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. [...]
Here's a story that's been doing the rounds on the internet over the past week or so, the amazing new glass walkway unveiled at Tower Bridge in London. The 42 metre high walkway is a brilliant demonstration of the versatility and strength of glass as a material. Head for heights I always like seeing these [...]
Something a little different for today's post, a video. I found this small Israeli company, based in Tel Aviv, who specialise in glass technology. They are called Gauzy and this video shows us what is possible with glass using technologies that already exist today: Transparent solar cell controlled glass, see-through fridges that let [...]
Another post, another question from a homeowner. You can see why I need to build a consumer section to this site! Anyway, this time round it is a homeowner who has bought some sealed units online, but is concerned as to the quality of the units they have received. This was his correspondence: Email [...]
That might sound like a bit of an odd question to ask, seen as though we all need glass throughout all parts of life. It's an essential material we simply could not live without. But when you focus in on our industry specifically, life seems very tough for some of our big glass companies, especially for [...]
Usually, there's not much discussion on a Friday night on twitter about our industry that is worth talking about. But when @glassmanjamie asked me if I knew of any specialist glass recycling companies other than Berrymans, things got going from there. I tried to look for some companies myself. The types of companies that the [...]
Remember when I posted the video on this blog of the Corning Glass inspired life we all might living in the near future? If not, here's the link to that post: https://www.doubleglazingblogger.com/2012/01/glass-probably-the-most-infulential-material-for-our-future/ watch that video again, then watch the one below. A Day Made Of Glass 2 is an expanded vision based on the first [...]
I'm happy to report today that the busy period after the Summer Slump has continued this week. Plenty of leads made and sales completed. But it is the nature of the leads and these sales which is the reason for this post. Rather than standard windows and doors, we have been selling lots, and I [...]
I have just spent a fantastic early Valentines weekend with my girlfriend down in London! Its has been a few years since I was there last to stay over, and so much has changed in and around the centre, for the better. But after seeing how much money is being spent in London, it does [...]
Rarely does glass get to show itself off in such a dramatic and permanent way. The Shard, London's newest and the EU's soon-to-be tallest skyscraper, displays glass to city of London and beyond in a which makes people really sit up and acknowledge glass and all it's incredibility. It's puts it at the forefront of [...]
This looks like the first bit of major bad news for the glass area of our industry. Pilkington have announced that they are to shut one of it's three UK production lines in an effort to save on costs. Pilkington's Japanese owners, NSG, are looking to cut 3500 jobs worldwide. Pilkington employ 300o people in [...]
>Some very smart people in South Korea have produced a new type of 'smart glass', which has the potential be cheaper and be more reliable than the current market offering.How does it work? The glass is laced with a charge counterion polymer, which darkens in seconds when outside air temperatures become high - keeping the [...]
>I don't want to tempt fate here, but has everyone noticed that the steady stream of price increase letters from suppliers seems to have dried up a little?During the spring and early summer installation companies were inundated almost every week with letters from suppliers explaining how costs were going up. Glass suppliers were the worst [...]
>More good news has been released from Pilkington, with their announcement that they are to open a new energy-efficient coating facility at their current base in St Helens, worth £36 million. This new line will also create 50 brand new jobs.This is further good news, following the re-opening of their production plant in St Helens [...]
>Due to the recent Japanese Earthquake, Toray Fine Chemicals Company Ltd, producer of polysulphide polymer, has had to cease production for an unspecified period of time. The plant was damaged in the recent earthquake, and due to damage to most of Japan's nuclear reactors, power to everywhere north of Tokyo has had to be rationed [...]
>Pilkington have announced that they are to reopen one of their float lines in St Helens. This is intended to produce glass for the solar energy market.This is obvious good news for an area which was hit badly by the closure of St. Helens glass after over 30 years in business. Solar energy is fast [...]
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