Facilities

Thermal Performance & U-Value Assessment

Our custom guarded hot plate system delivers thermal transmittance measurement at a spatial resolution that allows the heat flow through a single sub-millimetre support pillar to be resolved at milliwatt precision. No comparable commercial instrument exists. This capability underpins rigorous, traceable U-value assessment for VIG units, components and novel glazing configurations, and can be combined with HotBox measurements for full system and frame-level evaluation.

Mechanical Testing & Failure Assessment

We assess the structural response and failure behaviour of glass plates, IGU and VIG units across the full range of relevant loading conditions — point loads, uniform wind pressure, thermal gradients and impact events. Testing is supported by FEM simulation, allowing measured results to be interpreted within a rigorous analytical framework and extrapolated directly to product design decisions.

Methods: point-load testing, surface and wind load assessment, HotBox thermal loading, impact testing, FEM simulation support.

Pillar-Scale Thermal & Mechanical Testing

Individual support pillars are the most thermally and mechanically critical components in a VIG. We have developed dedicated test infrastructure to characterise pillar performance in isolation — measuring compressive strength, elastic and plastic deformation, friction, shear response and local thermal conductance as a function of geometry, material and surface condition. This level of component-scale insight is essential for optimising pillar design and is unique to Mihana Tech.

Surface Analysis & Materials Characterisation

Comprehensive surface and thin-film analysis for coatings, interlayers and VIG-relevant materials. We characterise composition, bonding, film thickness, optical properties, surface roughness and morphology using a suite of complementary techniques spanning spectroscopy, microscopy and profilometry.

Techniques: Residual Gas Analysis (RGA), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), ellipsometry, UV-Visible / NIR spectrophotometry, optical microscopy, SEM, profilometry.

Low-E Coating & Optical Performance Evaluation

Low-emissivity coatings are the primary driver of radiation suppression in a VIG cavity. We characterise coating emissivity, transmittance, reflectance and spectral performance using both spectroscopic and thermal methods, covering as-deposited performance, post-process degradation and long-term environmental stability. This supports coating selection, process validation and product qualification.

Vacuum Behaviour, Outgassing & Long-Term Stability

Vacuum integrity over the product lifetime is the defining challenge of VIG manufacturing. We assess outgassing rates, cavity pressure evolution and getter performance using specialised vacuum instrumentation and controlled sample configurations. These measurements directly inform seal design, manufacturing process parameters and lifetime prediction.

Acoustic & Environmental Performance

VIG products increasingly compete on acoustic performance alongside thermal insulation. We support sound transmission loss assessment for VIG units under standards-relevant conditions, alongside broader environmental performance testing including humidity, temperature cycling and UV exposure.

Prototyping, Component Production & Tailored Testing

Our facility access extends beyond standard measurement into prototype preparation and component production. We can fabricate and test custom pillar geometries, assess novel edge seal configurations and design bespoke test protocols matched to your specific product development questions. If a standard test doesn't exist for what you need to know, we will build one.

System Design & Engineering

We design vacuum systems from first principles — selecting pump technologies, chamber geometries, conductance paths, valve configurations and instrumentation to match your target pressure range and process requirements. Designs are validated against analytical models before build, reducing costly rework. We cover rough, high and ultra-high vacuum regimes.

Build & Fabrication

Custom vacuum chambers, manifolds and system assemblies are fabricated in-house or procured and integrated to specification. We have experience with stainless steel, aluminium and glass-based systems and can incorporate custom feedthroughs, viewports, heating elements, sample stages and getter assemblies as required by your application.

Simulation & Modelling

Before committing to hardware, we model vacuum system performance computationally — including gas flow and conductance simulation, outgassing load estimation, pump-down curve prediction and thermal behaviour under process conditions. This reduces development risk and supports design iteration without physical prototypes.

Diagnostics & Leak Detection

Systematic vacuum diagnostics to identify and resolve performance issues in new and existing systems. We perform partial pressure analysis using Residual Gas Analysis (RGA), helium leak detection, pump throughput characterisation and outgassing rate measurement to isolate causes of pressure instability or contamination.

Techniques: RGA, helium leak testing, base pressure profiling, throughput measurement, virtual and real leak discrimination.

Outgassing & Material Qualification

Material selection is critical to achieving and sustaining target vacuum levels. We characterise outgassing rates of candidate materials — metals, polymers, glasses, adhesives and coatings — under controlled conditions, providing data that directly informs component selection and bake-out protocol design.

Getter Design & Performance Testing

Getters are integral to long-term vacuum retention in sealed devices including VIG. We assess getter capacity, activation behaviour and sorption performance as a function of geometry, material and installation configuration, supporting both product design and lifetime modelling.

Process & Testing Tools

We develop bespoke test fixtures and measurement tools for vacuum process characterisation — including custom sample holders, in-situ measurement rigs, controlled-atmosphere exposure cells and automated data acquisition setups. If your process requires a test capability that does not exist commercially, we will design and build it.

Examples: pillar-scale thermal conductance rigs, sealed-cavity pressure evolution monitors, controlled outgassing test cells.

Plasma System Design & Engineering

We design plasma systems — including RF, DC and magnetron sputtering sources, ion beam systems and plasma cleaning tools — to meet defined process targets. Design work encompasses source geometry, power delivery, impedance matching, gas handling, chamber configuration and substrate handling, tailored to your deposition or treatment application.

Build & System Integration

Plasma systems and subsystems are assembled, integrated and commissioned to specification. We have hands-on experience integrating RF and DC power supplies, matching networks, mass flow controllers, pressure regulation and in-situ diagnostics into complete, functional systems ready for process development or production use.

Process Simulation & Modelling

Plasma process behaviour is modelled computationally prior to system build or process optimisation. Simulation capabilities include plasma discharge modelling, ion energy distribution estimation, target erosion prediction and thin-film deposition rate modelling — enabling faster convergence on target process conditions and reducing experimental iteration.

Plasma Diagnostics

In-situ and ex-situ diagnostic techniques are applied to characterise plasma conditions and validate process performance. We use optical emission spectroscopy (OES) for plasma chemistry monitoring, Langmuir probe measurements for plasma density and electron temperature, and RGA for residual gas and process gas composition analysis.

Techniques: OES, Langmuir probe, RGA, mass spectrometry, film thickness monitoring, reflectometry.

Thin-Film & Coating Characterisation

Coatings produced by plasma processes are characterised for composition, bonding, optical properties, emissivity, thickness and morphology using a suite of complementary surface analysis techniques available in-house. This closes the loop between process development and coating performance, enabling rapid optimisation of deposition conditions.

Techniques: XPS, ellipsometry, UV-Vis/NIR spectrophotometry, SEM, profilometry, thermal emissivity measurement.

Low-E Coating Development & Validation

Low-emissivity coatings are the primary thermal performance lever in VIG. We support the development and qualification of low-E stacks — from target material selection and sputter process development through to durability, environmental stability and optical performance validation against specification and international standards.

Testing Tools & Custom Process Equipment

We design and fabricate custom test fixtures, substrate holders, masking systems and in-situ monitoring tools for plasma process development and qualification. Where standard commercial equipment does not meet the measurement or process need, we engineer the solution — from concept through to validated, working hardware.