Crate for a Travelling Exhibition

 

I was accepted along with others on the basis of a proposal to exhibit with a travelling exhibition organised by the Scottish Glass Society.

This will be packed and unpacked by other people at least four times during the exhibition year. My experience with helping to pack up the Collect work exhibited by craftscotland showed me the need to prepare the packing properly.

I decided to build a crate with custom fittings to cushion the work from any damage. I felt when I finished that it was such a simple arrangement that others may benefit from a description of what I did.

The crate can be made from a variety of materials, of bourse, but wood is easiest for me.  I used some plywood offcuts to form the base and sides.  The ends were formed from 3 ply plywood with 19 by 45mm timber cut and nailed to it.

The side rail does not have to be so large as I made it - just too lazy to cut it down. The side rail allows the top to be screwed to the sides holding them from expanding or bowing with the pressure of the packing materials.

I then cut 50mm thick polystyrene sheets to fit the case. These were attached together with "U" shaped copper wire stuck into them. The shape to fit the glass was cut with a heated cutting tool. It is a bit smelly and smokey, but does the job. When the shape for the glass was formed, a 10mm sheet had a collar cut out to go around the rim of the glass.

Note that the packaging is also numbered so that each piece is put back into the crate in the order required for transport. When the base layer and cradle for the glass are placed in the bottom of the crate, the glass is added.

Now the crate is ready to have the wooden part of the work packed. This shows the piece with the glass in the wooden cradle with the packaging around the "slipway".

The packaging for the "slipway" is put into the crate separately from the glass and packaging. You can see there is a layer of polystyrene between the glass and the wood.

Then the "slipway" is inserted into its cradle.

The polystyrene had holes made with the hot cutting tool to correspond to the supports for the glass. The holes are larger than the supports, so there is no pressure on them during transport.

Again the packaging is numbered. The final packing pieces are to be added now. Still each has its number!


The major pieces of packing are now added ready for the topping out!

Next add the essential tools and spares. In this case the tool is a two way spirit level so the piece is placed horizontally and level.

Then there is the necessary photo to show how the piece is to be displayed.

Finally the list of contents and instructions on installation.



Now the lid can be put on and screwed down. Note the locating marks on the lid to show how it fits without having to run new pilot holes for the screws. The screws to be removed are noted with an "X".





Screwing together to be solid and ready for delivery.





If the instructions are followed everything should be secure for delivery to the buyer!

P.S:  It came back in one piece. Unfortunately it did not sell during the exhibition, but it did later.

Craft Fair Checklist

www.madeurban.com

There are so many things you need to remember before starting off to the event you have signed up for.  A checklist can help reassure you have everything you need and are prepared for your visitors and customers.

Spread the word

Let everyone know about the fair – your acceptance, your preparations, what you are taking, what else is happening at the event, etc.  The more stall holders talking about the event, the wider the publicity will be, and it should attract more visitors.

Set up at home

Set out the floor space you will have and see how you can make your stand be the best.  Mock-ups at home allow trials of various displays.  Set up one day and leave it for the next.  Your immediate impression the next morning will tell you if it is right.  When you have the display right, photograph it so you have a reference at the setup at the show.

Design your own banner

Most big organisers will have a generic name board for your stand.  Everyone has that.  Your pitch can stand out if you have designed a banner which reflects your glass work and business logo.  It needs to be boldly visible and state the business name clearly.

Tool kit 

You need to have a box or bag of all the things you need to set up and sustain you for the event.  There are the things you need to operate during the show - a float of cash, pens, business cards, Publicity material, blu-tac, scissors, string, strong tape, wet wipes, polishing cloths, pens, phone charger, and a small notebook, tablecloth, price labels, bags, packaging,  a card reader, smart phone or internet connected tablet, directions to the venue, etc.  Your list will vary to some extent for your needs, but will be much the same for large and small events.

You need to think about yourself too.  Bring bottles of water, snacks, chewing gum or mints, tissues, a folding chair, anything else you need for sustenance for 6- to 10- hour days;  and a positive attitude.

Make it possible to carry all of it

Remember you have your set-up materials – stands, boxes, supports, and survival bag.  You also have to get your glass and packaging into the premises too.  How are you going to manage? Will a folding trolley be needed? Maybe some other carrying method will be better.  Pack things up and practice transporting them for a distance.  If it is too heavy, try other methods such as breaking the materials into smaller units.

Have your directions to the event with you

You need to be sure how to get to the venue to avoid any panics.  Make sure you have plenty of time to get to the place.  Being early allows you to have a rest and calm down after setting up and before the visitors enter.  Give yourself plenty of time to unload and park the car – everyone else is trying to do the same thing as you and at the same time.

Pricing 

Make your price list days before the fair, ideally as soon as you have finalised what glass you are taking.  Make sure all the glass is clearly priced, so the less confident buyers don’t have to ask. If you are selling online, the prices should be the same. You may want to offer discounted prices at the event, but the ticket price should be the same as online.

Business details

Bring business cards to hand out to people who cannot make the decision to buy on the day.  They may decide to buy later. A discount code written onto the card may stimulate a later purchase from the online shop.  Have publicity material available too – something about you, your glass, and your business.  Price lists are useful if you meet buyers and wholesalers.

Card reader

A method to take card payments is essential. A sign or logo indicating that you take card payments encourages people to purchase.  If you don’t already have one, give yourself enough time to get it, as it often takes at least a month.  And you have to get familiar with it before the show.

Web presence

Make sure that your website, your shop and your social media are up to date.  Events often cause more traffic to your sites, so they need to be ready before you leave for the event.  This means hiding anything that is one-off or difficult to replicate.  Sometime after the show they can re-appear.

Conversations

Be ready for the people you will be meeting with a variety of starters for the conversation with different visitors.  You will probably have a different conversation with a buyer than with the general run of visitors.  You want a conversation to get feedback on your glass and other things relevant to your glass, display and general presentation.  These also help discover what may fit the people who want to buy, or comment on your work in ways that can help you improve or even start new glass lines.  Have a notebook to record the feedback you get as soon as you can at the event.

Plan friendly, but not pushy conversation openers.  You can offer help in describing the qualities of your glass, rather than how it was made.  Be prepared to talk about yourself, your inspirations, how you work, etc.  Be interested in the visitors – their likes, desires, what they are looking from the event. 

It is from these conversations that you can expand your mailing list.  The people you have pleasant conversations with will be willing to join your mailing list and the social media you participate in.  Enjoy your event!

Engage with your neighbours 

If you are on your own for a long day, you will need help from them to cover for your toilet breaks at the least.  Friends you make at shows can become long-term and can be a source of information when you have questions.  They don’t have to be glass workers.  It is a good way to business network and get mutual support.

Based on an article written by Camilla from Folksy blog.folksy.com

First Kiln Selection

Glass fusing works best in top fired kilns.  Glass casting and some tall work are best with side or bottom elements too.  Compromises can be made of course.  The comparison of glass and ceramics kilns is important to understand.  

Kinds

Most of the following types of kilns are available for glass purposes.

Front loading.  These are good basic, multi-purpose kilns with good viewing properties.

Bell kiln.  This is where the whole of the heating chamber lifts up from the firing bed.  This is more common with very large kilns and is usually combined with lifting gear.

Clamshell kiln.  This is where the firing chamber is hinged, usually on the long side.  This kiln provides access from three sides. It can become too large to reach to the back of the kiln, so these tend to be rectangular.  The lid can also become too heavy for ease of movement and support.

Top loading.  Often called a coffin kiln, there are very good for casting or deep work, but are hard on your back while loading.  They need peep holes at appropriate levels to be able to monitor progress of the firing. These tend to have smaller floor areas than the clamshell.

Car kilns.  These are those where the firing chamber lifts like a bell kiln, but has the firing base on rails or tracks to move multiple firing bases under the firing chamber.

Modular kilns.  These are normally rounded kilns where each ring is controlled separately and can be placed on top of one another.  This is good for large heavy castings, as the refractory and glass reservoir can be placed on the base and the rings built up around the work.

All these kilns come in a variety of sizes.

Choose a kiln relevant to your current work.

The first thing you must decide is the kind and scale of work you intend to do in the near future.  It is too difficult to predict how your work might progress based on experiences with your current work.  It is better to by a smaller kiln that is ideal for the current work and then move to a different kiln, if necessary, or a kiln for different styles or scales of work.

The general advice is to buy as large a kiln as your budget and space and electrical installation will allow.  This remains the case with some precautions.  Think about how often you will fire - daily, a few times a week or a few times a month.   Think about how long it will take to fill the kiln.  A large kiln can take days or even a week to fill with small works. This would really limit the variety of things you could do in that period.  You would have to wait to slump until you had enough things fused to fill the space.  Indeed, you would need to have more moulds than if you had a smaller kiln.

I’m sure you can envisage a time when you will want to work larger than at present, but your first kiln will not become redundant.  It will continue to be useful throughout its long life.

Factors in the choice

Size. As already alluded, the size needs to fit with your current style and scale of work. 

Access.  How big a kiln can you get through the doorways?  How much bigger than actual external dimensions will the packaging make it upon delivery?  It is no use buying a kiln that must be taken apart, or all the packaging removed, to get it into your studio.  Of course, the wider the entrance(s) to your studio the easier it will be to get a larger kiln.  If you really need to have a large kiln, you might have to alter or move your studio space.  You also need to think about the kind of access to the studio.  Does the kiln have to come along the side of the house? Is the path paved or gravel? Stairs? Lift size? Parking for the delivery vehicle?

Space. The kiln also needs to fit into the space you have.  You will need about 15cm all around the outside dimensions for safety purposes.  This applies to ceramic kilns also, even though they routinely reach higher temperatures. The skin of the kiln does get hotter than is comfortable for your hand, but normally not hot enough to burn paper. You can reduce the front to back storage space by putting the kiln on wheels.  But the 15cm saved is not worth the time required to once again ensure that the kiln and shelves are level each time you move it. 

Accommodation also needs to consider access around the kiln to place work in the kiln, especially if you build elements in place on the shelf. 

Location within the studio is important, as the kiln needs to be near a power supply and in a place where it is away from the movement within the studio.

Power supply.  The nature of your power supply will also determine what size of kiln you should buy.  Note both the wattage and amperage required for the kiln and determine whether your household supply can cope with the energy requirements.  Usually a kiln can be run on household supply until it reaches the 1 metre² size, where three-phase power is required to have efficient use of the electricity.

Wattage. Kilns below the 1 metre² (approximately 1 square yard) in size have a need for at least 0.6 -1.2 watts per cm², or 4-8 watts per inch².  Once the kiln is larger, more power is required per area to accommodate the greater mass of the kiln.

Insulation.  All kilns require insulation.  This can be fibre or light weight brick, or a combination of the two.  These insulating bricks can be red hot internally, but only warm to the touch on the outside.  Generally, the refractory fibre – whether board or blanket – requires less energy to heat and cools more quickly in the critical devitrification range.  Most often the kiln floor will be made of brick to provide a firm base to support the kiln furniture.

Features

All kilns come with a range of features, many of them relevant to the size, but not all have the same ones, or the ones important to kiln forming.

Viewing ports.  These are variously called vents, ports, bung holes, etc.  Their importance is at least three-fold. 

·        These provide an opening(s) for you to view the progress of the firing, so you can add more time or heat, or skip to the next segment when adequate heat work has been completed earlier than expected.

·        They provide a means of venting the kiln.  This is important in the burn out of any fibre paper binders, and in allowing enough air to promote the oxidisation and maturation of the hot enamel colours.

·        These openings allow the kiln to safely cool more quickly at lower temperatures, say 300°C, but lower for thicker or more delicate pieces.

Opening.  The way the kiln opens is an important consideration.  Some kilns do not allow the kiln to be opened at all during firing.  This is not a desirable feature on a glass kiln.  It is important to have a switch that will turn the kiln off after a certain degree of opening, so that no contact can be made with a live element. 

·        A front opening kiln allows maximum flexibility to view the progress of slumps, drapes, tack and full fuse kilnforming.  It should have a switch to turn off the power to the elements after a certain degree of opening.

·        A top loading kiln allows you to add glass during a casting process, but is not suitable for working the glass during firings – E.g. combing, manipulation of a slump or drape.  This type of kiln occasionally has no allowance to open the top without turning off all the power to both the controller and the elements.  Avoid this, or have it changed.

·        A clamshell or bell kiln allows maximum accessibility during the loading phase and the forming stages.  Although a lot of heat is dumped forward, it is the easiest to use for combing and other manipulation of the glass during the firing. Again, this kiln needs a lid operated switch to cut the power to the elements when opened beyond a certain point.

Controller.  Although essential, controllers are often given as options, especially on smaller kilns.  There are at least two reasons for this.  There are a variety of controller styles and costs.  The buyer may already have their own controller, or wishes to specify the kind.  Controllers are significant costs involved in smaller kilns – sometimes being at least one-sixth of the price.  In general, the more features a controller has, the more it costs.

Controllers are often classified as “three-key”, or as full number pad.

·        The three-key controller – even if they have many more than three keys – is one where the numbers must be cycled through by holding an up or down arrow to change the numerical information.  This includes the programme number, segment number, time, rate, temperature, and sometimes other information. 

·        The full number pad controller will allow direct entry of numbers at each segment of the programming.  It will often have additional features, such as calculating the firing cost or kilowatts used, elapsed time, additional capacity for more saved programs, ability to control different areas of the kiln heating, etc.

Extras 

There are often things which will be worth considering purchase along with the kiln, but are not usually included in the base price.

Stands.  Smaller kilns range from table top - which do not need stands at all – through medium sized – which have optional stands – to larger ones that come with the stand integral to the whole kiln. Unless you intend to move your kiln about, it is not necessary to buy one of the metal stands. Even so, most of these stands come without wheels, so check that they do have wheels already attached.  If you will not be moving the kiln, you can use a wooden table with a refractory fibre board between the stub legs of the kiln and the table surface.  If the kiln does not have stub legs, you can set it on 4 house bricks. 

Kiln furniture. This consists of the refractory props and dams that will be needed in kilnforming.  The most essential are short (2.5cm) kiln posts to support the shelf.

Shelves.  Most shelves require a mullite/cordierite shelf to fire on.  This is a robust shelf that does not have the quartz/crystobalite inversions that ceramic shelves and tiles used for shelves have.  It is a good idea to buy one of these to fit your kiln at the time of purchase. Smaller kilns can use fibre board or vermiculite board as the shelf.  These can be purchased later.

Extractor fans.  These are available on many kilns. They are unnecessary on smaller kilns as they cool quickly anyway.  Larger kilns in a production environment may need quicker cooling, and these arrangements are very useful in those circumstances, but not others, as most kilns will cool in 8 – 16 hours without drawing air through the kiln.

There are a lot of other considerations in buying a kiln, but these are among the important ones, especially in selecting the first one.

Consignment – meeting the owner/buyer

When approaching the retailer keep several things in mind:

Prepare for the meeting

• Make an appointment, as the retailers’ focus is on selling. Buying is done in down time from the sales.
• Explain how you came to select the shop – this can include recommendations from people already represented by the store.
• Provide a brief description of the kind of work you do.  If you sell at other locations – craft shows, online, etc. – include that and be prepared to say how well they sell.
• Be prepared to talk about the inspirations behind your work.
• Prepare yourself with the points you want to make about your work and its relation to the shop’s offerings.
• Remember that you are providing retailers with unique items that fit with their customers interests and needs.
• Be prepared with suggested retail price ranges for each line, remembering the commission the shop takes.
• During the meeting, the retailer will be assessing both your work and the potential working relationship.
• Be prepared for the retailer to ask for time to consider whether to stock your work.

Bring a range of materials to support your presentation.

• Take a small but representative sample set of your work in its packaging.
• Back up the samples with good photographs, which are essential, especially if the pieces are too large for practical transport.
• Bring business cards, a resume relevant to the shop, marketing materials, photographs, and samples you are prepared to leave with the shop if asked.

Presentation

• Dress to make a good impression. You are presenting yourself as well as your work.  You don’t need to be super smart.  Dress neatly in a way that suits your personality.
•  Present your work at its best along with its packaging.

Follow up

Follow up is essential. A week or so after the meeting contact the premises with further information or even questions.  If the response is to decline to carry your work, ask for feedback about your work and its relation to the shop’s offerings. This will assist your future presentations.

Selection of a gallery or shop in which to place your work is a complex interaction of commission levels; the value you place on your time in preparing for and attending craft fairs or putting your work online; the perceived prestige of the shop/gallery; the potential relationship between you and the outlet; and the relationship of the consignment, wholesale and retail prices.

Other posts on consignment:

Consignment

Consignment Agreements

Consignment Rates

Consignment Venues

Pricing, 1 - Establishing the Cost

Pricing your work is necessary to get a fair return for your effort and to make an income.

Establishing the Cost

The first step is to calculate the amount it costs to run your business. Prepare a summary of annual outgoings including:

• Studio/workspace (or as a proportion of the house that you use for a home studio)
• Administration costs
• Equipment & loans
• Packaging
• Marketing materials
• Advertising
• Incidental expenses
• Income tax & social security payments
• Insurance for public liability, materials, equipment, and employment
• Depreciation (cost to replace things you are reliant on). The amount or proportion varies according to jurisdiction.

You will need to make some guesses about the amounts and that is OK. The value you put on some of the things above may be “zero”, but still need to be considered. All these are considered to be the overheads of your activity.


2. Step two is to calculate the time available to make your work over a year. If you are full time, start with 365 days and then subtract the weekends (104), holidays (say 10), administration time, and allow a contingency for sickness, etc.(say 10). That leaves you 241 days, less the administration time.  When you first start in business you are likely to spend 40% of your time on administration, but you should get more efficient and this time will reduce to around 30%.  So, even when fully up and running you will have about 169 days out of the 365 to spend on producing work - at best.  This means that you will have about 46% of the available time spent on production.

If you are working part time you need to do the calculations on the basis of the number of days you have available and do the subtractions and calculations as for a full time basis.  You may find your overheads are proportionally higher than fulll time, as these costs continue accrue whether you are in the studio or not.

Then do the calculation:

Overheads & personal salary (you do want to pay yourself - I insist!) divided by days available to work.

This enables you to fix a price for your time and gives you a daily rate from which you can calculate an hourly rate.


3. Step three is to estimate how long it takes you to do anything - preparation time, research, selling, marketing, packaging etc.

Add together the cost of materials and charge for the time it takes to make the item at the hourly rate you have calculated. This enables you to calculate a price for the item. Then look at how much the market will pay for your type of work.

Even if you know the market will not stand the full price, you should still do the calculations to find out the price that you should be trying to achieve.  If the price is unrealistic, you need to look at simplifying the item, or to consider different items.

All these calculations need regular reviewing.



More information is available 
Establishing the costs
Creating a pricing structure
Terms and conditions of sales
Customer relations


Payment

Selling online

Credit: 48HoursLogo.com

Once you have achieved a lot of visits to your website, you need to convert the visits to sales. 

The first thing you need to do is consider your products.  Craft products are more difficult to sell online than mass manufactured items that are completely standard and so have known quality.

Is your product suitable for online selling?

·        The general case is that lower priced gift items are easier to sell than expensive ones. 

·        Is delivery expensive relative to the cost of the item? 

·        Do the items have to be sized, e.g., rings?

·        Are the items easy to post safely without breakage?

·        How much packaging will be necessary?

If the answers are that what you sell is expensive to buy or deliver, must made to a size, or are difficult to post, you may have difficulties in generating sales.  If you have items that are likely to sell less well online, consider the other ways you can sell them – trade events, galleries, shops, wholesale.  Also think about making items that are easier to sell online, but still fall within your style.  This approach will help support your more difficult to deliver or more expensive items that won’t sell well online.

Then

Online selling techniques are not so different from in-person selling, except that you have to rely on text and images to do the selling.  This puts more emphasis on words and images and getting your personality into those two things.

The basics are:

Get the viewer’s attention

Stimulate their interest

Develop their desire for the object

Convert these elements into the purchase.

There are many things that can create these three pre-requisites for a purchase.  

Images

The quality of images is extremely important.  Photographs must be sharp, focused, and with lots of light.  They must be taken to show the quality of craftsmanship.  Multiple pictures of the item help to give a better feeling of the object.  They should be taken from various angles, including the unseen backs of items to show the craftsmanship and help promote the assurance of quality. Lifestyle images bring items to life, but have to be carefully arranged.  This is often done best by a professional photographer.

Get and maintain interest

What you do must be apparent immediately.  Do you have recognisable work or style? Is your business name memorable?  An explanation of what you do and why it is unique is important to maintain interest.  Links from these explanations to relevant individual items or product groups are appropriate to keeping people engaged.

It is important to maintain interest after the initial contact.  Make it easy to find other relevant items. Use links, buttons, suggestions, etc., liberally.

Keep the site alive with case studies. These can be the background to your workday, or events in your business life.   Inside views of the development of new lines shows how you progress from idea to finished work.  You have interesting ways of working, that many people are interested in knowing about. Show your working practices, tell them the story of making.

You need to keep in touch with potential and existing clients.  Direct posts to those you have contact details for, with information on developments keeps you and what you do in customers’ minds.  These must not be direct sales pitches.  You can ask questions of these people to keep them engaged. They may also tell others about you and your work.  General posts to targeted audiences can help spread the word too.  Some paid promotion on social media can help, if targeted to the right people.

Provide information

Explain the potential questions about each item that client may have.  Think about the kinds of questions you ask about non-glass craft products. Use those approaches in stating and answering these questions.

Make the explanations personal and consistent with your site and the glass products you are offering.  In many cases, it is desirable to establish a FAQ section, including terms and conditions.  This can help maintain confidence of the buyer in your ability to make and supply the work.

Purchase

What’s for sale

You need to overcome any difficulties that the client might face in coming to the buying decision.  The website should be immediately clear about what you do and for whom.  Price levels need to be clear, possibly by grouping or sorting. Images need to connect with client desires.  This is where lifestyle images are useful.  Do remember that first impressions are all important.

Develop trust

Development of, or appearance of trustworthiness is essential to buying.  People buy from those they know, like and trust.  Development of this is essential for consistent online sales, as well as anywhere else.  This can be promoted by your presence on a group of platforms that you link between. Good descriptions of products and about yourself are important to maintaining the trust of the client.  Testimonials, if you have them, are useful. 

The website must appear professional.  Knowledge of your location is important to developing confidence in your work. Knowing where else your work is available is also important in validating confidence in your business.  Knowledge of where else your work can be purchased gives creditability to your standing within the craft  buying community. This can include your attendance at craft and trade fairs, as well as any awards or press mentions.

Buying and delivery

Make it easy to purchase.  One-click links can help ease the customer into buying. Use of a known payment provider increases confidence that the purchased item will be delivered and that there is a mechanism to get money back if not.  Make sure you explain about postage and packaging, unless you have included it in the in price.  If P&P is included, make sure that you are clear in the text accompanying the image and description.  If you don’t do that, the price comparisons with those that don’t include P&P are skewed against you.  Include plain English terms and conditions, to engender trust if something were to go wrong.

But

Don’t rely exclusively on online sales. There is enormous competition online, even though it is a means to get your work known to a wide range of people Importantly, it is a way to get year-round sales rather than the summer and autumn craft circuit.  Other sources for consistent sales - without you being present all the time - are galleries, shops and wholesalers.

Think about combining online sales with craft fairs and other selling events.  These face to face events give you the opportunity of getting direct feedback on your work, which will help develop what you do.  Promote your attendance at events on the website and tell about your website at events.  Blog about the events before and after their occurrence on your website and social media.  Tell stories from the events on your social media and in the website, too.

Selling online requires getting attention, stimulating interest and promoting desire to buy.  Some of the things you can do are noted.  But do not put all your effort into online.  You can gain a lot of information by attending face to face selling events.

Sealing MEMS Devices with Glass

 

Krista Grayson

•

December 5, 2023

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) have revolutionized various industries by integrating miniaturized mechanical and electrical components onto a single substrate, enabling the creation of highly sensitive and efficient devices. They are key elements in an array of medical, automotive, industrial, and defense applications.

a

However, the success of MEMS devices often hinges on maintaining a hermetic environment to protect their delicate internal components. This is where glass frit sealing technology comes into play, providing a superior solution for achieving reliable hermetic seals in precise applications like MEMS manufacturing and packaging.²

Understanding Hermetic Sealing and its Importance

Hermetic sealing involves creating an airtight barrier around a device to prevent the entry of contaminants, moisture, and other external elements. This sealing technique is crucial for MEMS devices as even minute environmental influences can alter their performance or lead to premature failure. In applications where stability, precision, and reliability are paramount, such as in the aerospace, medical, and telecommunications industries, achieving a hermetic seal is essential.²

Glass Frit Sealing: The Ideal Solution for MEMS

Among the various methods available to achieve hermetic seals, glass frit sealing stands out as a versatile and high-yield approach, particularly suited for MEMS applications. This technique leverages the unique properties of glass to create a reliable, robust, and precise encapsulation for MEMS devices while imposing minimal stress on the bonding surface. In a three-step process, a glass paste is screen-printed on a capping wafer, which is then bonded to the subject device through thermocompression for 10 minutes. During this process, 1000 mBar of force and 440 °C are applied to the material under a vacuum. Capable of bonding both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces, this technique can be applied to almost all commonly used microsystem surface materials, such as aluminum, silicon, and glass.^3,4

Tailoring Precision Using the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)

As the name implies, glass frit sealing makes use of glass particles, known as frit, which can be precisely formulated to match the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of different materials.⁴ The CTE of a material refers to how its dimensions change with temperature fluctuations. By tailoring the glass frit’s composition, its CTE can be adjusted to closely match that of the MEMS device and the encapsulating material. This compatibility ensures that, when subjected to temperature variations, the seal remains intact without compromising the structural integrity of the device.²

Mo-Sci, a pioneering glass technology company, has been at the forefront of developing and perfecting glass frit sealing solutions for various high-tech applications, including MEMS devices. Its expertise lies in creating sealing glasses with customizable thermal expansion coefficients. With a diverse range of glass-metal and glass-ceramic seals that are meticulously matched in terms of CTE and are capable of enduring temperatures as high as 1600°C, Mo-Sci is an ideal partner for MEMS manufacturers seeking reliable hermetic sealing solutions.^2,5

The Versatility of Glass Frit Sealing

The applications of glass frit sealing extend beyond MEMS devices and encompass a range of cutting-edge technologies:

1. Solar Cells

Sealing glasses find utility in encapsulating perovskite photovoltaic elements. These elements are promising alternatives to traditional silicon solar cells due to their high efficiency and lower production costs. However, perovskite cells are highly sensitive to moisture, whereby even small amounts can completely prevent function. Laser-assisted bonding of glass frit sealing guarantees a durable hermetic barrier, shielding perovskite cells from moisture exposure and locking in lead-containing chemicals.²

2. Metal Ion and Thermal Batteries

In the evolving landscape of energy storage solutions, glass frit sealing plays a pivotal role in enhancing the reliability and longevity of metal ion batteries, including lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries. These batteries require seals that can withstand high temperatures and resist chemical corrosion. Sealing glasses provide a resilient barrier that enables the efficient operation of these advanced battery technologies.

Sealing glass is also a viable solution for molten salt batteries. These batteries are highly dependent on sodium salts, including sodium-nickel and sodium-sulfur chloride, to achieve remarkable energy and power densities. For this reason, they are an appealing option for large-scale industrial and energy storage applications.

Sealing glasses are classed as a high-energy alternative to conventional polymeric or metal seals as they exhibit excellent resilience against demanding chemical environments but also against the rigorous operating temperatures inherent to molten salt batteries, which can range from 300 °C to 350 °C.²

3. High Temperature Sensors

Glass frit sealing also finds applications in high-temperature environments, such as automotive systems and chemical processing plants. The predictable thermal expansion and corrosion-resistant nature of sealing glass ensure the longevity and stability of sensors operating in extreme conditions.²

4. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs)

SOFCs hold tremendous promise for clean and efficient power generation, but their high operating temperatures present engineering challenges. To create high-temperature sealant materials for SOFCs, Mo-Sci currently utilizes two methods. One relies on a traditional glass-ceramic seal, wherein the glass undergoes crystallization to establish bonds with the sealing components.

The second approach involves the development of viscous-compliant glass seals. These seals remain vitreous throughout application and can self-heal, mitigating the risks associated with thermal stresses and ensuring the long-term stability of SOFCs.This groundbreaking technology is anticipated to play a pivotal role in facilitating the commercialization of SOFCs and driving their widespread adoption.^2,6

Embracing the Future with Glass Frit Sealing

Glass frit sealing technology has emerged as a transformative solution for achieving hermetic seals in MEMS devices and a wide array of other advanced applications. By precisely engineering the properties of sealing glasses, companies like Mo-Sci enable manufacturers to create highly reliable and robust encapsulation systems.

As industries continue to push the boundaries of technological innovation, the role of glass frit sealing in safeguarding sensitive components and ensuring optimal device performance becomes increasingly vital.

References and Further Reading

1. Forbes. Why Timing Must Be Tough Enough For Our Digital World. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/09/02/why-timing-must-be-tough-enough-for-our-digital-world/ (Accessed on 10 August 2023).
2. Mo-Sci. Sealing Glass Applications. Available at: https://mo-sci.com/sealing-glass-applications/ (Accessed on 10 August 2023).
3. Chang H-D, et al. (2010). High hermetic performance of glass frit for MEMS package. 2010 5th International Microsystems Packaging Assembly and Circuits Technology Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/IMPACT.2010.5699539
4. Knechtel R. (2015). Chapter 31 – Glass Frit Bonding. Handbook of Silicon Based MEMS Materials and Technologies (Second Edition). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-29965-7.00031-2
5. Mo-Sci. Matching Coefficient of Thermal Expansion in Glass Seals. Available at: https://mo-sci.com/matching-cte-in-glass-seals/ (Accessed 10 August 2023).
6. Mo-Sci. Sealing Glass. Available at: https://mo-sci.com/products/sealing-glass/ (Accessed on 10 August 2023).

source:https://mo-sci.com/sealing-mems-devices-with-glass/?utm_source=Mo-Sci+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b5090c88ed-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_09_28_06_45_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-cf8dcfb60f-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=b5090c88ed&mc_eid=0ab94327fb