PDLC, or Personal Digital Lensed Computer Language, is the industry standard for transparent, bendable, and transparent computer display and communication technologies. This technology has made the glass block a viable solution for many manufacturing applications including glass fiber reinforced plastic (FRC), digital light processing (DLP), and optoelectronic display displays. Although, the technology has been around for several years, recent advances in the manufacturing industry have brought it to the forefront as the most viable solution in today's business applications.
As opposed to the traditional rigid substrate applications of smart glass, PLC provides flexible solutions that can be customized to meet the unique production requirements. Although, flexible substrates and modular systems provide a more economical approach to supply and demand, it still remains on the expensive side when compared to rigid substrate technologies. The large manufacturing cost per unit has also made the approach less viable than other technologies. However, smart glass technologies are expected to overcome these production challenges as production scale factors come down and economies of scale come into play. Furthermore, as solid substrate technologies become more commonplace across the board, flexible substrate technology will become more prevalent in the smart glass market.
The current wave of smart glass technology is designed to create a transparent display screen that can be used in the same manner as privacy glass. However, unlike privacy glass, the display will be seen through and will be able to provide much greater visibility throughout the day. Additionally, this type of smart glass technology offers the same level of visibility in bright light as it does in low light, which makes it ideal for use in outdoor applications such as outdoor displays. There are still several hurdles to be cleared in the smart glass market, but as new technologies take hold, the applications for smart glass are only limited by the imagination.