1. What was the purpose of the glass display cabinet designed for Heartbeat Charity?

The cabinet was designed to securely display a collection of 3D-printed paediatric heart models used in surgical planning and medical training. Heartbeat Charity required a modern, double-sided glass showcase that presented these anatomical models clearly while integrating seamlessly into the Heartbeat Education Centre at Southampton University Hospital.

2. Why was a bespoke cabinet necessary instead of a standard display case?

Standard display cabinets could not meet the specific functional and aesthetic requirements of the project. The design called for double-sided visibility, a slim and lightweight structure, secure medical-grade storage, adjustable glass shelving, and integrated lighting. A bespoke cabinet ensured the final solution met clinical standards, protected valuable educational models, and aligned with the surgeon’s specifications.

3. What materials were used in the final design?

The cabinet was constructed primarily from low-iron glass to maximise clarity and reduce colour distortion. A minimal white frame was selected to maintain a light, contemporary appearance, while a dark central divider panel was added to increase contrast when viewing translucent 3D heart models. Lockable storage drawers were incorporated into the base for secure storage.

4. How is the lighting integrated into the cabinet?

Energy-efficient LED lighting is discreetly built into the cabinet structure and hardwired into the site’s electrical supply. The lighting design minimises glare while highlighting fine anatomical details, creating a museum-quality display suitable for medical education.

5. Is the cabinet secure enough for valuable or sensitive items?

Yes. The cabinet includes lockable glass doors on both sides and secure drawers within the base. These features ensure that valuable 3D models and sensitive educational materials are safely stored while remaining accessible to authorised staff.

6. How does the double-sided design benefit the space?

The cabinet is positioned between a structural pillar and an exterior wall with windows on both sides. A double-sided design allows clinicians, students, and visitors to view the heart models from either direction, improving circulation in a busy reception area while preserving natural light.

7. Can the shelves be adjusted for different model sizes?

Yes. The cabinet features height-adjustable glass shelves to accommodate heart models typically ranging from 9 to 13 centimetres tall, as well as smaller items. This flexibility allows the display to adapt as new models are produced or teaching requirements change.

8. Can information cards or labels be added to the display?

Yes. The design allows for custom card holders or information labels to be positioned alongside each model. This is particularly valuable in educational environments where identifying anatomical features or medical conditions is essential.

9. Do you provide full design and installation services?

Yes. We work closely with clients from initial concept development through to final installation. Our service includes site assessment, technical drawings, material selection, manufacture, integrated lighting, electrical coordination, and secure installation.

10. Can you create similar cabinets for other hospitals, museums, or education centres?

Absolutely. We specialise in bespoke display solutions for healthcare, museum, academic, and commercial environments. Whether the requirement is for medical model displays, specimen showcases, award cabinets, or fully custom designs, each solution is tailored to the space and functional needs.

11. What factors influence the cost of a bespoke display cabinet?

Costs are influenced by cabinet size, materials (such as specialist glass), security features, lighting integration, electrical requirements, installation complexity, and any custom storage or labelling systems. Transparent quotations are provided following consultation or a site visit.

12. How long does a project like this typically take?

Project timelines vary depending on complexity, but a typical bespoke cabinet project—from design approval through manufacture and installation—takes between 6 and 12 weeks. Timelines are always coordinated around client needs and site access.

13. Are bespoke cabinets suitable for high-traffic clinical environments?

Yes. Cabinets designed for medical and educational environments use robust materials and secure fittings selected to withstand daily use in hospitals, research facilities, and teaching centres. Safety, durability, and ease of maintenance are integral to the design process.

The selection of glazing for a display case is a critical engineering decision that directly affects structural performance, optical quality, conservation capability, and security. While many commercial environments still rely on standard tempered panes, museum-grade and high-security applications demand sophisticated, multi-layered glass systems engineered to precise performance criteria.

This technical overview examines the primary glazing types used in display case manufacturing, including recommended thicknesses, performance characteristics, and their suitability for specific applications.

1. Float (Annealed) Glass

Float, or annealed, glass is produced by floating molten silica-based glass on a tin bath, resulting in uniform thickness and excellent surface flatness.

Typical thickness range:

• 3–8 mm for general retail and lightweight displays
• 10 mm+ rarely specified due to weight and lack of safety performance

Technical characteristics:

• Modulus of rupture: approximately 45 MPa
• No post-production strengthening
• Breaks into large, hazardous shards
• UV protection typically around 25–40%, depending on composition

Use case: Limited to low-risk displays where safety, security, and conservation are not primary considerations.

2. Thermally Tempered Glass

Tempered glass is manufactured by heating annealed glass to approximately 620°C and rapidly cooling it to induce surface compression stresses.

Typical thickness range:

• 6, 8, 10, and 12 mm for commercial and retail display cases

Technical characteristics:

• Surface compressive stress exceeding 90 MPa
• Approximately four to five times stronger than float glass
• Breaks into small cuboid fragments in compliance with EN 12150
• Limited resistance to focused forced entry
• No inherent UV filtration

Use case: Retail environments requiring safety compliance but not enhanced security or conservation performance.

3. Laminated Safety Glass (PVB or SGP Interlayers)

Laminated glass consists of two or more glass panes bonded together using polymer interlayers such as polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ionoplast (SGP / SentryGlas®).

Common configurations:

• 6.4 mm (3 mm + 0.4 mm interlayer + 3 mm)
• 8.8 mm (4 mm + 0.8 mm interlayer + 4 mm)
• 10.8 mm, 12.8 mm and above for increased stiffness and security

Technical characteristics:

• Post-breakage integrity due to interlayer adhesion
• SGP interlayers offer approximately five times the stiffness and significantly higher tear resistance than PVB
• UV-blocking performance up to 99% with appropriate interlayer formulations
• Improved acoustic damping
• Compliance with EN 14449

Use case: Jewellery counters, mid- to high-value retail, and museum applications requiring structural stability, moderate security, and UV protection.

4. Low-Iron Museum-Grade Laminated Glass

For conservation display cases, both optical performance and protective characteristics are critical.

Typical system characteristics:

• Low-iron substrates to minimise iron oxide content and reduce green edge tint
• Anti-reflective coatings applied via magnetron sputtering, achieving reflectance values below 1% per surface
• Museum-grade UV-blocking interlayers targeting at least 98% filtration between 300–380 nm
• Laminated construction providing enhanced stiffness and security for large panels

Museum-grade glazing is engineered to align with conservation standards such as ISO 3664 and CIE UV exposure guidance.

Use case: High-value museum artefacts, sensitive organic materials, and installations requiring colour fidelity and preservation-grade UV protection.

5. Anti-Bandit (Attack-Resistant) Glass

Anti-bandit glazing is a multi-layer laminated system tested to EN 356 classifications (P6B–P8B) for manual attack resistance.

Construction:

• Multiple glass layers laminated with thick PVB or SGP interlayers

Technical characteristics:

• P6B rating resists approximately 30–50 strikes
• P8B rating resists 70 or more strikes
• High residual strength after initial fractures
• Provides critical time delay during attempted theft

Use case: High-risk retail environments and museum installations requiring enhanced anti-theft protection.

6. Bullet-Resistant Glass

Bullet-resistant glazing is an engineered composite of glass and polycarbonate, tested to EN 1063 (BR1–BR7) or UL 752 standards.

Construction:

• Alternating layers of glass and polycarbonate bonded with polyurethane
• Total thickness typically ranges from 24 mm to over 80 mm, depending on threat level

Technical characteristics:

• Progressive energy absorption through controlled delamination
• Exceptional forced-entry resistance after ballistic impact
• High weight requiring structurally engineered case systems

Use case: Government facilities, high-security museums, and specialised installations where ballistic threats must be mitigated.

7. UV-Protective Coatings and Specialty Films

UV protection is critical in conservation environments due to cumulative photochemical degradation.

Key metrics:

• Standard float glass: approximately 38% UV filtration
• Laminated glass with UV interlayer: up to 99%
• Museum-grade AR and UV coatings: typically 96–99%
• Low-E coatings: partial UV reduction only

Technical considerations:

• Avoid coatings that significantly reduce visible light transmission
• Confirm compatibility with display case microclimates
• Assess long-term stability and off-gassing behaviour

Security Performance Summary

Float glass offers minimal resistance, tempered glass improves safety but not security, laminated systems provide moderate to high protection, anti-bandit glass delivers strong forced-entry resistance, and ballistic glass offers the highest level of security.

Conclusion and Professional Consultation Recommendation

Selecting the correct glazing system for a display case is never a one-size-fits-all decision. Optimal specification depends on security risk, conservation requirements, optical performance, structural constraints, and project budget.

Because these factors interact in complex ways—particularly in museum and high-security environments—professional consultation is strongly recommended when finalising glazing specifications.

If you are planning a museum installation or a secure display environment, specialist advice can help ensure the correct balance of protection, performance, and practicality.

In museums, galleries, archives, and private collections, a glass display case is far more than a transparent enclosure. It is a microclimate—one that can either preserve precious objects for generations or quietly accelerate their deterioration. While lighting, security, and aesthetics often receive the most attention, humidity control remains one of the most critical and frequently misunderstood aspects of display case design.

For specifiers, understanding the role of humidity control—and selecting the correct approach—is essential to achieving long-term conservation performance, operational efficiency, and risk reduction.

The Hidden Threat: Why Relative Humidity Matters

Organic materials such as wood, textiles, ivory, paper, leather, and some metals are highly sensitive to moisture. Excess humidity encourages mould growth, corrosion, and dimensional distortion, while low humidity can cause embrittlement, cracking, and shrinkage. Even minor fluctuations in relative humidity (RH) can introduce internal stresses that lead to cumulative, irreversible damage.

A display case therefore functions as a stabilising envelope, shielding objects from daily and seasonal environmental changes. The effectiveness of that envelope depends entirely on whether—and how—humidity is controlled.

Buffered, Mechanical, or No Control? What the Arts Council Recommends

Arts Council guidance requires specifiers to answer a fundamental question at an early stage:

Do display cases require passive (buffered) humidity control, mechanical (active) control, or no dedicated control at all?

Each approach has clear advantages and limitations, and the correct choice depends on object sensitivity, risk tolerance, and operational capacity.

1. Passive (Buffered) Humidity Control

Passive systems rely on humidity buffer materials such as ArtSorb sheet silica gel or granular silica gel. These materials absorb or release moisture to maintain stable RH conditions within a sealed case.

Key guidance includes:

• Approximately 20 kg of silica gel per cubic metre of display volume as a baseline.
• Reduction to around 2.5 kg per cubic metre where cases demonstrate exceptionally high air-tightness.
• Installation with maximum exposed surface area facing the display volume.
• Provision for renewal or regeneration without disturbing displayed objects.

When to choose passive control:

• For most environmentally sensitive collections.
• Where active systems are unnecessary or impractical.
• When long-term stability with low maintenance requirements is preferred.

2. Mechanical (Active) Humidity Control

Mechanical systems regulate RH using powered equipment such as ducted air systems, dehumidifiers, or humidifiers. These systems actively adjust environmental conditions inside the case.

The Arts Council identifies several drawbacks:

• Requirement for plant space and ductwork, often disruptive to install.
• Higher maintenance costs and cleaning complexity.
• Greater susceptibility to mechanical failure.
• A shorter operational lifespan compared to passive systems.

When to choose active control:

• When objects have extremely narrow environmental tolerances.
• When a microclimate must be maintained independently of gallery conditions.
• When sufficient technical resources and maintenance infrastructure are available.

3. When No Dedicated Humidity Control Is Needed

Not all collections require specialised RH stabilisation. A well-engineered, airtight display case located within a gallery already maintained for human comfort can often provide adequate buffering against short-term fluctuations.

This approach may be suitable for:

• Durable materials such as ceramics, glass, and some metals.
• Short-term or temporary exhibitions.
• Institutions with consistently stable ambient environmental control.

Why Specifiers Should Consider Humidity Control Early

Humidity control should be addressed at the outset of any display case specification for several reasons:

1. It shapes case design and construction. Airtightness targets, gasket selection, material choices, ventilation pathways, and maintenance access are all influenced by the humidity strategy.
2. It affects lifecycle costs. Passive systems require periodic buffer regeneration, while active systems incur ongoing servicing, monitoring, and component replacement.
3. It determines conservation outcomes. An inappropriate strategy can place irreplaceable objects at risk.
4. Retrofitting is costly and disruptive. Post-installation modifications often lead to compromises and increased expense.

A Balanced View: Designing for Performance and Practicality

The most effective solutions combine robust case engineering with an appropriate humidity control strategy. For many institutions, passively controlled, airtight cases offer the best balance between stability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Mechanical systems should be reserved for situations where they are demonstrably necessary and where long-term maintenance can be guaranteed. Equally important is recognising when additional humidity control is unnecessary, avoiding avoidable complexity and cost.

Final Thoughts

Humidity control is one of the most influential—and least visible—factors in collection preservation. For specifiers, informed decision-making supports compliance with conservation guidance and responsible stewardship of heritage assets.

A display case is a protective environment. Humidity control is what makes that environment safe.

If you require assistance selecting an appropriate humidity control strategy or developing a display case specification, professional guidance can help ensure long-term conservation success.