The AG glass advantages and surface treatments

Step Into AG Glass

 

AG glass isn't a new concept but originate from Europe. The first piece of AG glass born in Germany, there also a story about the born of AG glass.

 

 

In Europe museum, the world famous painting protected by a piece of common glass. When light on common glass surface, it makes visitors hard to watch the painting due to glare, then they're thinking how to change the glass surface nature to reduce reflection.

To meet such requirement, a Germany company use frosting technology to produce world's first piece AG glass.

 

As technology keep making progress, the application of AG glass is expanding. The AG glass initially used in controller and then expand to civil sectors like medicals, aerospace, outdoor monitors etc.

 

In recent years, as popular and development of consumer electronics, AG glass widely used in them like phone back cover, car display cover, tablet cover and front EPD cover,etc, AG glass even became standard in tablet and EPD front light.

 

As AG glass market keep expansion, display industries stuff should understand systematic to AG glass to match product development needs.

 

For this article, we detail explain AG glass advantages, processing classification and surface treatments.

 

1.The advantage of AG glass

 

AG glass(Anti glare glass or anti reflective glass), Apple named AG glass a new name: Nano texture glass.

 

The nano texture glass is similar to chemically acid etching AG glass but more outstanding in detail effects.

 

Common understand, AG glass is a kind of special treatment to glass surface. After processed the glass surface from gloss reflective into rough without reflection, means glass surface with uneven micro structure.

 

Since AG glass market keep expansion, got the good fame from Apple and applied in Apple Ipad Pro products, there lots of advantages:

1.Anti glare to reduce environment light disturbance.

 

Since AG glass with uneven rough structures surface, compare to common glosss surface structure light from mirror like reflection into diffuse reflection(scatter). In rough surface structure, light can reflect in different direction(irregular reflection).

 

Compare AG glass to common glass, it has low reflection rate(light reflection rate from 8% down to below 1%), which can reduce environment reflection disturbance, improve display readable angles, reduce screen reflection and improve visual effect to screen.

 

The difference between anti glare and anti reflective:

 

2.Anti scratch

 

The AG glass uses special processing technologies like acid etching or spray to form a special structure in glass surface. This structure not only change glass surface roughness and also makes AG glass surface with better hardness and anti scratch, improve glass surface anti scratch ability.

 

To understand from another way, the AG glass capables to anti glare to reduce glass surface reflection rate(AG glass surface even has slight scratch, due to low reflection rate on surface it can't be found easily.

 

3.Skin friendly texture avoid fingerprint

 

The AG glass surface with tiny particles and uneven structure makes finger feel very tiny sand feeling when touch, give a kind of soft skin friendly texture.

Besides, AG glass surface with uneven microstructure to prevent fingerprints and oils from become continuous marks. Instead, they dispersed into tiny particles and reduce residue and visibility. Most of the AG glass now includes anti fingerprint(AF) coating to improve resistance too.

 

Techniques of AG glass processing

 

The AG glass produced mainly by 2 processes, just different by product size: Small piece and medium piece processes, both outlined below by chemical etching AS as an example:

 

1.Small piece process

Large glass cut and CNC machines into small pieces, screen printed with acid resistant ink(Protect camera holes from AG etching), then chemically etch and finish with standard post processing.

 

*High camera hole concentricity (tolerance ±0.1mm), no strict positioning control needed, high CNC efficiency, small etching area reducing chemical consumption and extending bath life.

 

*AG surface treatment on small pieces increases scratch and chipping risks in later stages, raising costs; outsourcing etching adds logistics and lead time.

 

2.Medium piece process

Large sheets are cut, screen-printed with acid-resistant ink, chemically etched, then CNC-machined into small pieces before final processing.

 

*Lower scratch/chipping rates, higher yield, better efficiency in lower cost.

*Lower camera-hole concentricity (tolerance ±0.15mm) due to post-etch CNC machining, larger etching area increases chemical consumption and shorten bath life.

 

Choice between processes depends on project requirements and priorities.

 

Different treatments of AG methods

 

Normally there are 3 ways: chemical etching, spraying, and film lamination.

 

1.Chemical Etching AG

Dominant in mid-to-high-end consumer electronics (phones, tablets, automotive, laptops), this process uses hydrofluoric acid (HF) to etch the glass surface, transforming it from smooth to microscopically rough, scattering light via refraction.

 

Key factors:

Different residual salt solubility yields glossy or matte finishes.

Glass composition (e.g., Corning, Panda, Rainbow, Longji, Asahi) requires tailored etching conditions.

Etchant formulation affects final surface morphology.

 

2.Spraying AG

A physical process applying nano-silica particle suspension via spray, then baking to form a rough film. Faster and more flexible, it suits low-to-mid-end and larger-sized products.

 

3.Film Lamination AG

Originally used in auto rearview mirrors to reduce glare, now applied in EPD front-light products with stylus pens to mimic paper writing feel. A structured film is laminated onto glass, composite, or PMMA covers to reduce glare and reflection.