Custom Switchable PDLC and RGB LED Glass for Cabinets and Displays

Custom switchable and color-changing glass, made to the opening

This line is cut-to-drawing smart glass, not a finished piece of furniture and not a stick-on film kit. We laminate PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) switchable glass and RGB LED color-changing glass for commercial cabinet doors, wine and cigar walls, partitions, and display boxes. Off, the PDLC lite is milky and hides stock or a private lounge. On, it goes clear in a fraction of a second. LED glass takes the same opening and turns it into a controllable color face — brand wash, night dim, or a SKU highlight — without a separate light box. You send size, function (privacy, color, or both), and the driver you already use; we build a first article, then the lot.

OEM buyers searching for custom PDLC cabinet glass, RGB LED laminated glass, or switchable display-door lites use this category when the frame is tooled and the glass is the feature. It is not a substitute for heated and Low-E IGU glass. Heat and Low-E manage dew and watts. Smart and color glass manage privacy and light. We can stack them: PDLC or LED laminate as the inner or outer lite of an insulated unit when the door must stay cold and still switch. For a hung leaf see insulated door assemblies and beverage and wine cabinet doors.

Two products, one custom process

Switchable PDLC. A liquid-crystal film is laminated between two glass sheets. Power off: droplets scatter light, the panel is translucent white. Power on: crystals align, the panel goes clear. Typical drive is about 48–110 V AC from a small transformer; current is low. Use it for cigar and wine doors that should look solid until a guest is there, for back-of-house cooler doors, and for meeting-room or clinic partitions. Haze in the “on” state and viewing angle are specification items — we will not call a lite “optically invisible” unless the film grade you pick can do that. See smart glass for the family (PDLC, SPD, electrochromic). This factory line is PDLC unless the RFQ names another chemistry.

RGB / color-changing LED glass. LEDs sit in the edge or in a light-guide interlayer so the pane itself glows. 12 V or 24 V DC is the usual cabinet voltage. Control can be simple RGB, RGBW, or a DMX / SPI / app protocol if your smart-vendor or lounge board already speaks it. Color glass is for brand merchandising and night scenes, not for UV-safe cigar aging — if the contents hate light, we add a switch-off, a UV interlayer, or we keep PDLC on that SKU instead.

Both constructions are laminated safety glass. Edges are polished or stepped for a frameless frit. Busbars and LED leads exit where your hinge stile already has a cavity. We do not leave flying film tails for your line to discover on install day.

Custom production — what we freeze on the PO

Lite geometry. Width × height, thickness (typically 5+5 mm or 6+6 mm laminate; thicker with IGU), holes, notches, corner radius, step for a frameless door.

Function. PDLC only, LED only, PDLC + LED (privacy by day, color by night), or smart lite + Low-E IGU for refrigerated doors. State on/off haze target, color temperature or RGB range, and whether the lite must dim, not just switch.

Electrical and control. PDLC voltage and transformer location. LED voltage, wattage per metre or per m², connector type, and protocol. IP rating if the gasket can wet the edge. We mark polarity and zone maps on the frit.

Process. Drawing or sample → film/LED layout → first-article lite → your hang and controller test → batch. MOQ follows film roll width, LED pitch, and odd shapes. We will not drop architectural 48 V PDLC into a 24 V vendor harness without a driver note on the GA.

Where the glass is used

Wine and cigar display doors, smart vending and unmanned-retail faces, hotel minibars and back bars, museum and retail showcases, office partitions, and any OEM cabinet that needs a glass wall that can hide or light on command. Indoor dry commercial is default. Wet or outdoor needs a sealed edge and an IP conversation before we cut film.

Typical specifications (custom; confirm on the GA)

Send W × H, PDLC vs LED vs both, voltage, refrigerated or not, and a door or partition sketch to the custom glass desk. We will reply with a stack, a driver note, and a first-article date.

How to write the custom PO

State: custom switchable PDLC and/or RGB LED laminated glass; voltage; W × H × thickness; clear/frost or color function; IGU or not; quantity. Attach the lite drawing. Do not write only the category name on the PO. Do not order window-tint film or a USB novelty panel as a cabinet lite.

Questions OEM buyers ask

PDLC or LED glass?

PDLC when you need privacy and a solid look off-power. LED when you need brand color and scene lighting. Both on one lite when the door must hide stock and still light for service. They are not interchangeable.

Can it go on a refrigerated cooler?

Yes if we laminate the smart layer into or onto an IGU and seal the edge for dew. Budget thickness and hinge load. PDLC haze and LED brightness both change when the lite is cold — we set that on the first article, not in a brochure.

Is the clear state perfectly clear?

Good PDLC is highly transmissive with a little residual haze, especially off-axis. If you need showroom-clear, say so; we pick film grade or we keep a separate vision lite.

Who supplies the driver?

Either. We can ship a matching PDLC transformer and LED driver, or we terminate to your vendor / lounge controller. Protocol must be on the RFQ.

Sample path?

One paid first-article lite, your hang and switch test, then production. Printed logos, zones, and odd notches always go through that sample.