Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 1: Click Here
Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 3: Click Here
Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 4: Click Here

Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 2.

Glasstec 2004 closed its doors having notched up in the region of 54,000 visitors from 81 countries. This week we have reports from CGI International, TruSeal Technologies, Guardian Glass, Bostik and Supertrucks; product launches including Glass Curtains from Sprinz, the Solaris Quicktech System for Glass Blocks and Edgetech's Triseal, plus new technology from Tamglass, Bystronic, Gartner Facades, Henkel Teroson and Applied Films.

CGI Looks for New markets - Pole to Pole

Visitors from as far apart as Canada and New Zealand were among existing customers and potentially new ones, who visited the stand of specialist glass manufacturer CGI International at Glasstec. Phill Millward, Sales and Marketing Director, says that after a quiet first day, the number of visitors to the CGI stand built up steadily.

Although 70% of its business is already export-based, CGI looks at the Glasstec show as a unique opportunity to sound out even more new markets, and to showcase new products and developments. The chance to do this only comes every two years and has become an important feature in the CGI calendar.

The main focus this year was on the increased potential for the company’s fire resisting Pyroguard glasses through a diverse programme of tests in different sizes, and their attraction to far-off countries by being locally stockable and cuttable. The newly-launched fire-insulation glass Fireswiss-foam also attracted considerable interest.

Apart from meeting existing and new customers, Glasstec provided a forum for CGI’s network of international distributors, with representatives from many of CGI’s market partners on hand to deal with local issues in local languages.

Phill Millward concludes, 'Glasstec is such a huge event and it is good to meet people in the industry internationally. We’re planning to be back next time – probably with a bigger stand. The good potential for finding new customers in export markets is a ‘no-miss’ item.'

http://www.cgii.co.uk

TruSeal’s Commitment to Developing a Position in Europe

TruSeal Technologies entered the European markets with its two Next Generation Warm Edge IG Spacer Systems – DuraSeal™ and Insuledge™. These new spacer designs utilize advanced composite laminating and multi-stream extrusion technologies developed by TruSeal.

This years Glasstec was a milestone for TruSeal as we demonstrated DuraSeal and Insuledge on vertical equipment designed by SIMEC S.P.A. of Treviso, Italy.

The equipment is the first example of a vertical line supporting an automated dual sealing function.

TruSeal feels that insulating glass spacer designs that take full advantage of widely accepted secondary seal materials, such as polysulphide and polyurethane, are critical to the European market.

'The presentation at Glasstec was well received and we are encouraged that our approach is consistent with the needs of the market.'

In North America, specialised window fabricators often utilize single seal spacer systems as they are glazed in plant. TruSeal has been very successful in North America with an approach suited to the needs of that market.

However, European insulating glass fabricators service a broad range of markets, requiring the performance benefits of dual seal spacer systems. In Europe there is more of a demand for vertical and highly automated equipment platforms for handling and processing heavier glass. We have adapted our equipment and application technologies to meet the needs in Europe and other regions around the world.

TruSeal was also pleased by the continuing trend at Glasstec of more attendees from around the world. As we have increased our presence in Asia Pacific, South East Asia and the Middle East, we are encouraged to see attendees from these regions coming to Glasstec.

'This reinforces our belief that this is the premiere show worldwide for the glass industry and an excellent forum to demonstrate our spacer and equipment designs.'

http://www.truseal.com

Guardian Launches New Range of Coated Glasses

At a Customer Banquet in the banks of the Rhine in Dusseldorf during Glasstec, Guardian Europe officially launched a new series of coated glass products for building architecture: Super Neutral 70, Super Neutral 62 and Super Neutral 51.

Guardian has 19.000 employees worldwide and 24 float plants, with approximately 14% share of the world flat glass market. It has Magnetron coaters in Luxembourg, Germany and Poland: Guardian Luxcoating is the largest coating facility in the world, inaugurated in June 2003.

Guardian Luxcoating is the largest coating facility in the world, inaugurated in June 2003

It is a major player in the architectural glass community in Europe with reference buildings such as Sony Center designed by Murphy Jahn at Berlin-Potsdamer Platz, the headquarters of HSBC bank designed by Norman Foster in London-Canary Wharf or Agbar tower designed by Jean Nouvel in Barcelona.

Guardian's new product range is characterised by maximum selectivity, the ability of coated glass to select between welcome daylight transmission while keeping the heat of infrared radiation out of the building. Super Neutral 70, Super Neutral 62 and Super Neutral 51 also offer state-of-the-art thermal insulation, reducing the energy losses from inside of the building to the outside.

Also in the new range is ClimaGuard Premium, which has been designed to exceed EN 673, the New Standard for Thermal Insulation in Europe (where the Ug - Value determination based on ÐT = 15 K against the old DIN standard of 10K) This gives an Average Ug (EN) = kf (DIN) + 0.1 in addition to 'outstanding' transparency.

ClimaGuard Premium

Glass coatings have an influence on the colour of the glass. For its new product range, Guardian has opted for new neutral colours on Guardian ExtraClear glass substrate. This responds to the wish of architects and building designers for very neutral, slightly greyish and bluish colours.

Guardian is confident that the new products will have a strong impact on building architecture. According to Clément Wampach, Architectural Glass Manager of Guardian Europe, 'with this innovative range of products, Guardian sets new standards for glass in buildings.'

http://www.guardian.com/en/index1.html

Bostik on Flexi-Time at Glasstec

Bostik, the worldwide manufacturer of sealants and adhesives, has used this year’s Glasstec exhibition to demonstrate the flexibility of Hot Melts in Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) manufacture.

Bostik is the market leader in Hot Melt Sealants for IGU manufacture with its Bostik P5125 and Evo-Stik Hiflo brands.

The stand featured a digital presentation which highlighted the key benefits of Hot Melt across a wide variety of applications, including manual, robotic, single and dual seal, and warm edge technology such as TPS and Super Spacer.

Richard Sellman, marketing manager for Bostik, commented: 'The IGU industry is undergoing a lot of changes at the moment, many of which are related to the imminent arrival of EN1279.
'EN1279 states that IGUs must have a Moisture Penetration Index (MPI) rating of 0.2 or less, a fact which has forced many manufacturers to scrutinise the way their units are constructed and the sealant system they use.

'The flexible nature of Hot Melt in terms of use, together with its impressive performance levels make it an increasingly popular choice, particularly as the industry continues to see dramatic advancements in terms of robotic technology.

'IGU manufacturers need to be aware of these facts and the different options available to them. The international status of Glasstec gave us the perfect opportunity to meet a wide range of companies from around the globe, from long established firms through to start-up IGU manufacturers from emerging markets, and provide them with precisely this kind of information.'

Supertrucks Launches System 3 Security Poles

Supertrucks first introduced its glass carrying rack to the glass and glazing industry in 1984. Since then many improvements have been made. The design has been improved, reducing weight and improving the wind flow characteristics. This is all evident in the latest racking system shown at Glasstec.

A 4078mm wheel base Vauxhall Movano was equipped with Supertrucks external rack 3500mm x 26i5mm extending to 3250mm high. Like most Supertrucks racks it is installed onto the van without the need to drill the van side panels, and so maintains the manufacturers' warranty.

Peter Wright demonstrating System 3 security poles

The system also includes new safety features; inclinometer, roof rack, light alloy internal racking and for the first time System 3 security poles.

Tel: 01744 25348
email: supertrucks@btinternet.com
http://www.supertrucks-uk.com

Glass Curtains: a New Idea for Contemporary Interior Design from Sprinz

Glass specialist Sprinz launched a completely new idea for window design and screening at Glastec 2004. The 'glass curtain' is a replacement for traditional solutions and is designed to be a versatile alternative to textile curtains and blinds.

It is produced to customised specifications from 6mm toughened safety glass and is finished with whatever colour, printing and grinding is requested. lndividual solutions for private homes, offices and business premises are, for example, possible with the help of translucent screen printing and four-colour ceramic motif printing.

The 'glass curtain' is combined with matching doors, partition walls and radiator covers to ensure consistent interior design.

The advantages of these new ideas are attributable to the material. Glass has a long life, does not fade and is hygienic. Its smooth surface is easy to clean and attracts little dust compared with textile surfaces. The 'glass curtain' is therefore a particularly interesting and high quality solution for people suffering from allergies.

All the functional details have deliberately been designed and implemented in a plain and formally reduced way. One or two panes of glass behind each other run in a narrow, two-track rail - several panes are positioned with an end stop that can be adjusted variably.

Two small supports secure the glass elements. Rollers with ball bearings make the elements move extremely quietly. Installation is both simple and fast.

Further information about the product and Sprinz distribution partners is available by phoning 0049 751 379-55

http://www.glas-sprinz.de

Solaris Quicktech System Makes Glass Blocks Childsplay

Leading European manufacturer of glass blocks Saint-Gobain Oberland AG has taken the hint from the booming do-lt-yourself trend and developed a new system to build with glass blocks for home-improvement enthusiasts.

In the past, building with glass blocks was a task for skilled service staff or glass block specialists. The newly developed SOLARlS Quicktech System does away with mortar and metal to make building with glass block entirely simple for home improvement buffs. The compact solution is available as a boxed kit with plastic profiles and special adhesive sufficient for a cubic meter of glass blocks.

To use the SOLARlS Quicktech System, you must be building on a solid base, for instance concrete, tiles or stone. If the glass block structure will be anchored to walls or the ceiling, then they must be equally solid. To build the glass block structure, you will need nothing more than the glass blocks themselves and the practical Quicktech System with the profiles and the adhesive. This dry-building technique can be used to build room dividers and wall segments for a wide range of applications.

SOLARlS Quicktech is a simple, fast and neat solution from Saint-Gobain Oberland AG for cost-efficient building wiihout compromising on the company's quality standards. The new system has been successfully tested by LGA (trades supervision body of the state of Bavaria) for static safety and optimum building properties.

http://www.solaris-glasstein.de

Edgetech Introduces TriSeal™ at glasstec: Super Spacer® for Structural Glazing

Edgetech IG Inc, manufacturer of Super Spacer®, the world’s only TrueWarm®, all foam, no-metal edge-seal product line, reports an excellent Glasstec 2004 and a successful European launch for its new TriSeal spacer bar. The Düsseldorf show, attended by an estimated 54,000 visitors from 81 countries, also saw Edgetech – despite this only being the product launch – sell the first TriSeal line to one of Europe’s largest insulated glass manufacturers.

Champagne; engaging demonstrations; industry gossip; the launch of TriSeal to 35 of the world’s press and both the fully-automated TriSeal Lisec line and the new Forel fully-automated line: they were all there. The stand was busy throughout the week as visitors flocked to see what Edgetech, production line manufacturers and fabricators are doing with TrueWarm edge technology. Many of the UK’s biggest fabricators visited – at least 12 of them expressing an interest in buying fully automated lines. And there were deals aplenty too, including signings for J G Glass and Oakland Glass, both based in the UK. Glasstec was also the venue for the announcement of recent major deals including one with the world’s largest window manufacturer Jeldwen (for two fully-automated Lisec lines) and another for a line for Window City of Canada. The latter is also upgrading a second line from aluminium spacer bars to Edgetech SuperSpacer.

Talking after Glasstec, Edgetech Sales Director and General Manager UK and Ireland, Andy Jones was understandably enthusiastic: 'J G Glass, Jeldwen and Window City represent a new breed of forward-looking fabricators from around the world who are investing in the future with our products. Super Spacer, together with the Lisec/Forel line, gives them the latest high-tech sealed unit at the old-tech price associated with aluminium spacers: it launches fabricators into a completely different league. J G Glass and Oakland now bring the UK’s total number of vertical lines to nine (five of which will have been installed in 2004). Edgetech’s aim is to get this into double figures early in the New Year – watch this space!'

Edgetech says that its new Super Spacer® TriSeal™ with TrueWARM® NO Metal technology easily outperforms aluminium spacer in thermal performance, condensation resistance and glass surface temperature. Like aluminium spacer, it works effectively with both structural and captive (fixed window) glazing applications. And, like aluminium spacer, it is compatible with silicone structural sealant, as well as with other secondary sealants for captive glass including polyurethane, polysulfide, DSE/DSA's or hot melt butyls.

TriSeal™ was premiered, along with a new, fully automated, TriSeal™ Lisec line at glasstec on Edgetech's stand in Hall 17.

How does TriSeal™ compare with other Super Spacer® products? TriSeal™ consists of the same desiccated silicone foam material, acrylic adhesive to hold the spacer in place on the glass, and multi-layer vapour barrier. Edgetech says: ‘as with all Super Spacer® silicone foam spacers, TriSeal™ provides excellent UV resistance, extreme temperature performance, fast dew-point drop, superior compression-set resistance, excellent colour stability and enhanced sound dampening.’

Its triple-seal design incorporates an inner acrylic adhesive seal for immediate unit handling; captive polyisobutylene primary seal for enhanced gas retention and low-moisture vapour transmission; plus an outer structural seal for proven structural glazing performance. Architects will appreciate TriSeal's smooth matte black surface appearance, with no surface blistering or bubbling. (Other colours are available on special order.) Unlike some competitive warm edge spacers, TriSeal™ applies and stays in a straight line and forms sharp 90-degree corners.

Super Spacer® TriSeal™ features a continuous vapour barrier backing across the profiled back of the spacer, and is engineered to accept all sealants. In a recent independent test for total window performance, comparing TriSeal™ vs. aluminium spacer in a thermally broken aluminium test window, TriSeal™:

o Lowered the Total Window U-Factor by over 5%.
o Raised the NFRC Condensation Resistance by over 10%.
o Raised the Sill Sightline Temperature by over 15%.

http://www.superspacer.co.uk

Bystronic Waterjet Cutting Machines: Fine Jet for Fine Contours

'Waterjet cutting is an ideal alternative to conventional methods for the efficient processing of glass.’ says Bystronic. ‘Virtually no other manufacturer has played such a decisive role in this technology over recent years as the Bystronic Group.’ For the first time this year, the Swiss exhibited at Glasstec with the company’s ‘Byjet’.

Users are increasingly placing their trust in abrasive waterjet cutting for handling their demanding glass processing tasks. The high precision and the almost endless variety of materials that can be processed are what make this process so impressive. For a waterjet cutting machine it is largely irrelevant what type of material is to be processed; it will always provide outstanding cutting results. For example, this means that glass, stone, plastics or metal up to a thickness of approximately 200 millimeters can be processed without any problems. This is made possible due to what has been dubbed the cold cut, which has neither a thermal energy nor a mechanical pressure effect on the material. Thanks to the precision of such a machine, it is even possible to engrave materials and to cut inner contours and complex shapes with the highest of quality. The same applies to laminated glass.

Bystronic has played a leading role in the on-going development of waterjet cutting for some 15 years and today ranks amongst the leading manufacturers of such machines. The latest example in the list of Bystronic innovations: Waterjet cutting machines with an additional shuttle table. Bystronic says that this makes it the only supplier on the world market that is able to supply its waterjet cutting systems with a second cutting table and hence permit entry into the automatic operation of the system.

A range of Byjet machines are available for the processing of various glass formats. Whereby all the models are equipped with the new HPT cutting head (High Precision Tool), which was initially launched last year, and the Bypump APC, an ultra high pressure pump with Active Pressure Control. Behind both components stands the Bystronic principle of ‘Everything from a single source’: Both the cutting head and the pump originate from the in-house development department.

The new cutting head operates even more accurately than its predecessor, which in turn facilitates the repositioning on contours after an interruption in the cutting process. Additionally, thanks to the optimised flow of the abrasives, the cutting performance can once again be increased which means that Byjet works even more cost-efficiently. Another advantage are the extremely short switching times of the cutting valve, which in turn permits the shortest of clocking cycles. The result is a precision of the machine, which is also due to the fact that CNC height monitoring precisely maintains the distance between the cutting head and the material to be cut and hence there is always an ideal cutting jet at the surface of the material.

The ‘intelligent’ and cost-efficient ultra high pressure pump, the Bypump APC, has two separately driven pressure intensifiers that are regulated by a micro-controller and guarantee a constant, linear and infinitely variable control of the pressure. A pressure-vessel that has a limited service life and is subject to official inspections is not required. An extensive and automatic diagnostic system, which is used to monitor and display more than 20 signals, ensures exemplary process reliability as well as fast and efficient maintenance. The sand feeding is also controlled by CNC, allowing the abrasive sand dose to be varied infinitely between 20 and 800 grams.

Together, the cutting head and the ultra high-pressure pump mean that with a marked reduction in the energy and abrasive sand used, equally good or even better results can be achieved than by competitors. ‘Anyone who demands efficiency in glass processing can be sure that with a Byjet he has a machine that ideally combines cost-efficiency, precision and productivity’, is how Michael Merkle, Head of the Bystronic Waterjet Business Unit, sums up the situation.

Web: http://www.bystronic.com

Trend Towards Glass Façades in Museums, Exhibition Buildings and Libraries

Museums and libraries are primarily located in stone buildings. For some years now, however, the trend here has also been towards glass façades and roofs. Transparent façades will give exhibition buildings an open character. ‘The façade itself becomes a work of art and reflects the contents of an exhibition. The most spectacular example of this new trend is the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which opened on 20th November. Gartner has produced a unique building cover consisting of 18 different façade types for the MoMA. Even large companies clad their exhibition buildings with glass façades. For example, we are producing the façades for BMW World in Munich and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim,’ said Andreas Fauland, Managing Director of Josef Gartner GmbH.

With a workforce numbering around 850 employees, the Bavarian company is the largest façade manufacturer in Germany. In addition to subsidiaries in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, Gartner maintains offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Chicago and Dubai.

Light incidence, for example, can be controlled by means of new glass panes and sunscreens. This means that works of art can now also be protected in glass buildings. Transparent façades are especially suitable for modern works of art as they provide various perspectives and open up exhibitions. Renowned architects such as Lord Norman Foster or Daniel Libeskind normally place very high technical demands on museum façades. Since Gartner can also produce façades with extremely low tolerances and has gained special experience with thermal breaks and the use of a wide range of materials, the company has managed to acquire a large number of new orders in this market segment.

Especially in the United States, Gartner has become well-established in the market for high-quality projects involving museums, libraries and research institutes. In New York, Gartner is currently erecting a steel façade with a skylight for the Pierpont Morgan Library. The company cladded the MoMA with a façade (area: 16,000 m2) made of glass, aluminium, steel, sheet metal and natural stone. With hitherto unattained variant diversity, the façade therefore reflects the artistic demands of the Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi. In Gundelfingen, Gartner is currently testing parts of a unique roof construction for the patent office building of the Smithsonian Institution. This building houses the world's largest collection of American art. The wave-shaped steel and glass roof measures 80 x 40 metres and was designed by Lord Norman Foster. Gartner is producing 11,500 m2 of façades, including steel façades, aluminium unit façades and canopies, for the Californian Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, which was designed by Renzo Piano in Genoa. Gartner will also produce 11,000 m2 of façades for the futuristic Renaissance Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. This building was designed by Daniel Libeskind.

In Germany Gartner is constructing a heatable façade (area: 40,000 m2) for BMW World in Munich, which is characterised by a curved glass construction. Gartner is also producing a façade with an area of 18,000 m2 for the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim. Around 1,700 different glass elements will be required here due to the complex geometry of the 47-metre-high building.

Web: http://www.josef-gartner.de

Teroson® - a brand of TIG Assembly Adhesives & Sealants: ‘The security of a strong brand’

The issue of security has always been given top priority in Henkel Teroson‘s insulating glass business. At glasstec 2004 this was pre-sented with the motto ‘The security of a strong brand’. The Heidelberg-based business line ‘Assembly Adhesives & Sealants’ showcased its current product and service portfolio for insulating glazing.

‘For us, security occupies a lot of space’, promises Thomas Stein, Director of TIG Assembly. ‘The controlled quality from Henkel Teroson gives the user security to use products in his insulating glass units which are of such quality that he need not fear complaints or entitlement for damages under warranty. Moreover, quality is not merely related to the performance of the insulating glass sealant, but also to the properties acting within the system, for instance the compatibility of all components that an insulating glass unit is made of. The constantly reliable quality is part of the promise of perform-ance of a brand which is not only backed by research and development but also by the global logistics network and the environmental policy of a glob-ally operating group. The fact that Henkel is behind the Teroson brand offers a further guarantee that, in the insulating glass market, the brand Teroson® stands for innovation and continuity.'

http://www.henkel-teroson.com

Rotatable Cathodes set the Trend of Applied Films Participation at Glasstec 2004

Processes for large area coating on architectural glass was the main topic for Applied Films' participation at Glasstec 2004. The primary process focus was on the use of rotatable cathodes. Compared to standard planar cathodes, rotatable cathodes show a better material utilisation and flexibility with a reduced cost of ownership. Applied Films combines these benefits for a production system which was presented at Glasstec. A sample of a rotatable cathode was on display on stand 12B/75. Thin film deposition experts from Applied Films were available to explain functionalities, technical features and applications to interested visitors.

The machine concept for transparent solar and low-e coatings consist of multiple compartments consecutively arranged. This modularity enables a wide variety of functionalities for different glass applications to be produced on one single machine. By material and thickness variations of the metalised layer stacks, the coatings can be adjusted in terms of colour and functionality for the specific requirements of state-of-the-art requests. This provides architects with more flexibility in design and overcomes the potential contradictions between high transparency and optimised heat shielding or minimised heat emission.

About Applied Films
Applied Films is a provider of thin film deposition equipment to diverse markets such as the flat panel display, the architectural, automotive and solar glass, and the consumer products packaging and electronics industries.

Web: http://www.appliedfilms.com