Glasstec 2004 @ The GL@ZINE

'Good Business Done' at Glasstec 2004, say Organisers, but Key UK Manufacturer Remains Unconvinced.

Glasstec 2004 closed its doors having notched up in the region of 54,000 visitors from 81 countries - only equalling the numbers from the previous event in 2002. 'It was a very good show despite the relatively low level of visitors compared to previous years' says Steve Ashton from Ashton Industrial Sales, 'We far exceeded our objectives on each day of the fair and are up 50% on the targets we set ourselves,’ commented Christian Willers from Saint-Gobain.

Exhibitors, including most of those from the UK, were impressed how well qualified visitors were – more than 70% were top managers with decision-making powers. This was also made clear both by the many deals concluded at the fair itself and also by the talks held, opening the way for promising new business relationships. Commenting on glasstec, president of the advisory council Siegfried Glaser said: ‘A very positive mood prevailed, especially amongst machinery manufacturers, many of whom quantified the show as the best in years.’

At glasstec 1,080 exhibitors plus a further 170 associations, scientific institutions and representatives from the skilled craft trades presented innovative solutions and products on a net exhibition space of 65,800sq m. The interest of visitors at glasstec was primarily focused on glass processing and finishing (48%), glass production (40%), glass products and applications (37%) as well as on tools, spare and wear parts (30%). 20% of visitors were especially interested in solar technology.

Of note was the strong interest (24%) shown in the new fields at this year’s glasstec - laser technology and special thin glass (primarily display glass). ‘The focus on these new technologies was extremely well received and they should become a fixed part of glasstec,’ said Sieg-fried Glaser.

Also attending the fair with an extended range was the special show ‘glass technology live’ which attracted a high contingent of visitors from architect’s and engineer’s offices. ‘The special exhibition with its accompanying symposium was again received with great interest. Solar technology is now increasingly being used, particularly in façade construction. We took this trend into account both in the exhibition and the symposium programme,’ said Prof. Stefan Behling, Head of the Institute for Structural Design at the University of Stuttgart and partner at Sir Norman Foster’s architects’ bureau in London. ‘This year, for the first time, we decided to take a stand at the fair because glasstec is the ideal meeting place for our target group architects, not purely on the basis of the glass technology live show,’ said Albert Müller, architectural consultant at Gartner, one of the largest façade builders worldwide.

For all those involved glasstec 2004 was a complete success. ‘Given the economic climate and the rather subdued mood prior to the fair this result is particularly significant. It was pleasing for all those involved to see how good visitor response was both in terms of quality and quantity’, said Marianne Hohenschutz, Project Coor-dinator at glasstec 2004, summing up the trade fair.

The next glasstec event will be held in Düsseldorf from 24 to 28 October 2006. Until then you can find all current information at http://www.glasstec-online.com.

Visitors to Ritec’s stand at Glasstec were particularly intrigued to see the new Revolution™ spraying application machine which was on show for the first time. This semi-automatic machine has been specifically developed to increase production and reduce costs when applying ClearShield onto glass. Requiring only a low initial investment, Revolution™ is able to convert any size or shape (flat or curved) of high maintenance unprotected glass into Low-M (Low Maintenance) Glass‚ efficiently and cost effectively.

The Ritec stand, which was designed with the ‘clean living’ theme in mind, was continuously busy throughout the show. Managing Director Stephen Byers says, ‘With a slogan like ‘clean living’, we had to make sure that the stand was not cluttered, so we had plenty of open space and a feeling of cleanliness and wellbeing.

‘Glasstec was a great chance to demonstrate our latest developments and technical advances to the ClearShield system. It allowed us to show how we
are growing worldwide, and we were able to communicate that we don’t
simply supply product – we are also about supplying a service and supporting our customers.’

Ritec’s joint venture company, Bohle ClearShield, formed earlier this year with Bohle AG for the European market, created interest, and there were visitors from throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

‘Such an international exhibition enables us to gather and exchange information, as well as networking generally with people from around the world,’ says Stephen. ‘Glasstec also provides the perfect opportunity for us to spend time with our partners and to discuss new technologies in line with global market trends.’

Tel: 020 8344 8210
Web: http://www.ritec.co.uk

For RegaLead, supplier of decorative glass products, Glasstec provided the ideal opportunity to demonstrate its latest technology and products to people from around the world. RegaLead was particularly looking to attract visitors from Eastern Europe, as well as glass suppliers who are supplying the door business.

Guy Hubble, RegaLead’s Sales and Marketing Director, says, ‘This was the biggest stand we have had at Glasstec, and it was a very open stand design which was inviting to visitors. It is important to get people onto the stand as our products are very tactile, and it increases their understanding of our products.’

Guy feels that while visitor numbers in the halls were lower than in previous years, the people he did see were of a higher quality. Existing customers were particularly interested in the extensions to the RegaLead range of films, and a good number of promising new leads were gained towards the end of the show.

Glasstec saw the introduction of RegaLead’s new catalogue for its complete range of films, which marked the first major launch of new film products in over 10 years with the RegaLead portfolio now increased to over 250 products. The company’s technically proven overlay system offers a quick and cost-effective way to create decorative glass panels for doors, windows, glazed roofs and much more.

For new international customers, Guy feels it was the new Fusion range which caught the eye. It consists of 48 designs of fused glass tiles which can be bonded to glass to create decorative effects for applications such as glazed partitions and furniture as well as door panels. With the European market moving heavily towards this style of decoration, RegaLead’s Fusion system offers a simple to use and cost effective solution for companies in the door market which do not wish to invest in fusing equipment or cannot work within the capacity and technical limitations of fully fused glass manufacture.

For the UK customers, the main interest was in the new Decorex 2 machinery. Shown on the Rottler & Rüdiger stand, the equipment was the culmination of over two years of co-operation between R&R, Cadram and RegaLead in the development of automated lead application equipment. Glasstec was the first time the equipment had been shown and it was a resounding success with RegaLead expecting sales of five machines within the next couple of months.

Guy adds, ‘Basically there was interest across all our product range and we will be back for the next Glasstec – it’s one of the most important shows for us.’

Tel: 0161 946 1164
Web: http://www.regalead.com

Visitors to Glasstec 2004 were the first in the world to see, touch and walk on 'Ganzglastreppe', a freestanding, laminated glass stairway. It relies on architectural laminated glass incorporating DuPont™ SentryGlas® Plus structural interlayer to deliver safety without sacrificing beauty.

This was the international premier of Ganzglastreppe ('pure glass stairs'), the 6-metre prototype of a generic glass and steel stairway that its inventors hope will be snapped up by commercial buyers for use in retail outlets and office building developments worldwide. Its design team, based at the University of Fine Arts, Hamburg and The Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg's civil engineering faculty, worked with glass laminator Flachglas Wernberg GmbH and Glassline GmbH, a German producer of point fitted support systems and stainless steel components, to develop and build the staircase.

‘Aesthetically, the design of Ganzglastreppe may look weightless and gravity-defying, like an architectural 'Stairway to Heaven'. Yet engineering-wise, the stresses on a drilled, point-fixed glass staircase like this are highly complicated. SentryGlas® Plus made the project possible because it is the only structural interlayer in the world that we know of to provide the necessary additional strength where bending and tear stresses are the dominant stresses,’ said Josef Failer, research and development at Flachglas Wernberg.

‘Laminated glass incorporating SentryGlas® Plus is used for both the slim, highly-polished stair treads and the elegant balustrades of Ganzglasstreppe. In addition to the interlayer's structural strength, it creates a very strong bond to the metal fixings used in the stairway's construction and its high rigidity contributes with other factors to the overall stability and safety of Ganzglastreppe's patented design.’

Architectural glass containing DuPont™ SentryGlas® Plus has been used for innovative projects, big and small, throughout the world since the introduction of the structural interlayer at the end of the 1990s. Internationally, recent high profile projects have included a flat, self-supporting laminated glass roof the size of a soccer field for Spanish energy giant Endesa in Madrid, Spain (completion: 2003 / architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox / laminator: Rioglas / structural engineers: Bellapart); state-of-the-art, metal-in-glass architectural façade technology for the newly-completed Shanghai Oriental Art Center, China (completion: late 2004 / architects: Paul Andreu / Aeroports de Paris /laminator: SYP) and glass stairways at Apple Computer flagship stores in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, USA (completion: 2003-4; architects: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson / laminator: Depp Glass). In Germany, Flachglas Wernberg is currently working with design teams to complete two building facades of architectural laminated glass incorporating SentryGlas® Plus; one in Hamburg and one in Cologne.

‘DuPont™ SentryGlas® Plus offers five times the tear strength and 100 times the stiffness of traditional interlayers for laminated glass, plus higher clarity, better edge stability and improved weathering performance. This is creating strong demand from architects, building façade engineers and laminators worldwide,’ commented Luigi Robbiati, Vice President, DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions.

Respected structural engineer Tim MacFarlane of the London-based structural engineering firm Dewhurst MacFarlane & Partners Ltd. has compared the introduction of SentryGlas® Plus to the invention of reinforced concrete in the 19th century, calling it: ‘THE engineered glass material of the 21st century.’

DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions operates within the DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers strategic business unit, part of DuPont's $5.3 billion Performance Materials growth platform.

DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

The huge Bohle stand at Glasstec enabled the company to demonstrate again that it is continuously developing and refining its product range. Key developments for this year’s show were in Bohle’s new range of glass kilns, the extended range of production level drilling machines, and glass hardware.

According to Gary Dean, Managing Director of Bohle’s UK company, the objectives at Glasstec were, as usual, to present new items, and in the case of the UK, there was a strong emphasis on the machinery and emerging activities such as art glass and fusing.

‘Customers are always all over our stand in great numbers,’ says Gary, ‘and this Glasstec was no exception. However, the new machinery drew a great deal of interest – and, I’m glad to say, orders.’

While every day was busy, the first two days were quieter than previous years. ‘The last three days certainly made up for that,’ says Gary. ‘The people who visit our stand are generally the company owners or buyers, so the quality of visitor is very high, and this results, therefore, in a good many sales.’

Several very large orders for machinery were placed with Bohle at the exhibition, and there were a large number of enquiries for the Veribor Suction Lifters.
‘Glasstec is rightly considered to be THE glass industry show,’ says Gary, ‘and for Bohle, it once again provided an excellent forum to meet our worldwide customers and make new contacts, as well as cement old relationships.’

Tel: (+44) 0800 616151
Web: http://www.bohle.ltd.uk

Glasstec launch of Edgetech TriSeal™ wows the crowds

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 Glas Trösch, 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, Glas Trösch 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!”

German Glass Industry sees Growth Opportunities: Exports Driving Force for Business

German manufacturers of glass plants and machinery have lately been generating 73% of their sales through exports. According to the Glass Plant and Machinery Department of the VDMA (the German Engineering Federation), the German industry comprises approximately 100 manufacturers of plants and machinery for producing, processing and machining as well as for handling of flat, container and special glass. Employing roughly 4,000 staff they generate annual sales worth EUR 600 million.

The key customers - and therefore decisive accounts for the demand for glass machinery and plants - are the manufacturers of flat glass (mainly supplying the construction and automotive industries) as well as the producers of container glass supplying the consumer goods industry. In 2003 the principal export markets for German glass machinery and plant manufacturers were East Europe, the Far East and parts of the Middle East. In terms of individual countries China and Russia were important sales markets.

Order books increasingly filled
In 2003 German manufacturers of plant and machinery for producing and processing flat glass achieved total annual sales worth EUR 144 million. Although the turnover was down again by another 33 % in the first quarter as against the same period of the previous year, the industry as a whole views the future with optimism. The value of orders received as an indication for business developments over the coming few months amounted to over € 50 million in early 2004 and was therefore 40% higher than in the previous year. This means that the export business is going for new record figures: in the first quarter of 2004 93 % of all orders received came from abroad.

The reason for this is a development which already became apparent as a trend in the fourth quarter of 2003: a strongly increased demand from Far Eastern countries. Compared to the same period of the previous year, the orders received from Asia multiplied by a factor of 10 in the first quarter of 2004. Furthermore, the demand from North America (plus 7.5%) and from the Near East (plus 6.5%) was up slightly. In contrast to this, domestic demand continued to shrink by another 30% and the order volume from EU countries was down by 45%. This means that in early 2004 nearly half of all orders came from Asia (48%) followed by EU nations (25.5%), North America (12%), Eastern Europe (5.6%) and the Near East (5.4%).

Holistic solutions in demand
On account of dwindling prices for glass as a raw material, the low demand for high-quality consumer glass and a market concentration of tableware manufacturers the propensity to invest in new machinery was very low in this segment in 2003. While German producers focus on supplying machinery for the production of high-quality crystal glass the demand was highest for mass glass. In 2003 therefore the firms capable of offering holistic solutions managed best to stand their ground.

The situation for bottle production machinery producers looks similar. Since late last year, however, producers have started to take in some orders again especially from Central Europe and the Far East. Just as optimistic for 2004 are the producers of machinery and plants for tubular glass manufacturing who expect at least some movement on the market this year. Here again, the major export markets are the Far East and Russia. All in all, the sector of glass machinery and plant producers are satisfied with business trends in 2003. This holds particularly true for those producers who had their sights on exports early on.

Glass sector pinning its hopes on 2005
For the German glass industry 2003 was the second year of recession in a row. According to information provided by the German Glass Industry Association (Bundesverband der Glasindustrie e.V.) the turnover of this industry as a whole went down by 2.1 % to € 7.9 billion last year. The main reason being the disproportionately high decline in domestic sales which were down by 3.7% to € 5.0 billion. Abroad, however, the sector managed to increase its turnover by 1 % to total € 2.9 billion. This means the export rate of 34.8 % in 2002 rose to 36 % in 2003. The number of employees was down by 2.4% to 57,625.

On the German market the glass industry suffered primarily from the sluggish construction business and the sustained pile-up of investment. Only the mineral fibre segment managed to post significant growth by 5.1% to € 1.0 billion.
Domestic sales of flat glass for the construction industry, however, dramatically went down. Flat glass (basic glass) posted a 6.7 % decline (to € 0.66 billion). Accounting for a 35 % share in the total market, the largest single segment, flat glass processing, posted a 2.4 % decline in turnover to € 2.8 billion. Likewise, the manufacturers of technical glass and special glass faced noticeable losses in domestic sales: € 1.3 billion meant a 6.2 % decline.

Consumer reticence to buy greatly affected the crystal and consumer glass sector. Totalling € 0.56 billion, turnover fell 3.8% short of last year's figures. The container glass industry, on the other hand, posted a slight domestic increase of 0.7% to € 1.56 billion. The drastic downturn in sales of disposable beverage bottles in the wake of obligatory deposits on bottles was temporarily offset by the summer boom in demand and the resulting increase in orders for re-usable bottles.

Despite the reduced vigour in exports German glass manufacturers managed to exceed the previous year's level slightly. Sharp falls occurred in the export of special and technical glass as well as of glass-based consumer goods (crystal and tableware glass) - their business opportunities abroad suffered substantially from Euro revaluation. Also declining were the foreign sales of basic flat glass. The other product segments did, however, post export growth.

Trough reached in 2004
According to information by the German association order volumes and turnover continued to be on the decline in the first months of 2004. Neither domestic business nor exports generated perceivable momentum. This is why the glass industry does not expect a fundamental improvement of the situation in 2004 although production capacity utilisation at the firms was slightly up in the first few months. The industry is confident it will come out of the trough during the course of the year and it also hopes for reviving impulses from 'glasstec 2004'. And for 2005 the glass industry even expects a sustained upswing.

The industry sees this development endangered particularly be some political measures such as the C02 emissions trading, the Act on Renewable Energies (EEG) and the road toll for heavy goods vehicles expected to put heavier burdens on companies. This is compounded by special structural influences like the negative impact of the statutory deposit on one-way beverage packaging and the slump in the CRT glass market.

German glaziers' trade optimistic
The glaziers' trade - the third mainstay of the German glass industry - could not escape the long economic downturn and reticence to invest in all areas unscathed either. Against the background of spectacular slumps in turnover and company insolvencies the trade once again proved to be more than robust in the eyes of BIV, the Federal Association of Glazier Trades, and flexibly responded to all adversities.

Some 10 % of total sales (approx. € 4 billion) of German skilled trades are accounted for by the glazier trade. While not all firms managed to start the year with order books filled for four months in advance the sector does expect a growing propensity to invest and therefore also views the future with slight optimism. Furthermore, association members are confident that 'glasstec 2004' will produce positive incentives for the economy.

German skilled glaziers regard themselves as well prepared for the future in technical terms. And they rely on addressing new target groups beyond their traditional market focus. Examples worth mentioning here are solar and security technologies but also a stronger international orientation of German skilled craftsmen. With their sights on EU-enlargement glaziers realise it is important to be present above all in Eastern Europe and to respond to ever changing customer needs by high quality standards.

In view of these major objectives and challenges the glaziers' trade attaches great importance to education and training. Which is why the 'learning culture' in the German glaziers' trade is to continue ranking very highly. Despite the difficult economic situation many glaziers continue training apprentices. According to BIV information this holds true for almost 70% of all German glaziers.

Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 2: Click Here

Glasstec 2004 Review: Part 3: Click Here