Why thin triples are the future of triple glazing

Written by edgetechig-admin

Quick answer: Thin triples, advanced triple glazing units with an ultra-thin centre pane, offer all the benefits of traditional triple glazing without the weight or installation challenges. Backed by Edgetech’s cutting-edge Super Spacer® technology, they are set to transform how IGU manufacturers, fabricators, and installers meet energy targets.

This post explains what skinny triples are, how they differ from traditional triple glazing, why they are gaining momentum across the UK industry, and how Edgetech’s warm edge spacer technology sits at the heart of making them work.

The next evolution in window glazing

The demand for energy-efficient building solutions continues to grow, driven by tightening regulations, rising energy costs, and eco-conscious homeowners. For years, triple glazing has been touted as the gold standard for thermal performance. Yet widespread adoption in the UK has lagged, largely due to issues around cost, weight, and complexity.

Enter thin triples, a new generation of insulated glass units (IGUs) that deliver superior energy efficiency, a reduction in external noise, and durability without requiring a complete overhaul of the systems already in place. The central engineering challenge in a thin triple unit is holding an ultra-thin glass pane in precise position throughout manufacturing, sealing and the lifetime of the unit.

What are thin triples?

Thin triples, or skinny triples, are triple-glazed insulated glass units that use an ultra-thin inner glass pane in the centre typically between 0.5mm-2mm thick. Unlike conventional triple glazing, which uses three thicker panes of glass, thin triples reduce the thickness and weight of the middle pane while maintaining thermal integrity.

How thin triples compare to traditional triple glazing

The triple glazing challenges are well known; conventional triple glazed units are heavier, more expensive, harder to manufacture, and more difficult to transport and install. The additional weight also places greater strain on window and door hardware requiring upgraded and costlier systems. Thin triples offer the performance of conventional triple glazed units without the weight, cost, and complexity.

Why are thin triples in the spotlight?

1. Minimal Disruption to Existing Systems

Thin triples can be fitted into the standard 70mm frame profiles used across most UK buildings. This means no redesigns or expensive modifications.

2. Lighter, Faster, Easier to Install

By using a 1mm or similarly thin centre pain, thin triples drastically reduced the weight increase usually associated with triple glazing. This makes them practical for both new builds and retrofits, particularly where handling heavy panes of glass is a concern.

3. Enhanced Comfort for Homeowners

Thin triples offer:

• Lower heat loss thanks to lower U-Values
• Enhanced solar heat gain
• Reduced likelihood of condensation
• Significant noise reduction, making homes quieter

Edgetech’s Super Spacer®: The technology making skinny triples possible

Edgetech’s Super Spacer® Premium has been at the centre of warm edge glazing since 1989. It was the world’s first non-metallic spacer system, built from structural silicone foam with integrated desiccant, and it remains the benchmark for flexible warm edge performance.

Several of its properties are particularly relevant to skinny triple manufacture:

• Flexible enough to accommodate sub-millimetre centre panes
• Supports a single outer seal, unlike traditional double-sealed units
• Eliminates extra production steps, reducing manufacturing time and cost
• Maintains the structural performance of the unit, even with ultra-thin inner panes
• Inclusion of Super Spacer eliminates PIB ingression and enhances the aesthetics of the unit
• Proven to reduce noise transmission by up to 2dB

An innovative partnership

Quanex and Forel worked in partnership on the encapsulation of a central thin pane of glass within a sealed unit, with the flexibility and precision of Edgetech’s Super Spacer® allowing for the central pane to be assembled with sub-millimetre accuracy, ensuring structural integrity and thermal performance regardless of whether the centre pane is as thin as 0.5mm. The result is a triple glazed unit that’s not only lighter but can also be produced at a similar speed as a standard double glazed unit.

The modified Forel High Speed Line enables production of thin triples for high performance triple glazed units compatible with existing 70mm window systems.

The commercial case for skinny triples in the UK market

The timing for skinny triples in the UK could not be better aligned with market forces.

Energy targets

Thin triples help meet stringent Future Homes Standard goals without expanding frame depths or redesigning profiles. Installers will be able to achieve U values closer to or even below 1.0 W/m²K or lower, essential for next-generation energy savings and thermal comfort, especially in cold climates.

The replacement market

Approximately 25% of a home’s heat is lost through windows, making glazing replacement one of the most impactful upgrades available to homeowners. For years, the replacement market has been limited to double glazing because conventional triple-glazed units would not fit existing frames without costly modifications. Thin triples, fitting a standard 28mm cavity, open the replacement market to genuine triple glazing for the first time at scale.

Weight savings change the installation equation

A conventional triple-glazed unit can weigh up to 50% more than its double-glazed equivalent. That creates challenges at every stage, from transport to on-site handling, hardware selection and long-term load on fixing systems. Skinny triples reduce weight dramatically, remaining only marginally heavier than a standard double-glazed unit. That means existing hardware, existing sills and existing frame systems can be retained.

No need to retool the factory

Perhaps the most commercially significant advantage for IGU manufacturers is that skinny triple production runs on the same Forel High Speed Line used for standard double-glazed units. Manufacturers already investing in automation can add thin triple capability without starting from scratch.

A premium product with genuine market differentiation

For installers and fabricators facing intense price competition on standard double glazing, skinny triples offer a path to a genuinely premium, differentiated product. A unit that achieves 0.8 W/m²K in a standard 28mm size is something measurably different from the commodity end of the market.

For the supply chain as a whole, skinny triples represent the most practical path to widespread triple glazing adoption in the UK without the systemic disruption that has held the market back for a decade.

 

Find out more with Edgetech

Edgetech’s warm edge spacer technology, specifically the flexibility and precision of Super Spacer®, is the component that makes this possible at the tolerances required. The company has invested in the machinery partnership, the product development and the field presence at international events to bring this to the UK market at exactly the right moment.

To find out how Edgetech can support your business in adopting thin triple technology, become a registered Edgetech partner or explore the full product range.