It’s officially fall, and not just because the leaves have begun changing here in Virginia or, as my mom recently pointed out, candy corn is being sold at every grocery store, but because around every corner is another trade show.
This week I suspect some of you may be heading out to Metalcon, the annual conference and exhibition for the metal construction industry. I’m sure many of you reading this are getting ready for next week’s show out in Las Vegas and then many more are turning around to head to glasstec in Germany.
For both of these shows we’ll be looking to take our usual show coverage to the next level by adding to our daily USGNN.com reports and the reviews in the December USGlass with video interviews from the show floor. Exhibitors, let us know if you’re ready to let your product be the star on camera—and attendees, be sure to stop by booth 310 to let us—and our viewers—know what trends you’re seeing at the show. I can tell you from experience, it’s not quite as intimidating as it first may seem!
And for those of you heading out to glasstec for the first time—like me!—let me know as I’d love to talk to you in advance about your plans for getting the most out of this massive show.
Just beyond glasstec is the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo in Boston. This show is a bit further off, but I’ve already been planning for it as I’m working on an article for the November USGlass about, what else, green products. I’ve been asking a number of people in our industry (and I’d love to get your input) the seemingly simple question: What does green mean to you? While we all may have a general idea of what a green product is, contributing editor Tara Taffera will be showing in the November issue that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is examining green claims in the building industry to see which can be supported and which are just claims being made to take advantage of this widespread green trend.
Not too far beyond Greenbuild is the annual Glass Expo Midwest, which you can read about in detail in the September USGlass.
Are there any other trade shows on your radar? Let me know by posting your comment here!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Hot, Hot, HOT!
If you’ve ever toured a float glass facility then perhaps you already know to what I’m referring. A few weeks ago I had just such an opportunity, when Rob Struble, marketing communications manager of Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries, was kind enough to invite members of our editorial staff to tour PPG’s float facility in Carlisle, Pa. What made the tour particularly tempting was the fact that the facility, which houses two side-by-side float lines, was undergoing repairs to one of its lines. The once-in-12-years opportunity, as Rob pointed out, allowed our small group to view a line in action—as well as an up-close view of the inside of a typical line.
We started our tour from the end of the float line, which provided an interesting perspective. We walked quickly past the cutting and sorting lines and into the last chamber of the float line.
“You think that’s hot?” our guide, Mike Henry, asked as he led us into the long room. There wasn’t much to see at that end of the line where the lengthy lehr enclosed the glass being annealed. We learned later that at this point the glass is cooled to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet sweat beaded on our collective brows and one cardigan was shrugged off as we nodded.
Mike smiled and replied, “That’s not hot.”
We followed our guides further down the line and crossed into the area where the glass actually begins to take its shape atop the molten tin bath. We could see purple licks of flame at the point where the glass was pulled into the lehr. Adjustable wheels on either side of the ribbon essentially pulled the glass out into the desired thickness, one point of the process that determines whether the glass will be a 1/8- or 1/4-inch lite, for example.
“You think that’s hot, don’t you?” Mike joked again.
I personally felt like I’d been vacuum-sealed and stuck in an unvented attic like a pile of discarded winter clothes in July. It became difficult to stop thinking, no, fantasizing about the pack of water bottles sitting in the van. We nodded.
Mike laughed. “That’s not hot.”
Finally we passed the 36-foot-tall regenerators, chambers on either side of the furnace that alternately force hot air into the furnace and take the excess heat back for reuse. We’d reached the end of the line, where batch ingredients were fed into the furnace. As the raw materials were deposited into the open end of the furnace, what was a moment before solid silica, limestone, soda ash, dolomite and cullet now bobbed in a liquid state. Now that was hot—but it was all we could do to stay away at that point.
And of course it’s hot. The peak temperature inside the actual furnace is 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which silica melts. With the green focus of the upcoming November issue of USGlass on my mind, I couldn’t help but consider how much energy must be required to maintain such high temperatures 24 hours a day.
After a moment’s breath of fresh air outside, where we gazed upon mountains of glistening glass shards, divided by tint and type to be recycled as cullet, our group went back in better prepared for the heat. Our guides then dove into explaining each step of the process and helping us to find the best view of the molten batch as it proceeded through the furnace, into the refiner, along the tin bath, inside of the lehr and finally out into the open where it was cut to size.
On the walk back past the furnace we had more opportunities to peek inside the inner workings of the furnace—and into the interior of the non-working furnace, which is in the process of being rebuilt. We were given a glance inside the refiner, and were able to make out examples of the bubbles removed during the process. At that point Mike also pointed out the “tweel,” a gate that that is adjusted to control the amount of glass that enters the next chamber, the first step in controlling the size of the glass.
We were also given a few moments’ reprieve in two different examples of the air-conditioned control consoles, from which the line’s attendants view the glass via video monitors as it progresses along the line.
While it may differ for my coworkers (pictured here from left: assista
nt editor Katie Hodge, DWM editor Tara Taffera, yours truly, AGRR editor Penny Stacey and Window Film editor Drew Vass), one of the most interesting parts for me was when we returned to the cutting line where we had first began our tour, but now with the consideration that until the lites were scored and cut, we’d been following the path of one tremendously long piece of glass. As many times as I’d read it, it was mind-boggling to think that the ribbon of glass keeps moving nonstop for years.
CLICK HERE to read Tara's perspective on the trip and HERE to read Penny's recollections of our adventure.
And if you’re interested in seeing this process for yourself—let your glass supplier know you’re interested—or you can take a look at this video from the Glass Association of North America’s Flat Glass Manufacturing Division.
We started our tour from the end of the float line, which provided an interesting perspective. We walked quickly past the cutting and sorting lines and into the last chamber of the float line.
“You think that’s hot?” our guide, Mike Henry, asked as he led us into the long room. There wasn’t much to see at that end of the line where the lengthy lehr enclosed the glass being annealed. We learned later that at this point the glass is cooled to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet sweat beaded on our collective brows and one cardigan was shrugged off as we nodded.
Mike smiled and replied, “That’s not hot.”
We followed our guides further down the line and crossed into the area where the glass actually begins to take its shape atop the molten tin bath. We could see purple licks of flame at the point where the glass was pulled into the lehr. Adjustable wheels on either side of the ribbon essentially pulled the glass out into the desired thickness, one point of the process that determines whether the glass will be a 1/8- or 1/4-inch lite, for example.
“You think that’s hot, don’t you?” Mike joked again.
I personally felt like I’d been vacuum-sealed and stuck in an unvented attic like a pile of discarded winter clothes in July. It became difficult to stop thinking, no, fantasizing about the pack of water bottles sitting in the van. We nodded.
Mike laughed. “That’s not hot.”
Finally we passed the 36-foot-tall regenerators, chambers on either side of the furnace that alternately force hot air into the furnace and take the excess heat back for reuse. We’d reached the end of the line, where batch ingredients were fed into the furnace. As the raw materials were deposited into the open end of the furnace, what was a moment before solid silica, limestone, soda ash, dolomite and cullet now bobbed in a liquid state. Now that was hot—but it was all we could do to stay away at that point.
And of course it’s hot. The peak temperature inside the actual furnace is 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature at which silica melts. With the green focus of the upcoming November issue of USGlass on my mind, I couldn’t help but consider how much energy must be required to maintain such high temperatures 24 hours a day.
After a moment’s breath of fresh air outside, where we gazed upon mountains of glistening glass shards, divided by tint and type to be recycled as cullet, our group went back in better prepared for the heat. Our guides then dove into explaining each step of the process and helping us to find the best view of the molten batch as it proceeded through the furnace, into the refiner, along the tin bath, inside of the lehr and finally out into the open where it was cut to size.
On the walk back past the furnace we had more opportunities to peek inside the inner workings of the furnace—and into the interior of the non-working furnace, which is in the process of being rebuilt. We were given a glance inside the refiner, and were able to make out examples of the bubbles removed during the process. At that point Mike also pointed out the “tweel,” a gate that that is adjusted to control the amount of glass that enters the next chamber, the first step in controlling the size of the glass.
We were also given a few moments’ reprieve in two different examples of the air-conditioned control consoles, from which the line’s attendants view the glass via video monitors as it progresses along the line.
While it may differ for my coworkers (pictured here from left: assista
nt editor Katie Hodge, DWM editor Tara Taffera, yours truly, AGRR editor Penny Stacey and Window Film editor Drew Vass), one of the most interesting parts for me was when we returned to the cutting line where we had first began our tour, but now with the consideration that until the lites were scored and cut, we’d been following the path of one tremendously long piece of glass. As many times as I’d read it, it was mind-boggling to think that the ribbon of glass keeps moving nonstop for years.CLICK HERE to read Tara's perspective on the trip and HERE to read Penny's recollections of our adventure.
And if you’re interested in seeing this process for yourself—let your glass supplier know you’re interested—or you can take a look at this video from the Glass Association of North America’s Flat Glass Manufacturing Division.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Last Day of Fall Conference
No offense to the fine folks at the Glass Association of North America (GANA), but I’m pretty happy to be leaving Dallas today. The Fall Conference itself has been terrific, with lots of progress made during the meetings, as well as some interesting presentations (check out www.usgnn.com for more on that). But for the second morning in a row, I woke up, turned on the news and was immediately greeted with the warning that 88 counties in Texas have already declared a disaster in preparation of Ike. This morning I learned in addition that the Dallas Convention Center is being prepared by the local Red Cross to house evacuees as the hurricane approaches.
For those of you who read my recent post on our storm-related reports, let me just say that while I’m happy to assist in getting information out there, I have no interest in offering a first-person perspective on the need for glass replacement following a hurricane …
Maybe Dallas and GANA are just a bad combination. Back in 2005, Hurricane Rita kept GANA members from attending that year’s Fall Conference, as several people commented during last night's reception. But on the other hand, I’m just glad that this go around everyone had the opportunity to come together and progress on the number of items that have been under discussion this week.
For those of you who read my recent post on our storm-related reports, let me just say that while I’m happy to assist in getting information out there, I have no interest in offering a first-person perspective on the need for glass replacement following a hurricane …
Maybe Dallas and GANA are just a bad combination. Back in 2005, Hurricane Rita kept GANA members from attending that year’s Fall Conference, as several people commented during last night's reception. But on the other hand, I’m just glad that this go around everyone had the opportunity to come together and progress on the number of items that have been under discussion this week.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Hard at Work in Dallas
As predicted, labeling did come up during yesterday’s meeting of the Fire-Rated Glazing Council (which met as part of the Glass Association of North America’s Fall Conference), but it was only one topic of many discussions. And what was most refreshing was being in the same room as the majority of individuals with whom I’d spoken for the article—and hearing the willingness to address the issue of labeling as a unified group. While the different perspectives were clearly evident in discussions, the discussion was open and the group seemed focused on finding a way to put this issue to rest once and for all. Of course, it helps that the alternative is letting the International Code Councils’ (ICC) Code Technology Committee make a recommendation to the ICC that would decide this issue for the glass industry. As Thom Zaremba commented on my way out of the room, the final chapter has yet to be written on this article - but hopefully it will be the glass industry representatives that are penning this chapter.
Last night concluded with a very well attended reception and gave everyone a chance to say hello, and gave me the chance to speak face-to-face with a couple of the folks whom I’ve had the pleasure of quoting in articles over the past year. Today I had a similar pleasure in that following his tremendous keynote address on the state of the glass industry, Apogee chairman and CEO Russ Huffer took some time out of his busy schedule for a one-on-one interview. He answered a number of questions I’ve been asking over the past couple of months for various articles, running the gamut from photovoltaics to coating advances to the rumors of a glass shortage.
One point that I thought was pretty interesting was that Russ touched base on one of the cutting-edge trends we’ve been tracking in USGlass, solar energy and building integrated photovoltaics. He stressed that while photovoltaics (PV) will be a big player in the glass industry for some time to come, there are significant challenges when it comes to integrating PV into vertical facades that are not likely to be solved in the near future. The difficulties lie in the fact that by installing solar cells on a vertical façade, there are only soaking up sun from one direction, limiting their usefulness throughout the day. In addition, he pointed out that thin film is “winning the day” with regard to costs, but is less efficient than other technologies in converting sunlight into usable electricity.
For the rest of the interview, well, you’ll just have to check out http://www.usgnn.com/ to see the interview for yourself!
Last night concluded with a very well attended reception and gave everyone a chance to say hello, and gave me the chance to speak face-to-face with a couple of the folks whom I’ve had the pleasure of quoting in articles over the past year. Today I had a similar pleasure in that following his tremendous keynote address on the state of the glass industry, Apogee chairman and CEO Russ Huffer took some time out of his busy schedule for a one-on-one interview. He answered a number of questions I’ve been asking over the past couple of months for various articles, running the gamut from photovoltaics to coating advances to the rumors of a glass shortage.
One point that I thought was pretty interesting was that Russ touched base on one of the cutting-edge trends we’ve been tracking in USGlass, solar energy and building integrated photovoltaics. He stressed that while photovoltaics (PV) will be a big player in the glass industry for some time to come, there are significant challenges when it comes to integrating PV into vertical facades that are not likely to be solved in the near future. The difficulties lie in the fact that by installing solar cells on a vertical façade, there are only soaking up sun from one direction, limiting their usefulness throughout the day. In addition, he pointed out that thin film is “winning the day” with regard to costs, but is less efficient than other technologies in converting sunlight into usable electricity.
For the rest of the interview, well, you’ll just have to check out http://www.usgnn.com/ to see the interview for yourself!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Greetings from Dallas
While this morning’s flight to Dallas was relatively uneventful (at least the parts I was awake for), I’m sure that the same can’t be said of the reason I’m here. The Glass Association of North America (GANA) is holding its Fall Conference at the Wyndham Hotel here in Dallas, starting with this afternoon’s meeting of the Fire-Rated Glazing Council.
This afternoon's meeting is one I've been looking forward to since wrapping up the August issue of USGlass. It had given me an opportunity to learn more about an item on this afternoon's agenda, the labeling of fire-rated glazing materials - but also an opportunity to speak to a number of the individuals present here at this meeting. One of the things I'd been told repeatedly was that although this topic has been under much discussion of late, it's only one item of interest in this specific area. (To learn about some of those other items, keep an eye on USGNN tomorrow and Wednesday!)
This is a group that certainly knows how to get down to business, so I know there will be plenty to report. We’ll have to wait and see the highlights the meetings are sure to hold, but there is one highlight set on the schedule. Russ Huffer of Apogee Enterprises is set to discuss “The State of the Glass and Glazing Industry” during tomorrow’s breakfast. I’ll be particularly interested to hear what he says as I’ve just recently finished up an article along those lines for the September issue of USGlass; that is, what is in the future for the architectural glass industry.
Of course part of that was the question of whether or not there is in fact a glass shortage on the horizon. The glass manufacturers with whom I spoke suggested that there are indications of a shortage in the future. Meanwhile, a few of the contract glaziers interviewed for a follow-up article clearly have seen no such signs. Please share your input by sending me an email or leaving your comments here.
This afternoon's meeting is one I've been looking forward to since wrapping up the August issue of USGlass. It had given me an opportunity to learn more about an item on this afternoon's agenda, the labeling of fire-rated glazing materials - but also an opportunity to speak to a number of the individuals present here at this meeting. One of the things I'd been told repeatedly was that although this topic has been under much discussion of late, it's only one item of interest in this specific area. (To learn about some of those other items, keep an eye on USGNN tomorrow and Wednesday!)
This is a group that certainly knows how to get down to business, so I know there will be plenty to report. We’ll have to wait and see the highlights the meetings are sure to hold, but there is one highlight set on the schedule. Russ Huffer of Apogee Enterprises is set to discuss “The State of the Glass and Glazing Industry” during tomorrow’s breakfast. I’ll be particularly interested to hear what he says as I’ve just recently finished up an article along those lines for the September issue of USGlass; that is, what is in the future for the architectural glass industry.
Of course part of that was the question of whether or not there is in fact a glass shortage on the horizon. The glass manufacturers with whom I spoke suggested that there are indications of a shortage in the future. Meanwhile, a few of the contract glaziers interviewed for a follow-up article clearly have seen no such signs. Please share your input by sending me an email or leaving your comments here.
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