Why Quality Control is more than a tick-box exercise
Quality isn't measured by just one thing.
It's multiple elements coming together to make a truly high-quality product. The best glass still needs the right handling, the right people and the right processes to produce a high-quality Insulated Glass Unit (IGU).
When you order an IGU, you want to know it's been made with care, checked, tested and signed off by a team that takes it seriously. Not once or twice. Every time.
Led by Steve Carr, QC Manager, we complete quality control checks up to two or three times a day. In a high-volume manufacturing environment, keeping tabs on the details matters. Regular, structured testing throughout the day means Steve can catch product anomalies or manufacturing issues early, before they become a problem, and long before they reach a customer.
Taking ownership
Steve brings a high level of attention to detail to every stage of the testing process. It’s more than a checklist; it’s a robust, time-proven system that builds ownership and accountability across the business, improving both quality and service delivery.
Our quality control process covers everything from incoming materials through to the finished IGU. By carrying out checks multiple times a day, we create repeated opportunities to confirm products are being manufactured correctly and to the required specification.
What we test, and why it matters
Every IGU is only as good as the sum of its parts.
Our testing process doesn’t focus on the finished unit alone; rather, it runs through every material, process and stage of production.
For example, desiccant, which is critical for preventing moisture within the unit, is tested twice per shift and at every material change. A measured amount is added to temperature-controlled water, and the temperature rise is monitored to confirm it remains “active.”
Seal performance is also rigorously tested. The primary seal (butyl) is weight-checked twice per shift across all machines to ensure the correct application to the spacer bar.
Secondary seals (polysulphide and two-part silicone) undergo multiple checks each shift, including:
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Ratio check – in this process, the material is metered from the machine in an unmixed state; these materials are then weighed to ensure the correct mixing ratio is being used.
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Shore A hardness check – Material is taken from the machine and pressed between two pieces of glass. When cured, the top piece of glass is removed, and the hardness of the material is measured using a Shore A hardness tester.
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Butterfly test – Butyl (primary seal) is applied to one edge of a three-sided spacer bar of specific size. This is then placed between two pieces of glass, as if manufacturing a sealed unit. The unit is then sealed with polysulphide (secondary seal) on the butyled length. Once cured, the two pieces of glass are manipulated apart (like a butterfly) to check adhesion.
Our argon and krypton-filled glass units are checked at various times of the day using specialist equipment that measures gas content directly. And for toughened glass, we carry out both a three-point bend test and a fragmentation test on every production run, confirming the glass meets compliance standards before anything moves further down the line.
The value to you
Our customers trust Ecoglass to deliver consistently high-quality products because we take ownership, go the extra mile, and always act with integrity in their interests.
Quality control at Ecoglass isn't a box-ticking exercise or a compliance formality. It's a reflection of the care we put into everything we make, and the respect we have for the people who rely on our products.
There's a significant amount of work that happens behind the scenes to make sure every unit that leaves our facility is one we're proud to put our name to. Steve and the team show up for that work every day. And that's the kind of quality you can trust.