Switchable privacy glass is about to get easier to come by, if Cardinal Glass Industries is right. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota, glassmaker is holding a grand opening today, Oct. 29, for a new, fully robotic manufacturing space devoted to its CLiC On-Demand Privacy Glass at its plant in Tomah, Wisconsin (via Cardinal Glass Industries on GlobeNewswire).
Cardinal says the new lines add capacity and cut the time from order to delivery. They can also make larger panels at thinner widths, something the company says customers had been asking for. The space took about 18 months to build.
The Tomah plant at 1601 Rusch St. has grown a lot since it opened in 1988 as a 60,000-square-foot overflow site for stock insulating glass units. With the CLiC addition, it now covers more than 800,000 square feet. Today's invitation-only event includes tours that start at a "Tiny House" display showing the glass in a residential setting.
"We are excited to showcase our state-of-the-art, new CLiC facility," said Aaron Arntson, Cardinal's general manager for CLiC.
Here's how the product works. CLiC uses what Cardinal calls polymer-stabilized cholesteric texture, or PSCT, a liquid crystal technology applied to the glass without internal films. With no power, the glass is in privacy mode. Apply power and it turns clear, switching in under 100 milliseconds, according to Cardinal. The company says it draws less than a third of a watt per square foot when clear, stays transparent at any viewing angle, and is built to last the life of the window. It comes in Cardinal's insulating glass units with the same thermal performance, sound control and warranty as the company's standard IG.
Cardinal doesn't sell CLiC directly to builders. It goes through door, window and partition manufacturers. Kolbe added CLiC in early 2024 on select VistaLuxe, Ultra Series and Forgent Series casements, awnings, direct sets and swinging doors, and says it can be run from standard light switches, touch panels or home automation. Weather Shield offers it on its Contemporary Collection casement, awning and direct set windows and VUE Collection direct sets, controlled by a wall switch or a home automation system.
The product is getting some attention in its home state, too. Two days before the grand opening, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce named CLiC the 2026 "Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin" after a public vote among more than 100 nominees, FOX6 News reported. Arntson told the station the Cardinal team had worked on the product across multiple sites for more than 13 years.
Why it matters for Contractors
For remodelers and custom builders, switchable glass solves a common problem: a bathroom window, a street-facing room or a glass door where the client wants light and views but not curtains. If Cardinal's new lines deliver what it says, the window makers that offer CLiC should be able to ship it faster and in bigger sizes, which makes it easier to put in front of clients.
A few practical notes. Because CLiC needs power to turn clear, it isn't a drop-in swap. Plan the switch wiring and power supply with your electrician early, and confirm with the window manufacturer what control hardware comes with the unit and what you supply. Check whether the specific window line your client wants offers CLiC, since availability varies by manufacturer and product series.
And if you haven't priced it lately, ask your window dealer for a current quote and lead time. The new plant is the kind of change that can shift both.