I'm in contact with these guys today, I should have the pricing outlined along with some specific questions by the end of the day. Here's today's progress with the Gorilla Glass people:
The following is a brief Q&A with the producer(s) and a distributor of Gorilla Glass that occurred on 06/28/10:
(1): Why is it called
Gorilla Glass when you specify the quotes are un-strengthened? Isn't Gorilla Glass supposed to be amazingly strong at very thin gauges?Â
--You'll have to ask Corning about why they named their aluminosilicate material Gorilla Glass. The un-strengthened glass is no stronger than most regular flat glass products of similar thickness.
(2): Are glass shops able to cut, rip, de-burr & dull edges on this type of glass without destroying the panes of strengthened Gorilla Glass?
--You can cut the un-strengthened glass just as you would cut/process other flat glass products. Once the glass has been strengthened however, the glass cannot be cut without shattering the part.
(3): What is the pricing for treating the glass to be "strong" or real "Gorilla Glass"?
--The pricing for strengthened Gorilla Glass depends on the size, thickness and quantity. Give me an idea of what you're looking for and I can provide pricing. Lead time for strengthened glass is about 4 weeks.
(4): What are the reflective properties compared to, say, a standard single-pane sheet of glass? Once treated, how does this affect clarity, reflectivity and tint?
--The same as traditional flat glasses. Not affected by IOX or different than other glasses.
(5) The pricing I'm requesting is for the following sizes: 11"x15" (qty. 2). I'm unsure about thickness at the moment; if it's really strong, then a very thin gauge is our goal. The application is to use the gorilla glass against book pages as a photo-scanning platen; the glass needs to be strong enough to flatten pages--this means there will be moderate torsional force across the panes as they press several hundred curved pages to a uniform flattened state. The platen is lifted and re-pressed in a repetitive process. Would a very thin-gauge-treated sheet of gorilla glass be strong enough to support this procedure? (see attached photo--and I don't need gorilla glass for the smaller adjoining parts [those pieces are acrylic sheet + silicone integration]).
-- In your application, are you more concerned about the impact resistance and scratch resistance of the strengthened Gorilla Glass or the rigidity of the material.?
(5.A) We're interested in overal strength at very thin gauges and scratch-resistance is obviously a high priority because the book makes contact with the glass pane hundreds-of-thousands of times, repetitively. (I've seen stress-tests where the glass actually bends under extreme pressure.) Impact-resistance really doesn't come into play with this application. Although the platen comes in contact with book pages, we're not throwing objects at the glass or dropping it. It's a manually operated device at present.
(5.B)
--The chemical strengthening process is a batch process. Price for 2 pieces will be relatively high. Since you are still in the design evaluation stage, I would recommend that you get two 11" x 15" pieces in each of the following thickness....0.55mm, 0.7mm and 1.1mm. Total price for the 6 pieces will be about the same as the total price for only two pieces of just one thickness. Pricing for two pieces of strengthed Gorilla Glass in a 11" x 15" x 0.55mm size is $250 each. Pricing for six total pieces of strengthened 11" x 15" Gorilla glass in the three thicknesses mentioned about is $80.00 each.
(5.C)I get a better deal if I order & buy in a batch of multiple gauges? It sounds like you believe I shouldn't need the 2mm gauge for glass panes this size? In general pricing terms, does cost go up to treat thinner or thicker gauges of gorilla glass? Can you break down the pricing for me or send a URL link that provides a more detailed cost to size, price, and treat (strengthen)? I'd like to see price charts per sq. inch of each gauge and cutting charges, etc. I'll consider ordering the different gauges as a testing phase--this is a good idea--but I just need a little time to look at the spec sheets and pricing before I pull the trigger.
(6) Is Gorilla glass a recyclable product? Are there environmentally toxic materials and/or chemicals used to make this glass reach it's "gorilla" strengthened state?
--it is considered green as it contains no arsenic or antimony. It is RoHS compliant.
(7): FInally, are there any anti-glare treatments that also retain optical clarity while minimizing tinting in the pane?
--I am unfamiliar with anti-glare treatments but I can give you two contact names/companies who should be able to help you out:
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     John Schmlling
     EuropTec
     email:Â
John.Schmeling@europtec.com
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     Ryan O'Connell
     Cat i Glass
     email:Â
ryan@catiglass.com <
ryan@catiglass.com
Let me know if you need any additional info.
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Regards,
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Ben
Marathon Glass