Swiss engineering technology company Nu Glass was founded in 2021 and is committed to the development of metal coating laser processing technology. This technology uses structured laser processing of the metal coating on the train carriage glass to allow mobile phone communication signals to pass freely through the coating, improve the quality of network connection, while retaining the original thermal insulation performance of the coating,
Nu Glass is a spin-off company of the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and was founded by Luc Burnier. Luc Burnier is currently the company's CEO. He worked as a materials engineer at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, responsible for research and development and product development in the radio frequency, laser and other industries, and has more than 10 years of research experience in this field.
Metal coating can solve the problem of heat insulation of carriage glass, but it will hinder signal transmission. About one-third of the electricity consumption of railway carriages is used for on-board heating and cooling systems, so efficient insulation solutions are of great significance to the operation of carriages. Ten years ago, railway companies began using glass windows with ultra-thin metal coatings, which have good thermal insulation properties and can achieve cooling and heat preservation effects in summer and winter respectively. However, the coating blocks mobile communication signals, interrupts device connections, and reduces the quality of the network in a closed environment. The main solution for operators at present is to install repeaters, which need to be powered for a long time. The cost of a single repeater is 50,000 euros, the power is up to 700 watts, and the power consumption is equivalent to that of a Swiss family of four. Professionals are required for wiring, maintenance and technical upgrades.
Nu Glass has developed a metal coating laser processing technology that allows mobile communication signals to freely penetrate the coating by engraving a fine grid pattern on the surface of the metal coating of the carriage glass, while retaining the thermal insulation properties of the coating.
Nu Glass's laser processing technology allows mobile communication signals to freely pass through the metal coating of the carriage glass and retain the original thermal insulation properties of the coating. Metal coatings reflect electromagnetic waves. To allow electromagnetic waves to pass through, the conductivity of the coating needs to be removed. The principle of Nu Glass's laser processing technology is to engrave a grid pattern with a thickness of less than 25 microns on the surface of the coating, so that the size of the gap inside the coating reaches 1/20-1/10 of the wavelength, so that mobile phone communication signals can pass freely, while retaining the thermal insulation performance of the coating to achieve functional balance. Considering that the service life of a train is usually 30 years, Nu Glass has also developed a portable laser processing system that can be directly applied to the glass surface without removing the glass, and the transformation of a single window can be completed within 15 minutes.
Nu Glass's laser processing technology can increase the signal strength inside the train by 25dB, provide better 4G/5G network coverage quality, improve passengers' network experience, and reduce the railway company's demand for signal repeaters; at the same time, this technology can also reduce the power consumption of each train by 28 megawatt hours per year.
In February 2023, Nu Glass signed a contract with Swiss Railways to upgrade the materials of 5,700 windows of 40 intercity trains of the company to improve the quality of network connection inside the trains.
In February 2023, Nu Glass received a seed loan of 100,000 Swiss francs from the Swiss Foundation for Technology and Innovation (FIT) for technology upgrade and promotion. In the future, Nu Glass will apply laser processing technology to more Swiss train carriage glass to transform the metal coating, and continuously collect feedback for technical improvement, ultimately improving the quality of mobile communication signals inside Swiss and European train carriages, improving passengers' network experience, and reducing the operating costs of railway companies.
Nu Glass is a listed company in the 2024 "TOP100 Swiss Startups". "TOP100 Swiss Startups" brings together the best "Swiss-made" start-ups and growth-stage technology innovation companies, and is the most internationally influential benchmark list in the field of Swiss technology innovation. Since 2011, the list has selected 100 most innovative and market-promising Swiss innovative companies and 25 Swiss growth-stage companies with the greatest unicorn potential across Switzerland every year, covering life sciences, engineering machinery, robotics, information and communications, low-carbon technology, food technology and other fields. The "TOP100 Swiss Startups" and a series of branded events are iconic events in the Swiss innovation ecosystem, representing the highest innovation center in Switzerland and the forefront of international investment and financing.
