Glass technology developer and leading machine maker Glassrobots Oy celebrated 25 years of activities on Friday 26 October 2007. The Finnish company is also expanding strongly in the North American an…
Glass technology developer and leading machine maker Glassrobots Oy celebrated 25 years of activities on Friday 26 October 2007. The Finnish company is also expanding strongly in the North American and European markets, with its latest conquests being in the Middle East. With sales this year of more than EUR 16 million, Glassrobots supplies machines for the “hot end“ of the glass processing line for architectural and windscreen glass. Manufacturing the machines used to make windscreens is important for us; however, the biggest growth potential is in architectural glass technology, says Petri Lammi, president of Glassrobots Oy. Growth in demand for architectural glass is boosted by increased use of glass in construction especially in America and Europe. Expectations are also high in the Middle East, where demand for high-quality architectural glass is increasing along with the building of luxury accommodation, and glass manufacturers are investing in the latest production technology. But another factor behind this growth is the need created by climatic change to develop safer and more energy efficient construction. On the one hand people are battling with, for example, an increase in hurricanes, on the other they are looking for ways to save energy. Safety glass has several challenging properties that must be taken into account in the development of glass processing machines. Lammi says that Glassrobots leaves the production of mass products to others and competes through its technology expertise, quality and service. The entire organization from sales to installation is set up so that customer wishes are passed on quickly to the product development section. In the next few years the company will also focus on developing the service business. Glassrobots“ RoboTemp flat glass tempering machines, which utilize a multiconvection tempering system, was launched a couple of years ago and rapidly became a big success. The benefits of the machine can be seen in the quality of the end product and in production in greater efficiency. The strategic policy chosen by the company“s Board of Directors at the start of this millennium was on target. We saw in the production of architectural glass enormous potential for exploiting our extensive knowhow, and we started a challenging product development project, to which the entire personnel was committed. The work lasted several years and was a real learning process that demanded an extra effort from all of us, but the results helped the company take a tiger“s leap forward. RoboTemp makes grades of glass that the machines of our competitors are unable to make. Our innovation is protected by patents, but we cannot just sit back and rest now. The development work goes on. According to Lammi, the Tampere region forms a major centre of excellence in glass manufacturing technology even by global standards. The histories of the companies in the region intertwine in many ways. The rivalry between two major manufacturers is certainly intense, but at the same time this situation has also spurred on both companies to continuous development, states Petri Lammi. Two experienced glass professionals, Kari Vh-Antila and Reijo Ollinpoika, had a vision of the glass processing machines needed by glass factories around the world, and this became Glassrobots in 1982. Kari Vh-Antila is now the company“s technical director and Reijo Ollinpoika works at his favourite occupation of designing machines. Glassrobots Oy is part of Tambest Group Oy, founded in 1997. Curved architectural glass manufacturer Tambest Oy, established in 1984, also belongs to this group of companies. Chairman of the board of directors of Tambest Group Oy is Jouko Vh-Antila, a major influence in the glass business who was also a founder of Tamglass Oy. During its 25-year history Glassrobots Oy has supplied more than 500 machines to customers around the world. Today the company employs 55 professionals.