BriteGuard® surface protection system

Developed and produced in-house at the company’s Haan manufacturing facility, the innovative BriteGuard® surface protection system for both smooth and textured glass surfaces is wear resistant and durable. The system is designed to utilize a minimal number of products and can easily be applied, either manually or mechanically. Bohle MD Dave Broxton believes BriteGuard® offers a highly attractive business opportunity for glass processing companies. “The benefits of BriteGuard are clear. In addition to supplying high quality glass products, processors and IG companies can supply their customers with a high perceived value surface protection system. BriteGuard was developed for professional use but was also designed to be simple to apply, avoiding expensive application equipment and complex and time-consuming product training. We think glass processors will embrace a competitively priced, simple but effective surface protection system, confident in the quality associated with the Bohle brand.”

For Indoor and Outdoor Applications
BriteGuard® is significantly more wear resistant than many other surface protection products currently available in the market. By reacting chemically with the surface, the system forms a high strength functional layer that effectively protects the glass against soil adhesion and glass corrosion. Compared to untreated glass, surfaces protected with BriteGuard® simply stay clean much longer and are much easier to clean. BriteGuard® can be used for indoor and outdoor applications and is thus equally suitable for protecting partition walls or glass showers as well as facades and balustrades.

Clearly structured modular system
When developing BriteGuard®, the main focus was on the easy handling of the coating system both for glass processing businesses and for the end user. Having this in mind, a clearly structured, straightforward, modular range of products was developed consisting of only few components for pre-treatment, coating and care. Selecting the appropriate materials for the respective application is intuitively simple eliminating costly mistakes and waste.

BriteGuard® Surface Sealer is suitable for protecting smooth glass surfaces and requires a pre-cleaner and final cleaner. For protecting rough surfaces, only BriteGuard® Surface Sealer X is required. Also when it comes to aftercare for coated glass, Bohle has once again striven to maintain simple processes as far as possible. Instead of a multi-component product range, the BriteGuard® system consists of a care kit for smooth and rough glass surfaces and a product for regular cleaning. Moreover, the complete coating product package includes the whole array of accessories - ranging from cleaning cloths to protective eye glasses.

After BriteGuard® Surface Sealer has been applied; it reacts with the surface and forms a high strength functional layer that replicates the
structure of the glass or glazed ceramic surface. The surface tension of this functional layer is extremely low, ensuring that organic soiling (e.g. from soap residues, bird droppings or traffic pollution) and inorganic
soiling (e.g. limescale or salty air) hardly stick to the glass surface and can be removed very easily. The low surface tension can be seen in the familiar beading effect that occurs when in contact with water. In the case of rough surfaces such as sandblasted and frosted glass, undesirable soiling like finger marks can be effectively avoided by treating the glass with BriteGuard® Surface Sealer X.

Comprehensive tests have proven the long-term stability of the BriteGuard® system: The coating products exhibit an extraordinary wear-resistance. Even after 170,000 wipe cycles with a conventional squeegee, the contact angle with water remains virtually unchanged. Even storing the coated glass continuously for 500 hours in different chemicals and widely available cleaning agents had virtually no effect on the coating. The BriteGuard® functional layer even withstands temperatures up to 200°C, humidity and UV radiation without significant loss of functionality.

Easy Application
In keeping with simplicity of the system, no time-consuming training has to be carried out before applying BriteGuard® for the first time – simply follow the instruction. The surface protection product can be applied manually with a cotton pad, with a simple spray bottle or mechanically with an applicator.

BriteGuard® protection is achieved in only 3 steps. Before applying the coating, smooth surfaces are cleaned by hand or in a glass washing machine using BriteGuard® Surface Activator. It reliably removes organic as well as inorganic contamination from the glass surface. Rough surfaces simply have to be thoroughly cleaned to remove dust and grease.

The protective coating is applied in the second step. BriteGuard® Surface Sealer is suitable for smooth surfaces and BriteGuard® Surface Sealer X is designed for rough or textured surfaces. The application can selectively be done either manually or mechanically. It is sufficient to simply ensure the protection product is spread evenly over the entire surface.

After the coating has cured, excess material is removed in the third step. BriteGuard® Surface Finisher is then applied to smooth surfaces. The application can again be done either manually using a squeegee or chamois or mechanically in a glass washing machine. No final cleaning is required for rough surfaces. A simple polish with a microfibre cloth will suffice.

High resistance

The BriteGuard® protection is extremely wear-resistant and durable. Once professionally applied, under normal circumstances the protective function can typically remain for up to 15 years. The prerequisite for maintaining the protection is cleaning the glass only with typically available agents instead of aggressive or abrasive products or compounds. Nevertheless, even the BriteGuard® surface protection cannot do without refreshment. It depends on the environmental conditions and the degree of wear of the surface after which time a refresher is needed. Bohle recommends refreshing the coating once the beading effect is noticeably reduced on the clean glass surface.

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