Mouldless Glass Bending and Tempering - Extraordinary Shapes With Ordinary Costs

Mauri Saksala, Tamglass Ltd. Oy

Contemporary architectural design puts increasing focus on day-lighting and advanced shapes for big glass structures. The key drivers behind this development are several and they involve all the interest groups in the supply chain for architectural safety glass. Building owners wish to create optimum conditions for users of buildings by taking full advantage of day-lighting and new glass materials. Architects look for exciting shapes and cost-efficient, yet unique facades. Users of buildings have noted the positive effects of light, energy control and transparency for human comfort as well as work efficiency. The good news for glass processors is that the machine technology required for efficient processing of such glass is now an established and proven fact.

The big glass sizes used in architectural applications place high demands on the entire supply chain. Size and coating materials in themselves require advanced processing to ensure flawless quality and productivity on the processing line. High costs associated with big sizes leave little room for lost production as a result of careless handling or quality defects. Versatile facade designs combining curved shapes and flat surfaces provide new options for unique structures. The availability of the technologies and production lines capable of meeting these new designs inspire the creative minds of architects. The fact that the technology for handling and bending big sizes with advanced coating materials is both available and proven on the market triggers a new push of demand that glass processors will have to live up to. Technology availability means that demand is focusing to those capable of supplying.

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The Authors

Mr. Mauri Saksala Product Group Manager Tamglass Ltd. Oy Mr. Saksala has worked with safety glass technology over 15 years and has a wide knowledge of glass processing and glass processing machinery. Today Mr. Saksala works in Tamglass Ltd. Oy as Product Gr... Read more