Austrian glass-processing OEM LiSEC is heading to Düsseldorf with a dual-source laser system that combines CO₂ surface structuring and NIR coating removal in a single machine—no additives, no consumables, and claimed throughput of 55–60 m²/hr for bird-friendly patterns. Here's what it means for fabricators specifying frit-free bird glass and structural silicone glazing.
Ahead of glasstec 2026 in Düsseldorf, Austrian glass-processing equipment maker LiSEC is teeing up one of the more consequential machinery announcements of the year for fabricators trying to keep pace with bird-friendly glazing codes and structural silicone glazing (SSG) edge-deletion requirements. The new LSP-A is a single cabinet that houses two different laser sources—a CO₂ laser that acts on the glass surface itself and a near-infrared (NIR) laser that removes coatings without touching the substrate underneath.
For fabricators who have been stitching together separate lines for ceramic frit, acid etching, or mechanical wheel-based edge deletion, that consolidation is the story.
What the Machine Actually Does
According to LiSEC, the LSP-A combines two different laser processes in one system, with the combination of engraving and precise coating removal opening new fields of application ranging from bird protection glass to functional high-tech glazing. The two processes:
- CO₂ laser (surface structuring): The CO₂ laser acts directly on the glass, and depending on the setting, matts or engraves the glass—producing the dot patterns that make facades visible to birds, or decorative logos, text, and imagery on interior partitions.
- NIR laser (selective coating removal): The near-infrared (NIR) laser is used to remove coatings, while the glass itself remains completely unaffected. That is the same job an SSG spec sheet calls out when it requires a low-e coating to be deleted at the structural silicone bite.
Critically, both laser processes are integrated into a single system and operate completely without additives or consumables. That eliminates the ceramic ink, abrasive wheels, and solvents that historically drive consumable spend and PPE burden on the shop floor.
Why This Matters for Bird-Friendly Compliance
Bird-friendly glazing has moved from voluntary sustainability credit to hard code requirement in a growing list of jurisdictions—New York City, Illinois public buildings, and various municipal ordinances now reference visual-marker patterns validated against the American Bird Conservancy's Threat Factor. Historically, fabricators have delivered those patterns via ceramic frit (durable but adds a fabrication step and limits substrate flexibility), acid etch (aesthetics limitations), or first-surface UV coatings.
LiSEC is pitching laser etching as a fourth path with meaningful throughput. Especially in bird protection glass, the system achieves an output of approximately 55 to 60 square metres per hour using two simultaneously operating CO₂ laser beam sources. For context, that's competitive with mid-range frit lines—but without the screen changeovers, ink inventory, and firing energy.
And because the pattern is applied by the laser to the glass surface directly, fabricators can iterate on dot geometry, spacing, and depth per project without new tooling.
Why It Matters for SSG and Coated-Glass Fabricators
The NIR side of the machine addresses a different pain point. Low-e coatings need to be removed from the SSG bite so structural silicone can bond directly to soda-lime glass. Wheel-based edge deletion is fast but generates dust, requires wheel wear tracking, and can leave micro-scratches that some SSG guarantors reject. Laser deletion has been available on higher-end lines for years; consolidating it with surface structuring is the news.
The LSP-A also fits flexibly into a line. Per LiSEC, two CO₂ lasers can operate simultaneously for parallel processing, and the machine can be integrated flexibly before or after tempering, used as a standalone machine or fully automated in lines—for example, as a bypass—rated Laser safety class 1, requiring no additional protective measures.
Class 1 rating matters. It means no enclosed laser room, no interlock retrofits, and no dedicated operator PPE regime—the machine can drop into an existing fabrication footprint.
The Practical Implications
For architects and specifiers, the LSP-A signals that laser-etched bird-friendly glass is about to become significantly easier to source at scale, joining the wave of first-surface laser-etched products that have hit North American spec sheets in 2026. That should tighten pricing versus frit patterns on medium-volume projects.
For glazing contractors and fabricators, the pitch is footprint consolidation: one machine for two revenue streams (bird-friendly retrofits and SSG edge deletion) with no consumable exposure to tariffs on ceramic frit inks or abrasive wheels.
For product manufacturers already invested in frit or wheel-based lines, the LSP-A is a data point on where LiSEC—and its competitors—are pushing the market. LiSEC will show the system live October 20–23 at Hall 17 / A64 in Düsseldorf.