GPD '07: Getting the Message about Glass Surface Protection

Industry conferences are often seen as talking shops that have limited impact on the real issues. But not GPD, says Stephen Byers, Chairman and Managing Director of Ritec, the pioneer of glass surface protection technology. He explains why he believes this bi-annual gathering provides glass professionals with an important forum for sharing ideas and knowledge...

This year’s Glass Performance Days (previously Glass Processing Days) in Finland was hailed as the best so far with approaching a thousand participants across all areas of the glass industry, from glass processors and manufacturers through to architects, academics and end-users. The event has certainly grown since it started in 1992, when the number of delegates was just thirty. GPD has developed to become the largest conference in the global glass industry, attracting key experts and decision-makers from sixty countries. With such a diverse, international audience it’s an ideal opportunity to explore the issues affecting the glass industry and discuss possible solutions to current and future challenges.

For Ritec, it’s the perfect platform for raising awareness of the need for glass surface protection to ensure that glass installed in different applications continues to meet the performance standards for that application, not only at the time of supply but also in practice. In fact, that’s been our message for a number of years now, and in the past we’ve often described our ClearShield System for protecting and maintaining glass as a solution waiting for a problem that simply wasn’t being recognised!  The positive feedback to my presentations on this subject at GPD’07 shows that the industry is now getting the message that, just like other building materials such as metal and concrete, glass needs protecting against attack by the many organic and inorganic “enemies" that cause surface corrosion and contamination.

You could say the growth of GPD reflects the evolution of the glass industry over the past 15 years or so. There have been major advancements in the performance of glass and its application within building design. Whilst this has opened up exciting new business opportunities it has also created threats for companies that can’t keep up with the pace of change. A dedicated forum like GPD gives the industry a chance to exchange information and experiences, to talk about current and future trends and to network, and that can certainly give participants an advantage in today’s highly competitive environment.

I also believe that GPD is successful because it strikes exactly the right balance between commercial, technical and social activities. For example, the hands-on workshops offer attendees an in-depth and practical focus on various topics, which this year ranged from decorative printing on glass to CE Marking. On the commercial side there’s the Glass Product Exhibition, which ran alongside the Conference. Although small compared with, say, Glasstec, it’s well organised and generates high quality enquiries. The team on Ritec’s stand was certainly kept busy with visitors wanting to discuss the benefits of our ClearShield System for renovating, protecting and maintaining all kinds of glass.

The more technical aspects are covered in the Conference and this year there were 200 presentations, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and automotive glazing. I was delighted to be invited to present two papers – one on the need for automotive glass surface protection and another looking at what’s next for this technology in terms of architectural glass. It’s 25 years since I first spoke about glass surface corrosion to glass technicians. Now it’s increasingly recognised that architectural glass without durable surface protection can quickly and easily suffer corrosion – costing time, effort and money in restoration and maintenance for all parties, from the architect through to the contractor and the property owner.

There has been huge investment in developing high performance architectural glass that has the ability to influence or control light or radiant energy from the sun, visible radiation, infrared and UV light. However, if the glass is left unprotected these performance standards may be compromised through surface corrosion by two of the biggest threats to glass, moisture and alkalinity. This can develop anytime before, during or after construction is complete, causing “glass skin cancer", similar to “concrete cancer", and where contaminants are bonded to the surface and are clearly visible, reducing clarity and making the glass increasingly difficult to keep clean. 

Well known to metal coating specialists are the “hidden menaces", which are the surface reactive salts (SRSs) from industrial and vehicle emissions, for example. These are especially damaging to glass because they are hygroscopic, meaning they draw moisture from the air, and so the protection used must be hydrophobic or water-repellent to be effective. SRSs can continue to build up on unprotected glass during its lifetime. This is one of the reasons that Ritec is recommending “risk assessments" during building design to determine exposure levels to contaminants and the type of glass surface protection required. We believe this simple measure will ensure the glass delivers on its performance promises for a reasonable period after supply.

The problem of glass corrosion has a solution in Ritec’s ClearShield System, which has been developed over a quarter of a century to become the leading, tried and tested technology for converting ordinary glass to Low-M® (Low-Maintenance) Glass. With this technology, the damaging and costly effects of glass corrosion are preventable or, indeed, curable, if caught in time, and I believe that’s an important message for the glass industry now and in the future.