a balance – a block-and-tackle, spiral, or constant-force spring – sized to the sash mass. Standard balances are supplied in narrow weight bands, so a glass change of 5 kg can push a sash out of band and leave it either drifting open or slamming shut. This is a specification step that is frequently missed.
Sash size
Area (m2)
IGU build
Glass + sash (kg)
Balance band required
610 x 915
0.56
3-12A-3 single-glazed equivalent
17
16 to 20
610 x 915
0.56
4-16Ar-4 double glazed
30
28 to 34
813 x 1220
0.99
4-16Ar-4 double glazed
50
46 to 56
813 x 1220
0.99
5-16Ar-5 Low-E
57
52 to 62
915 x 1524
1.39
5-16Ar-5 Low-E
76
70 to 82
915 x 1524
1.39
triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4
94
88 to 100 (dual balance)
Above roughly 68 kg the single-balance arrangement stops being adequate and the sash needs two balances or a constant-force spring cartridge, which requires a deeper jamb channel. That is a frame decision, not a glazing decision, so it has to be settled before the extrusion is ordered.
Thermal and air performance of hung sashes
A hung sash slides in a channel, so it cannot be pulled onto a compression gasket the way a casement sash is. Air permeability of a well-built hung window sits at EN 12207 Class 2 to 3 against Class 3 to 4 for casement, and the meeting rail creates a second linear thermal bridge the casement does not have. Where the facade has a U-value target, casement is the safer choice; where the project is a retrofit with a fixed aperture, hung is often the only geometry that fits.
Performance grade numbers (PG25 / PG40 / PG50) are the design pressure in pounds per square foot: PG40 = 40 psf = 1.92 kPa.
Miami-Dade NOA is a separate approval; it covers only the tested combination, so a 16 ft wide approval does not extend to an 18 ft unit.
ASTM E283 (air), E331 (water), E330 (structural) are the test methods behind the grade.
EN 12208 B-series water ratings cap at 7B = 300 Pa; NAFS PG40 is 1 920 Pa. The two systems are not interchangeable – state which one the report was issued under.
Triple Glazed Aluminium Windows: When the Third Pane Pays
Triple glazed aluminium windows add a third pane and a second cavity. The thermal return is real but smaller than most buyers expect, and the weight return is much larger than most buyers expect.
What the third pane buys
Configuration
Ug (W/m2K)
Uw, 24 mm PA frame
Glass mass (kg/m2)
FOB adder
4-16Ar-4 Low-E double
1.08
1.62
21
baseline
4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4 Low-E triple
0.66
1.31
32
+ USD 32 to 48 / m2
4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4 with 2 x Low-E
0.66
1.31
32
+ USD 38 to 55 / m2
5-16Ar-5 Low-E + warm edge
1.08
1.55
26
+ USD 6 to 9 / m2
Going from double Low-E to triple Low-E moves Uw from 1.62 to 1.31 – about 0.31 W/m²K – and costs USD 32 to 48 per m². That is roughly USD 130 per unit of U-value saved per square metre of window. Compare with the warm-edge spacer at USD 6 to 9 for 0.046, which is roughly USD 160 per unit – comparable, but the absolute gain is small. The honest conclusion: the third pane is bought to reach a specific code number (Passive House Uw 0.80, Scandinavia, or a Minergie-style requirement), not as a general upgrade.
Weight, hardware and opening forces
Item
Double 5-16Ar-5
Triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4
Consequence
Glass mass
26 kg/m2
32 kg/m2
+ 23 % on the sash
Sash, 1 200 x 1 500
52 kg
72 kg
Hinge class 11 to 13
Sash, 1 200 x 2 400
83 kg
115 kg
Two-person handling, lift equipment
Operating force
Class 1
Class 2 to 3
EN 13115 measured after cycling
Hinge cycles
20 000
20 000 minimum, 25 000 advised
EN 1935 grade
Frame depth needed
60 to 70 mm
80 to 95 mm
Different extrusion family
A triple-glazed 1 200 x 2 400 casement sash at 115 kg cannot be hung, glazed and adjusted by a two-person residential crew with suction cups. Budget a glazing robot or a four-person crew, and check the site has access for it before ordering.
Acoustic benefit is smaller than expected
Tripling the glass adds mass but the two cavities are usually similar, which puts their mass-spring resonances close together. A 4-12-4-12-4 build typically measures Rw 33 dB against Rw 30 for a 4-16-4 – three decibels for a 23 % weight increase. For acoustic work an asymmetric build with a laminated inner pane is the better spend. See soundproof window construction.
Glass Thickness, Wind Load and Safety Glazing
Pane thickness is set by wind pressure and pane area, not by thermal performance. The governing relation for a rectangular pane simply supported on four sides is σmax = 0.266 · p · a² / t² with p in kPa, a the short side in m and t in mm, giving σ in MPa. Allowable stress is fk / γM with γM = 1.8.
Maximum short-side span by glass type
Glass type
Thickness
Allowable stress
0.5 kPa
1.0 kPa
1.5 kPa
2.0 kPa
2.5 kPa
3.0 kPa
Annealed (EN 572-1)
4 mm
25.0 MPa
1.73
1.23
1.00
0.87
0.78
0.71
Annealed (EN 572-1)
5 mm
25.0 MPa
2.17
1.53
1.25
1.08
0.97
0.88
Annealed (EN 572-1)
6 mm
25.0 MPa
2.60
1.84
1.50
1.30
1.16
1.06
Annealed (EN 572-1)
8 mm
25.0 MPa
3.47
2.45
2.00
1.73
1.55
1.42
Annealed (EN 572-1)
10 mm
25.0 MPa
4.34
3.07
2.50
2.17
1.94
1.77
Heat-strengthened (EN 1863)
4 mm
38.9 MPa
2.16
1.53
1.25
1.08
0.97
0.88
Heat-strengthened (EN 1863)
5 mm
38.9 MPa
2.70
1.91
1.56
1.35
1.21
1.10
Heat-strengthened (EN 1863)
6 mm
38.9 MPa
3.24
2.29
1.87
1.62
1.45
1.32
Heat-strengthened (EN 1863)
8 mm
38.9 MPa
4.33
3.06
2.50
2.16
1.93
1.77
Heat-strengthened (EN 1863)
10 mm
38.9 MPa
5.41
3.82
3.12
2.70
2.42
2.21
Tempered (EN 12150)
4 mm
66.7 MPa
2.83
2.00
1.64
1.42
1.27
1.16
Tempered (EN 12150)
5 mm
66.7 MPa
3.54
2.50
2.04
1.77
1.58
1.45
Tempered (EN 12150)
6 mm
66.7 MPa
4.25
3.00
2.45
2.12
1.90
1.73
Tempered (EN 12150)
8 mm
66.7 MPa
5.66
4.01
3.27
2.83
2.53
2.31
Tempered (EN 12150)
10 mm
66.7 MPa
7.08
5.01
4.09
3.54
3.17
2.89
In a symmetric insulating unit each pane carries roughly half of the short-term load, so the effective span is larger than for a single pane. The table below gives the short-side span for a symmetric tempered IGU under the same pressures.
Symmetric IGU build
Allowable stress
0.5 kPa
1.0 kPa
1.5 kPa
2.0 kPa
2.5 kPa
3.0 kPa
4-16Ar-4 tempered
66.7 MPa
4.01
2.83
2.31
2.00
1.79
1.64
5-16Ar-5 tempered
66.7 MPa
5.01
3.54
2.89
2.50
2.24
2.04
6-16Ar-6 tempered
66.7 MPa
6.01
4.25
3.47
3.00
2.69
2.45
8-16Ar-8 tempered
66.7 MPa
8.01
5.66
4.62
4.01
3.58
3.27
Note the shape of the result: going from 1.0 kPa to 2.0 kPa halves the allowable span squared, so a pane that is comfortable at 1.5 m needs to roughly double in thickness to stay at 1.5 m when the design pressure doubles. This is why coastal and high-rise projects drive glass thickness, and why the wind map location belongs on the PO.
Safety glazing and heat-soak
Requirement
Standard
Result
When it applies
Tempering
EN 12150
Fragmentation count >= 40 per 50 x 50 mm
Doors, low-level, large panes
Heat-strengthened
EN 1863
70 MPa characteristic, not safety glass
Thermal stress relief only
Heat-soak test
EN 14179-1
Removes NiS stones; 0.1 to 0.2 % spontaneous breakage
Tempered panes above 3 m2 or overhead
Laminated
EN 14449 / EN ISO 12543
Class 1B to 2B2 per EN 12600
Overhead, balustrade infill, RC rated
Impact (US)
ANSI Z97.1 / CPSC 16 CFR 1201
Cat I and II
Hazardous locations per IBC 2406
Cyclonic
ASTM E1886 / E1996
Missile levels A to E
Miami-Dade and HVHZ
Heat-soak costs USD 4 to 7 per m² and removes the nickel-sulphide inclusion risk that otherwise shows up as a spontaneous break one to three years after installation. On a 500-window project with 0.15 % inclusion rate that is about one unexplained breakage per year; the test is cheaper than the call-out.
Condensation Risk at the Glass Edge
Condensation appears first at the glass edge, where the spacer and the frame meet. The temperature factor fRsi is the standard check: it is the ratio of the internal surface temperature difference to the full indoor-outdoor difference. EN ISO 13788 treats fRsi >= 0.70 as the mould threshold. A simpler field check is to compare the surface temperature against the dew point of the room air.
Dew point of room air
Relative humidity at 20 C
Dew point
30 %
9.5 C
40 %
12.5 C
50 %
15.0 C
60 %
17.5 C
70 %
20.0 C
Surface temperature by build
Frame
Glazing
Spacer
Uw
Centre pane T at Te = -5 C
Edge T at Te = -5 C
No thermal break (aluminium)
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
4.13
10.7
6.6
No thermal break (aluminium)
4-12A-4 float
TPS
4.03
10.7
6.9
No thermal break (aluminium)
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
2.83
16.5
10.8
No thermal break (aluminium)
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
2.74
16.5
11.1
14 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
3.19
10.7
9.6
14 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
TPS
3.10
10.7
9.9
14 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
1.89
16.5
13.9
14 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
1.80
16.5
14.2
20 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
3.02
10.7
10.2
20 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
TPS
2.93
10.7
10.5
20 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
1.73
16.5
14.4
20 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
1.64
16.5
14.7
24 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
2.91
10.7
10.5
24 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-12A-4 float
TPS
2.82
10.7
10.8
24 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
1.62
16.5
14.8
24 mm PA66 GF25 polyamide
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
1.52
16.5
15.0
34 mm PA66 GF25 + foam insert
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
2.80
10.7
10.9
34 mm PA66 GF25 + foam insert
4-12A-4 float
TPS
2.71
10.7
11.2
34 mm PA66 GF25 + foam insert
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
1.51
16.5
15.1
34 mm PA66 GF25 + foam insert
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
1.42
16.5
15.4
40 mm polyurethane (passive class)
4-12A-4 float
Alu box
2.66
10.7
11.4
40 mm polyurethane (passive class)
4-12A-4 float
TPS
2.57
10.7
11.6
40 mm polyurethane (passive class)
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Alu box
1.37
16.5
15.6
40 mm polyurethane (passive class)
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
TPS
1.28
16.5
15.9
At 40 % indoor humidity the dew point is 12.5 C at a room temperature of 20 C and -5 C outside. An uncoated double unit in a 14 mm frame shows an edge temperature well below that, which is why condensation is reported on windows that are otherwise code-compliant. The frame and the spacer, not the glass, usually need to change.
What actually removes condensation
Warm-edge or TPS spacer: raises the edge temperature by 2 to 4 K for USD 6 to 12 per m².
Wider polyamide break: 14 mm to 24 mm raises the frame surface temperature by 3 to 5 K.
Internal air movement: a sill that blocks the curtain of warm air over the glass can cause condensation on a perfectly good window.
Room humidity: dropping RH from 60 % to 45 % moves the dew point from 12.5 C to 7.6 C worth more than most hardware upgrades.
Reveal insulation: an uninsulated reveal around the frame creates a cold band that behaves exactly like a thermal bridge.
Acoustic Build-ups
Sound reduction through an insulating unit is governed by mass, cavity width and – most importantly – by avoiding coincidence between the two panes. Two panes of the same thickness over the same cavity have a mass-spring-mass resonance that produces a measurable dip in the 200 to 400 Hz band.
Measured build-ups
Build-up
Approximate Rw
Light transmission
g value (SHGC)
4-16A-4 float
Rw 30 dB
0.87
0.82
6-16A-6 float
Rw 32 dB
0.85
0.80
4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Rw 30 dB
0.70
0.63
6-16Ar-6 Low-E
Rw 32 dB
0.68
0.61
Asymmetric 6-16Ar-4 Low-E
Rw 33 dB
0.68
0.61
6-16Ar-6.4 laminated
Rw 36 dB
0.66
0.58
8-16Ar-8.8 acoustic laminated
Rw 40 dB
0.62
0.54
Triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4
Rw 33 dB
0.60
0.52
The asymmetric 6-16Ar-4 build measures about 1 dB better than a symmetric 6-16Ar-6 for the same total mass, because the two panes no longer share a coincidence frequency. A laminated inner pane with a 0.76 mm PVB interlayer is worth 3 to 5 dB on its own and is the standard answer for sites near roads or railways.
Frame sealing dominates the installed result
A 1 mm continuous gap around a sash is 0.30 % of the window area but reduces the installed reduction from Rw 40 dB to about Rw 25 dB. In practice the installed acoustic result is set by the compression seal and the perimeter joint, not by the glass build. Specify the seal and the installation detail together with the glass.
Solar Control and Light Transmission
The g value (solar heat gain coefficient in North America) and the light transmission are set by the coating and the glass body, and they move in the same direction: reducing solar gain almost always reduces daylight. The correct selection depends on orientation and on whether the building is heating-dominated or cooling-dominated.
Coating and body tint options
Glass specification
g value
Light transmission
Selectivity (LT/g)
Best use
4 mm clear float
0.82
0.90
1.10
Greenhouses, passive solar gain
Clear / Low-E (hard coat)
0.72
0.82
1.14
Heating-dominated, north facade
Clear / Low-E (soft coat)
0.63
0.78
1.24
Temperate, mixed
Solar control Low-E
0.40
0.66
1.65
West and east elevations
Solar control, high selectivity
0.34
0.62
1.82
Large south glazing
Body tinted grey 6 mm + Low-E
0.30
0.45
1.50
Hot climates, glare control
Reflective coated
0.22
0.28
1.27
Facade uniformity, low glare
Double Low-E on surfaces 2 and 5
0.52
0.72
1.38
Triple glazing in cooling climates
Selectivity – the ratio of light transmission to g value – is the number to compare. A coating with LT/g above 1.6 delivers noticeably more daylight per unit of solar heat rejected, which matters on a west elevation where the afternoon gain arrives at the same time as the cooling peak.
Orientation rule
North (northern hemisphere): maximise gain. g 0.60 to 0.72, LT above 0.75.
South: moderate gain with shading. g 0.35 to 0.50 in cooling-dominated sites, 0.60 to 0.70 in heating-dominated sites.
East and west: minimise gain. g 0.28 to 0.40; fixed shading is more effective than coating at these angles because the sun is low.
A 10 m² west-facing clear-glass opening admits about 8 kW of solar gain at peak; the same area at g 0.30 admits about 2.9 kW.
Where the project has both a winter heating load and a summer cooling load, the correct answer is usually a moderate g value with external shading, not a very low g value. A low-g coating removes free winter heat every day of the heating season.
Gas Retention, Leakage and Altitude
An argon-filled unit is sealed, not hermetic. EN 1279-3 sets the acceptance criteria: initial gas concentration at least 90 % and a leakage rate of no more than 1 % per year. That rate is what turns a specification into a lifetime.
Argon concentration and Ug
Argon concentration
Ug (4-16Ar-4 Low-E)
Delta vs 90 %
90 %
1.113
+0.000
80 %
1.146
+0.033
70 %
1.179
+0.066
50 %
1.244
+0.131
30 %
1.307
+0.194
0 %
1.398
+0.285
Service life projection at the EN 1279-3 limit
Year
Argon remaining
Ug
Cumulative change
0
90.0 %
1.113
+0.000
5
85.6 %
1.128
+0.015
10
81.4 %
1.142
+0.029
15
77.4 %
1.155
+0.042
20
73.6 %
1.167
+0.054
25
70.0 %
1.179
+0.066
At the EN 1279-3 limit the unit loses about 0.006 W/m²K per year, so a unit specified at 1.08 is around 1.15 to 1.20 after 20 years. That is within the noise of the calculation; what matters more is that a failing seal lets moisture in, and the desiccant saturation shows up as fogging long before the U-value has moved measurably.
Altitude: the pressure differential nobody specifies
An insulating unit sealed at a factory near sea level carries an internal pressure of about 101 kPa. Transport it to a site at 2 640 m where the ambient pressure is 73 kPa and the two panes bow outward by the difference. This is the cause of “pillowed” units and of seal failures that get blamed on manufacturing.
Location
Elevation
Ambient pressure
Differential vs sea level
Foshan (manufacture)
5 m
101.3 kPa
0.0 kPa
Denver
1609 m
83.4 kPa
17.8 kPa
Mexico City
2240 m
77.2 kPa
24.1 kPa
Bogota
2640 m
73.4 kPa
27.9 kPa
Quito
2850 m
71.5 kPa
29.8 kPa
La Paz
3640 m
64.6 kPa
36.7 kPa
Lhasa
3650 m
64.5 kPa
36.8 kPa
Above roughly 1 200 m of elevation difference, specify a capillary or breather tube on the unit (USD 2 to 4 per m²), or order the units manufactured with a reduced-pressure fill. Without it the cavity expands, the panes pillow, the optical distortion is visible, and the secondary seal is put into permanent tension.
Two more pressure effects are worth writing into the specification. Units that travel by air freight see the same differential in reverse on descent, and units installed behind an external shading device can reach 70 C in the cavity, raising the internal pressure by about 12 kPa on top of the altitude term.
Certification and Test Evidence
Four documents cover most of what a buyer can reasonably ask for. Each one has a scope, and the scope is where suppliers and buyers disagree.
What each document covers
Document
Standard
What it proves
What it does NOT prove
CE marking of the window
EN 14351-1, AVCP System 3
Air, water, wind, U-value, and (if declared) acoustics
It does not prove the value in the brochure – the DoP states the declared class, not the claimed class
IGU CE marking
EN 1279-1 to -6
Seal durability, gas leakage, dew point
It does not cover the installed unit; the window retains its own DoP
NFRC label (US)
NFRC 100 / 200 / 500
U-factor, SHGC, VT from simulation plus test
It is product-line specific; a 1 200 x 1 500 label does not cover 1 200 x 2 400
Miami-Dade NOA
TAS 201 / 202 / 203
Impact and cyclic pressure for the tested build
It covers only the tested combination – a different spacer or interlayer exits the approval
IGMA / IGCC (US)
ASTM E2190 / E2188 / E2189
Seal durability and fogging
Not a thermal or structural rating
AS 2047 (Australia)
AS 2047 + AS 1288
Wind and water class N1 to N6, glass per AS 1288
Does not replace the WERS energy rating
Checking the numbers
Ask for the declared U-value and the size of the tested or simulated specimen. A U-value declared on a 1.23 x 1.48 m reference window is not the value for a 1.5 x 2.4 m unit, because the frame fraction and the edge length change.
Ask which spacer was in the tested specimen. Substituting an aluminium box spacer for the warm-edge spacer in the tested build changes Uw by 0.03 to 0.09.
For gas-filled units ask for the EN 1279-3 certificate and the date of the batch test, not a generic product sheet.
For safety glazing ask for the EN 12150 fragmentation record and, where heat-soak was specified, the EN 14179-1 furnace log.
For North American projects confirm whether the report is issued under NAFS or EN. EN 12208 Class 7B (300 Pa) is not equivalent to a NAFS PG40 (1 920 Pa).
All figures below are FOB Foshan, per square metre of window area, for powder-coated aluminium frames with either aluminium casement or fixed lights, standard hardware and no customs or inland costs. Volume tiers are per order, not per container.
Configuration by volume tier
Configuration
USD / m2, 100-299 m2
USD / m2, 300-799 m2
USD / m2, 800-1999 m2
USD / m2, 2000+ m2
C1 non-thermal-break, 4-16A-4 float
62 – 78
58 – 73
55 – 69
51 – 64
C2 14 mm PA, 5-16Ar-5 Low-E
95 – 118
89 – 111
84 – 104
78 – 97
C3 20 mm PA, 5-16Ar-5 Low-E
118 – 145
111 – 136
104 – 128
97 – 119
C4 24 mm PA, 5-16Ar-5 Low-E + warm edge
132 – 162
124 – 152
116 – 143
108 – 133
C5 34 mm PA, 5-16Ar-5 Low-E + argon + TPS
148 – 180
139 – 169
130 – 158
121 – 148
C6 34 mm PA, triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4 Low-E
185 – 235
174 – 221
163 – 207
152 – 193
C7 40 mm PU passive, triple Low-E
210 – 265
197 – 249
185 – 233
172 – 217
Upgrade adders
Option
USD / m2
Option
USD / m2
Low-E soft coat on surface 3
4 – 7
Heat-soak test (EN 14179)
4 – 7
Argon fill 90 % + EN 1279-3 certificate
3 – 5
Tinted body glass (grey / bronze)
6 – 10
Krypton fill (9-12 mm cavity)
18 – 26
Obscure / satin acid etch
9 – 14
Warm-edge spacer replacing aluminium
6 – 9
Capillary breather tube for altitude
2 – 4
TPS thermoplastic spacer
8 – 12
Steel reinforcement in sash
5 – 9
Third pane (4 mm) + second cavity
32 – 48
Concealed drainage / pressure-equalised frame
8 – 13
Laminated inner pane 6.4 mm PVB
22 – 34
NFRC label + simulation file
2 – 4
Acoustic laminated 8.8 mm PVB
30 – 44
Miami-Dade NOA documentation package
12 – 20
Tempering both panes (EN 12150)
7 – 11
The two lines that catch buyers out are the NFRC / NOA documentation package and the heat-soak test: both are per-order engineering costs that do not scale down with a small order. On a 60 m² order they can add 8 to 12 % to the unit price.
300 x 300 corner sample, chargeable, refunded on order
7 days
Warranty
10 years frame and coating, 10 years IGU seal
Excludes glass breakage after handover
Spare parts
2 % of hardware value shipped free
Handles, keeps, gasket, screws
Drawings
Shop drawings for approval in 5 to 7 days
Buyer approval is the single largest schedule risk
Inspection before shipment
Dimensional check against the approved shop drawing, 3 units per size.
Glass build verification: measure the overall unit thickness and check it against the ordered build (for example 5-16-5 = 26 mm).
Coating thickness: 8 to 12 readings per order with a dry-film gauge; reject below 60 um for Qualicoat Class 2.
IGU dew point: EN 1279-2 spot check on one unit per 200.
Operating force: 5 units cycled 25 times, force measured per EN 13115.
Dry assembly of one complete unit per size with photographs – this step catches more errors than all the others combined.
Crate drop and tilt marking, corner protection, and desiccant bags in every crate.
Container loading photographs: door open, half loaded, and sealed.
Of the above, the dry-assembly photograph is the one that pays for itself. It exposes handed hardware, wrong keep positions and reversed sashes before 300 units are built.
Packing and Container Maths
Window crates are glass-limited, not frame-limited: glass cannot be nested, so the crate volume is set by the glass footprint times the stack height. Knock-down frames save little because the glass is unchanged. The practical conclusion is that shipping assembled windows is normally correct, and the optimisation is crate height and payload utilisation.
Units per 40 ft high cube
Size
IGU build
Area m2
Packed kg
Packed m3
By volume
By weight
Shipped
Governing limit
Payload used
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G1
1.20
42.4
0.212
320
589
320
volume
54 %
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G2
1.20
49.1
0.212
320
508
320
volume
63 %
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G3
1.20
55.9
0.212
320
447
320
volume
72 %
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G4
1.20
57.1
0.212
320
438
320
volume
73 %
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G5
1.20
53.3
0.212
320
468
320
volume
68 %
S1 1.0 x 1.2 m
G6
1.20
64.2
0.212
320
389
320
volume
82 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G1
1.82
61.2
0.286
238
408
238
volume
58 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G2
1.82
71.4
0.286
238
349
238
volume
68 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G3
1.82
81.6
0.286
238
306
238
volume
78 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G4
1.82
83.5
0.286
238
299
238
volume
80 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G5
1.82
77.8
0.286
238
321
238
volume
74 %
S2 1.23 x 1.48 m
G6
1.82
94.3
0.286
238
265
238
volume
90 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G1
3.60
115.3
0.496
137
216
137
volume
63 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G2
3.60
135.4
0.496
137
184
137
volume
74 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G3
3.60
155.6
0.496
137
160
137
volume
85 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G4
3.60
159.2
0.496
137
157
137
volume
87 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G5
3.60
147.9
0.496
137
169
137
volume
81 %
S3 1.5 x 2.4 m
G6
3.60
180.6
0.496
137
138
137
volume
99 %
Every configuration in the table is volume-governed, but the margin narrows fast: the 3.6 m² unit with an 8.8 mm acoustic laminated inner pane reaches 99 % of the 25 t payload at 137 units. One step heavier – a third pane plus laminate – would flip it to weight-governed, and then the container is half empty by volume while the truck is full. That is the point at which splitting the order across two containers, or shipping glass and frames separately, starts to pay.
Crate design
Vertical stacking on edge in an A-frame crate, glass face to glass face with interleaving paper or foam – never flat, and never glass against frame.
Crate height limited to the reach of the site handling equipment: 8 to 10 units for small sizes, 5 to 6 for 3.6 m² units.
Corner protection on all four verticals and a full-height timber spine board.
Desiccant at 20 g per m³ of crate volume; sealed internal polythene shroud.
Maximum crate mass 900 kg for sites with a forklift, 400 kg for stair-carry sites.
Tilt and shock indicators on two faces of every crate; the photographs go into the claim file if a crate arrives damaged.
Unlike furniture or shutters, window crates carry dead weight that cannot be compressed. If a project is near the payload limit, the saving comes from reducing crate dunnage and from shipping glass units and frames in separate crates so the heavy glass can be stacked to the full container height.
Landed Cost and Duty
FOB is roughly half of what an installed window costs at a European or North American site. The worked example below uses the reference size (1.82 m², 238 units per container = 433 m² per 40 ft high cube) and a C4 configuration at the 300 to 799 m² tier.
Two ports, four duty scenarios
Port
Duty
FOB USD/m2
Freight
Insurance
CIF
Duty
Delivered + install USD/m2
Rotterdam
0 %
137.0
7.39
0.51
144.90
0.00
214.90
Rotterdam
6 %
137.0
7.39
0.51
144.90
8.69
223.59
Rotterdam
25 %
137.0
7.39
0.51
144.90
36.22
251.12
Rotterdam
45 %
137.0
7.39
0.51
144.90
65.20
280.10
Long Beach
0 %
137.0
5.54
0.50
143.04
0.00
213.04
Long Beach
6 %
137.0
5.54
0.50
143.04
8.58
221.62
Long Beach
25 %
137.0
5.54
0.50
143.04
35.76
248.80
Long Beach
45 %
137.0
5.54
0.50
143.04
64.37
277.41
Freight allocation is USD 5.54 to 7.39 per m² – about 4 to 5 % of the FOB price. Duty is the variable that matters: between 0 % and 45 % the delivered price swings by about USD 62 per m², which is larger than the entire freight component and comparable to the gap between a 14 mm and a 34 mm thermal break.
Confirm the classification before quoting. Aluminium windows normally fall in heading 7610, but assembled units with wooden or composite subframes can be reclassified, and several markets apply additional measures on aluminium articles. The written confirmation costs a day and is worth more than any discount negotiated on the FOB line.
Sensitivity: what changes the decision
Order size: moving from 120 m² to 800 m² moves the FOB tier by about 12 %, more than any freight negotiation.
Glass build: triple glazing adds USD 32 to 48 per m² FOB and about 4 % more weight, which does not change the container count for most sizes.
Laminated inner pane: USD 22 to 34 per m² and 8 to 12 kg/m², which does change the crate count on large units.
Currency and steel/aluminium surcharges: extrusion prices are usually quoted with a metal-price adjustment clause – ask whether the quote is fixed or indexed.
Installation and Commissioning
Sequence
Check the structural opening against the approved shop drawing before unpacking. A 15 mm error in the opening cannot be corrected with fixings.
Set the frame on packers at the fixing points only; never pack under the middle of a sill.
Fix through the frame at 150 mm from each corner and at 500 to 600 mm centres. Fixings must not pass through the polyamide thermal break.
Check frame squareness on both diagonals before glazing: tolerance 2 mm on a 2 400 mm frame.
Fit the sash, glaze, then fit the beads from the internal side on ground floor and from a protected side above.
Set the compression on the locking keeps so a 0.2 mm feeler gauge meets resistance at all locking points.
Apply the perimeter seal: airtight membrane inside, weather-tight but vapour-open membrane outside. Neutral-cure silicone only – acetoxy cure attacks anodised finishes and polyamide.
Commission: cycle every sash 10 times, measure operating force, verify drainage slots are clear by pouring water into the frame channel, and record the results.
Drainage and pressure equalisation
A window frame is a channel that will collect water. The frame must have a pressure-equalised outer chamber drained to the outside through slots of at least 5 x 25 mm, and the slots must be fitted with baffles or flaps in exposed positions. The most common installation defect is sealing the drainage slots with the perimeter silicone bead – the frame then fills on the first storm and leaks through the transom joints.
Failure Modes
Six failures and where they are decided
Failure
Symptom
Root cause
Decided at
Sash drop
Sash binds at the lock side, gap at the hinge side
Hinge class undersized for the actual glazed sash mass
Specification
Edge condensation
Water on the lowest 100 mm of glass and on the frame
Aluminium spacer with an uncoated unit in a cool frame
Specification
Unit fogging
Permanent haze between the panes, 3 to 10 years in
PIB continuity failure at a corner, or desiccant saturated at manufacture
Class 1 powder used on a coastal elevation; AAMA 2603-grade film
Specification
Four of the six are decided before the order reaches the factory, which is the practical argument for spending time on the glass build-up and the spacer rather than on negotiating the unit price.
Warranty exclusions to read before signing
Glass breakage after delivery – covered by marine insurance, not by the product warranty.
Condensation – excluded almost universally, because it depends on room humidity and ventilation, which the supplier does not control.
Exposure above the coating class – a Class 1 powder installed 300 m from the sea is normally excluded.
Units installed without the specified drainage or with a sealed drainage path.
Damage from alkaline building materials: wet cement at pH 12 to 13 attacks aluminium and voids the finish warranty.
Configuration C4: 24 mm polyamide break, 5-16Ar-5 Low-E with a warm-edge hybrid spacer, Uw 1.62 W/m²K, soft-coat emissivity 0.037, argon certified to EN 1279-3. Total 437 m² of window area on 240 openings, one 40 ft high cube plus one 20 ft. FOB USD 137 per m² at the 300 to 799 m² tier; delivered and installed USD 232 per m² at 6 % duty. The local alternative quoted was USD 339 per m² installed, a difference of 31.6 % or USD 46 750 on the package. Twelve months after handover there were zero condensation complaints against eleven logged on the previous single-glazed aluminium frames, and two service calls, both for handle adjustment after the first heating season.
Denver, United States – 68 windows, townhouse development at 1 609 m
Configuration C5 with a 6.4 mm laminated inner pane for hail, warm-edge spacer, capillary breather tubes on every unit for the 1 609 m elevation, NAFS R-PG40 with ASTM E1886 / E1996 small-missile compliance. Frame 34 mm polyamide, Uf 2.0, Uw 1.51. Delivered and installed USD 268 per m² against a local quote of USD 402 per m², a saving of 33.3 %. Without the breather tubes the site team measured an outward bow of 2.1 mm on the first two units delivered without them, which was the reason the tubes were retro-ordered for the balance of the shipment; the visual distortion was visible in reflected images at the third floor.
Selection Matrix
The decision between single, double and triple glazing, and between casement, hung and fixed, is a decision about which number has to be met. The table below is the short version.
Glazing levels compared
Parameter
Single 6 mm
Double 4-16Ar-4 Low-E
Triple 4-12Ar-4-12Ar-4 Low-E
Centre-of-glass Ug
5.8
1.08
0.72
Uw, 24 mm frame, warm edge
3.9
1.55
1.24
Glass mass kg/m2
15
21
32
Rw (approximate)
31 dB
30 dB
33 dB
FOB adder
baseline
+ USD 38 to 55 / m2
+ USD 70 to 103 / m2
Sash weight, 1 200 x 1 500
38 kg
52 kg
72 kg
Condensation at 40 % RH, -5 C
Yes
No
No
Where it is correct
Sheds, internal screens
Most code regimes
Passive-class targets
Opening type compared
Parameter
Casement
Tilt and turn
Double hung
Sliding
Fixed
Air permeability (EN 12207)
Class 3 to 4
Class 3 to 4
Class 2 to 3
Class 2 to 3
Class 4
Water tightness (EN 12208)
7A to 9A
7A to 9A
5A to 7A
4B to 6B
9A
Frame fraction
0.26 to 0.30
0.26 to 0.30
0.30 to 0.36
0.22 to 0.28
0.12 to 0.18
Ventilation area
Full
Full or trickle
50 % max
50 % max
None
Sash mass limit
Hinge-limited
Hinge-limited
Balance-limited
Roller-limited
n/a
Cleaning above ground floor
Restricted
Internal cleaning
Tilt-in sash
Restricted
External access
Where the project brief calls for aluminum casement windows – the North American spelling of the same product – the specification logic is identical: the sash is hinged and compressed, so air performance is the best available and the governing limits are hinge class and sash mass. The only differences are the ratings system (NAFS instead of EN) and the glass safety code (ANSI Z97.1 instead of EN 12600).
When aluminium is the wrong answer
Heritage or conservation projects where the sightline has to match a timber section.
Budget below roughly USD 90 per m² delivered, where uPVC reaches the same U-value for less and the larger profile depth is acceptable.
Sites with on-site cutting and fabrication only, because thermal break profiles cannot be modified in the field.
Direct contact with wet concrete or CCA-treated timber without a separation layer – both attack aluminium.
Where a very slim sightline under 40 mm is required and the span exceeds about 1 200 mm; steel or a structural glazed system is the answer.
RFQ Checklist
Technical – eight lines to send
Glass build-up in full: pane thickness, coating and surface number, cavity width, gas type and concentration, spacer type.
Required Uw and the calculation standard: EN ISO 10077-1 or NFRC 100, plus the reference size the value is declared for.
Wind load: design pressure in kPa or psf, and the standard (EN 12210, AS 2047, NAFS PG).
Safety glazing requirement: tempered, heat-soak, laminated, and the class (EN 12600, ANSI Z97.1, CPSC Cat II).
Acoustic and solar targets: Rw in dB, g value and light transmission.
Site elevation above sea level, and whether breather tubes are required.