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GLOBAL MARKET TRENDS

he Glass Perfor-
mance Days (GPD)
T is the world’s leading
glass industry conference.
The nature of GPD is well
illustrated by a quotation
from an Indian poet Bhar-
trihar: ‘knowledge really
grows when it is shared’.
In fact, the purpose of
the event is to develop the
whole glass supply chain
globally.
At the 25th anniversary
event in Tampere, experts
in the field held 180 pres-
entations on new technolo-
gies, trends and innova-
tions, some of which have facturing are both on the There have been technical size of safety glass and
been used to create this rise. More than half of the developments, for exam- insulating glass elements
article. float lines and produc- ple in efficient energy use, has increased consider-
tion capacity are located melting technology and ably and the new coatings
“KNOWLEDGE in China, and there are various coating technolo- raise energy efficiency to
GROWS WHEN more than 7,000 Chinese gies. The thin glass devel- a whole new level. Energy
KNOWLEDGE IS glass patents nowadays – oped for cellular phones balance is given special at-
SHARED” a significant growth from and tablets is used more tention today. Glass can
(BHARTRIHAR)
the slightly more than 300 and more in architecture, be bent into more complex
patents there were 25 years interior design and auto- shapes, and different coat-
Worldwide glass
ago. motive industry. ings give it new features
market trends
The production capacity of Fabrication processes and possibilities. Process
The glass industry has float lines and the life cycle have also improved sig- automation has increased
experienced significant of furnaces have increased. nificantly in 25 years. The and improved production
changes over the past 25
years. New players have en-
tered the market and pro-
duction has grown. Twen-
ty-five years ago there were
150 float lines, now there
are more than 500. Just a
quarter of a century ago
Europe, the United States
and Japan produced 60 per
cent of all the glass in the
world, now their share has
dropped to below 20 per
cent. Correspondingly, the
rise of the Far East, espe-
cially China, is reflected in
the market in many ways:
in Asia demand and manu-

168 Glass-Technology International 5/2018