The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has released an updated technical manual providing generic descriptions and test methods for insulating glass units (IGUs) utilizing box spacer constructions. IGMA TM-2000-26, Test Methods and Quality Assurance Criteria for Box Spacers Used for Insulating Glass Units, an FGIA document, is now available for purchase in the FGIA online store. This document was last updated in 1982.
“The box spacers defined in these test methods are typically fabricated from metal, plastic or a combination of those two,” said Amy Becker, FGIA Glass Products Specialist and staff liaison for the FGIA Quality Assurance for Insulating Glass Spacers Task Group. “They are used at the edges of an IGU to provide the desired spacing of the lites and allow areas for sealant application. They are also used to store desiccant material for the purpose of dehydrating the cavity.”
Methods for gauging sealant acceptance, air flow and compression characteristics, and workmanship against quality control criteria are addressed. The spacers defined in these test methods are to accept a primary edge sealant designed to minimise moisture vapour and argon diffusion between the cavity and the external environment.
IGMA TM-2000-26, as well as other documents available from FGIA, may be purchased from the online store at the discounted member rate of USD 25 or the non-member price of USD 70.