All About Glass Showcases

Benefits of Glass

Structural Strength

Glass is self-supporting because it has a higher tensile and shear strength than acrylic. Therefore, glass showcases can be designed on a larger scale.

Low Maintenance

Glass does not mar or scratch easily and is easy to disinfect. It can be cleaned with a standard glass cleaner without concern for damaging the finish.

Longevity

Glass showcases can last 10+ years. Due to its long lifespan, glass cases are often used in long-term permanent exhibits.

Accessibility

Due to the weight and rigidity of glass, cases often are built with features to make it easy to access the case, such as hinged doors or gas lifters.

Construction Methods

Framing

Glass showcases are often created using a metal or wood frame that the glass panels are attached to. The frames are typically simple in design to avoid distracting viewers from the object on display.

UV-Bonding

To create UV-bonded vitrines, an adhesive is applied to the edges of the panels to be joined, and then cured using concentrated UV light. This results in clear, transparent, bubble-free joints.

UV-Bonding Joint Methods

Butt Joint

A technique in which two pieces of material are joined by simply placing their ends together without any special shaping.

Mitered Joint

A mitered joint is created by joining two pieces of glass cut at 45-degree angles to fit together forming a 90-degree corner.

Types of Glass

Resources_Laminated Safety Glass Example

Laminated Safety Glass

GA® Case Lines
Standard: Curator, Charter | Optional: Sierra, Paxton

Made from two panels of glass with vinyl film between them. With impact, the glass will shatter but remain in one piece.
UV-filtering
The most expensive and preferred conservation option

Tempered Glass

GA® Case Lines
Sierra, Paxton, Sedgwick, Eastwood

Heated twice to increase durability, the glass breaks into multi-sided pieces with impact.
Not UV-filtering

Low-Iron Glass

All glass types have a color tint due to iron used during manufacture. Water white glass, also known as low-iron glass, lessens the color tint and has an anti-reflective surface for increased clarity.

Other Considerations

Glass is 50% heavier than acrylic which will directly impact shipping costs and access to the display space.
Less fabricators work with museum-quality glass and casework which leads to long lead times.
During shipping, glass cases require crating and delicate handling to prevent damage.
While the actual glass itself is low maintenance, access features such as hinged doors and gas lifters require regular maintenance.