Our sector, like others, always looks for new products and niches where we think there could be major potential for growth. Whilst it's always exciting to be on the lookout for something new, it's easy to forget what is already available and what existing products still have huge potential. For me, this is where [...]
Scientists in China have developed a new type of glass, called AM-III, which is so hard it can leave s scratch on a diamond. We are used to saying this the other way round, that diamonds could cut glass. Well, this new type of glass can leave deep scratches in diamonds. It doesn't look [...]
Deliveries delayed? Missing items? It's probably because of glass. There is an acute glass shortage right now, and it's really beginning to bite. It's not as if this is a surprise, it has been forecast by pretty much anyone in glass for months. But that doesn't make it less disruptive. So the question is, [...]
Saint-Gobain's new glass furnace, currently being built in Eggborough, North Yorkshire, has reached the halfway point. This is an important milestone for the company and the supply of glass in the UK against a backdrop of shortages that are getting worse and causing disruption throughout the supply chain. This is the statement that has [...]
There was devastating news last week as a rare tornado in the Czech Republic struck the town of Hodonin. Unfortunately, five lives were lost in the extreme weather incident, with more than 100 injured. The tornado also hit the CZ Pellini factory, causing massive damage. It is also reported that a number of workers [...]
Press Glass have announced that they have secured new £227m bank financing (PLN1.2bn) in order to refinance debt, as well as build two new production plants, one in Lithuania and the other here in the UK. Press Glass statement This is their press release: On June 9, 2021, the Press Glass Group obtained bank [...]
This is a press release issued by Glass Futures: St Helens Borough Council Planning Committee has today granted planning permission for delivery of the £54million global glass research and innovation facility located at Saints Retail Park. The planning application was prepared and submitted by developer and landowner Network Space, on behalf of not-for-profit research [...]
Technological advances in glass are moving at an incredible pace. Perhaps faster than in any other part of the wider fenestration market. And that innovation continues with a product developed across the pond at Harvard University. Researchers there claim to have developed a new type of glass unit, inclusive of silver sprayed nanowires, which allow [...]
I am a massive believer that the rapid rise of the solid roof market was down to the fact that there simply was not a good enough conservatory roof product from the outset. Polycarbonate roofs are way too loud, allow the conservatory to get about as hot as the surface as the sun, and about [...]
Innovations in the glass sector always continue to amaze me. Out of all the facets which make up the fenestration sector, glass is perhaps the most advanced right now. That advancement continues with the announcement that the University College London (UCL) and EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) have developed a new smart window [...]
The glass we use in our windows and doors in the residential and commercial sectors is getting smarter, quickly. It's not just becoming more and more energy efficient, but we as an industry are understanding better how glass can be used to help control the comfort and climate levels in buildings. Home owners are understanding [...]
My post yesterday made for good reading for many of the companies featured, as their share graphs showed a nice steady rise throughout the year. A good thing of course. However, there was one comparison of two charts in particular which showed two distinctly different fortunes throughout this year. Pilks vs SG These are the [...]
Imagine a window with glass that is about as strong as steel, yet is thin and light. Thanks to Japanese researchers this has come one big step closer. Young's Modulus Here is an article from tech website Gizmodo that explains the development: Scientists in Japan say they’ve fashioned glass that’s almost as strong as steel. [...]
When it comes to talking about the history of most companies in this industry, many of us talk in years. Some talk in decades. A few talk in half centuries. Saint-Gobain talks about their company history in centuries! This week the glass giant turns the ripe old age of 350. Any way you look at [...]
If you're reading this very article on your smartphone, it's highly likely that the glass your finger is on right now is made by the very same company who have put together this very slick video. The company is called Corning and they are glass specialists. This latest video from the company wants to demonstrate [...]
This year marks the 350th anniversary of one of the industry's biggest glass companies, Saint-Gobain. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the company on such a long history on what is traditionally a very competitive area of the market, especially when global market conditions remain as up and down as they are right now. [...]
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