Zytronic of Newcastle has introduced a way of delivering power through glass invisibly, calling it Electroglaz.
Electroglaz is completely transparent and can be used to ‘magically’ power a near limitless variety of low power, electronic and electrotechnical devices embedded within a glass panel,” said company marketing director Ian Crosby. “Potential applications include LED lit display cases and shelving units for museums, art galleries and high-end retail stores.”
It can also be combined with Zytronic’s multi-touch projected capacitive technology for user interactivity, as well as its ‘ZyBrid’ hover sensing, which detects user actions up to 30mm away from the surface.
Conductivity, at up to 50V and 3A, is through a bespoke lamination of two or more conductive transparent glass panels, allowing power transfer across the inner conductive coatings within the insulated surfaces of the laminate.
Objects-to-be-powered sit in an apertures – typically 30 to 100mm – machined into the laminated glass.
The standard version is four-layer (see diagram) with the two inner glass layers back-to-back with conductors on the outside (labelled A1, A2). Machining is such that these two layers stick out from one outside edge of the assembly a millimetre to allow power to be introduced, and protrude into the apertures so that power can be extracted.
Sheets up to 1m x1.8m are available, with the maximum number of machined mounting holes depending on sheet and aperture sizes.
“The design options available are almost limitless,” said the company. “As a design guide, there should be a minimum of 2x the aperture diameter between each hole, and also from the glass edges. We will closely consult with each customer depending upon their individual project requirements.” The final assembly can be taken though any applicable electrical safety tests and certifications.
All of Zytronic’s manufacturing processes are in-house. According to the company, samples and prototypes of Electroglaz can be fabricated within a few days or weeks.
Applications are foreseen taking power to USB sockets, induction charging pads, motors, fans, security cameras, security sensors, air monitoring units in air conditioning systems and small displays.
Source: electronicsweekly
