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The world of glass has come together at glasstec in Düsseldorf, Germany, where exhibitors are showcasing innovations that push the glass industry into the future.
This 315- by 126-inch glass arch was curved by Döring Glas, a Saint-Gobain company.
With nine halls full of companies representing approximately 50 nations, there’s plenty to see at the trade show.
One of the more experimental parts of the show is the glass technology live (gtl) exhibit, which features projects from university research, exploratory concepts and student competitions. The glass seesaw is a major highlight of the exhibit. The seesaw is approximately 393 inches long and weighs 1.3 tons. The piece, a collaboration between Eckersley O’Callaghan and sedak, consists of 11 layers of low-iron laminated glass bonded with SentryGlas from Kuraray.
Attendees can walk across the glass sandwich floor at the glass technology live exhibit.
Another standout from gtl is the “Gravity” exhibit from Define Engineers, Carpenter Lowings and seele. A car is suspended upside down by two thin glass lites bonded to stainless-steel edge strips, showing the strength of glass technologies. The 2-mm, heat-strengthened glass lites were laminated with SentryGlas by sedak.
Döring Glas, a Saint-Gobain company, showcased its ability to curve glass up to nearly 315 by 126 inches with a large arch at the gtl exhibit.
The glass swing includes pre-stressed glass bundles developed by the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and the Glass & Transparency Research Group. It lets attendees experience the structural abilities of glass. The nodes were 3D printed.
A glass swing was engineered to hold the load of a person swinging without falling or breaking.
Another project included in gtl is the glass sandwich floor. The triangular floor includes glass hallow tubes bonded with a high-stiffness UV-curing acrylate to the plates, which measure approximately 236 by 59 inches. It was designed by researchers at TU Delft and the Glass & Transparency Research Group. It is able to hold the weight of 50 people.
Switchable glass is featured throughout gtl. The Niemeyer XS display uses liquid-crystal-windows (LCW) to switch the glass from transparent to opaque. The project is a to-scale mock-up of the Kirow canteen building. It consists of 50 triangular LCWs, each controlled individually by controllers.
A car suspends from two lites of glass strengthened with Kuraray’s SentryGlas by sedak.
glasstec runs until Friday, October 26 as Messe Düsseldorf. Stay tuned to USGNN for coverage of the event throughout the week.
The glass seesaw is a major highlight of the glass technology live exhibit at glasstec. The multi-ply laminates are bonded with SentryGlas from Kuraray.
