BAU 2017 Gets its Glass On

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Nick St. Denis

The latest in glass and glazing technology is on full display this week at BAU 2017 in Munich, Germany. The six-day international architectural and construction trade show is being held at the Messe München in Munich, Germany. It covers nearly 2 million square feet and spans 17 halls, with much of that space dedicated exclusively to glass, glazing, fenestration and facades.

“Developments in the sector for transparent building components have seen a number of innovations, especially during the past few years,” a release from BAU reads. “Facades are now high-tech products that can perform actual energy miracles in conjunction with the glazing.”

Glazing systems manufacturer Wicona is exhibiting with Guardian Glass to demonstrate how “the cooperation between glass and aluminum shows that they are multi-talented, meeting the challenges of the future,” according to release from the company.

“With the development of highly energy-efficient aluminum solutions for sustainable urban new-build projects, we are setting real trends with our show partner, Guardian Glass,” says Isabelle Fabbro, Wicona’s brand development manager. “The market and the industry are looking to us for highly efficient, deliverable innovations for people and the environment.”

Fire-resistant and security glass producer Vetrotech Saint-Gobain is introducing its oversized Contraflam Mega, which it says is the tallest clear insulating fire-resistant glass available on the European market. Vetrotech, the official distributor of SageGlass in Europe and Middle East, is also presenting SageGlass Vario, a dynamic tintable glass solution without intermediate vertical framing.

“We are all part of one, within Saint-Gobain Building Glass Europe, and that is what we want to emphasize at BAU 2017,” says Dennis Gresförder, sales area manager. “… We’ll be showing a range of new products within the high performance, design, window and façade product families. For Vetrotech and SageGlass, we especially look forward to demonstrating our largest fire resistant glass, Contraflam Mega, which will tower above the stand at 4.6 meters, Contraflam Pro 30, which offers additional features like break and fire safety for anti-panic doors, and the new SageGlass Vario, which replies to the growing demand of architects for butt-joint facades.”

Kinestral Technologies Inc. is unveiling its Halio glass, an electrochromic system that transitions—by voice command or manual control—from clear to 50 different shades of gray within seconds. The company is demonstrating the product with glass manufacturer AGC.

“Our partner, AGC, has created a room that will enable architects attending BAU to see and experience Halio,” says Kinestral CEO Dr. S.B. Cha. “We are very confident that Halio will inspire new applications for interactive glass.”

According to Kinestral, Halio can lower a building’s energy usage while protecting furniture and art with 99.4-percent ultraviolet blockage. It provides sun-blocking, anti-glare protection and privacy.

Also at the show, Swiss warm-edge spacer bar manufacturer Swisspacer is presenting its new Triple product. The system is a single spacer for a triple-glazed unit that uses only two butyl seals instead of the four seals a typical two-spacer makeup requires.

The company claims this improves the service life of the unit and reduces the risk of gas loss and moisture penetration.

Sedak is showcasing its range of capabilities for insulating and safety glass up to 52.5 feet under the theme “Big in Detail.” The German glass fabricator has four large exhibits and is also demonstrating its capabilities in lamination, edging and ceramic-ink digital printing.

Additionally, the company is highlighting its vacuum insulating Isomax technology. “Despite its excellent insulation values, sedak Isomax is as slim as double and triple insulating units and can be used with all common façade systems,” according to information from the company.

CRL Europe is on the show floor featuring its Taper-Loc dry-glazed railing system, which the company claims reduces installation time by more than 50 percent and has been tested and engineered to meet the most stringent building code requirements.

The event, which kicked off Monday, runs through Saturday.

Here are some other highlights from the show, via Twitter:

This article is from USGNN™, the daily e-newsletter that covers the latest glass industry news. Click HERE to sign up—there is no charge. Interested in a deeper dive? Free subscriptions to USGlass magazine in print or digital format are available. Subscribe at no charge Sign up today.

This entry was posted in Featured News, Today's News and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.