Marg Webb, IGMA - At the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance’s (IGMA) 2013 Annual Conference, held February 5-8 in New Orleans, Louisiana, many of IGMA’s task groups and committees held meetings. These groups met to discuss document updates and industry issues.
Document Updates
During the conference, the following IGMA documents were reviewed:
Design Considerations for Multiple Cavity IGUs – All comments were reviewed and the document was approved. The document will proceed to IGMA’s Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA Board of Directors. Publication is expected in summer 2013.
The Design Considerations for Multiple Cavity IGUs Task Group will begin work on dimensional tolerances of multiple cavity IGUs.
Guidelines to Reduce Thermal Stress – All comments were reviewed and the document was approved. The document will proceed to IGMA’s Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA Board of Directors. Publication is expected in summer 2013.
Design Considerations for use of Capillary Tubes – All comments were reviewed from the joint IGMA/GANA ballot and the document was approved. The document will also be balloted to Glass Association of North America’s (GANA) Insulating Glass Division. Once approved, the document will proceed to IGMA’s Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA Board of Directors.
Setting Blocks Technical Bulletin – The final ballot of this document refers to the appropriate use of setting blocks in double and multiple cavity IGUs. The technical bulletin is a companion piece to TM-3000-90(04), IGMA Glazing Guidelines for Insulating Glass Units for Commercial and Residential Use. The bulletin is intended to be distributed to window manufacturers to ensure the correct size, strength and placement of setting blocks particularly in multiple cavity IGUs.
Also during the Annual Conference, IGMA’s Technical Policy Committee finalized the IGMA glossary document, TB-1700-13, Language of Sealed Insulating Glass Units.
Additional Information
IGMA has agreed to provide the majority of the funding required to develop the models for the development of an ASTM standard for the thermal stress for IGUs. Total funding required to develop the standard is $75,000. Previous solicitations to the industry for funding have been unsuccessful due to the economic hardships experienced by the glass industry. IGMA plans to contact other organizations to determine if there is interest in participating.
