It’s been 12 years since I attended my first glasstec, the mammoth glass-industry trade show that takes place every other year in Dusseldorf, Germany. While glass fabricators travel from around the globe to see the latest in processing and fabrication equipment, there really is more to it than just machines. Architects looking for the latest in glazing can also find a lot to see throughout the show’s many halls (nine to be exact). So, which products were all the buzz?

There were a number of items in particular that grabbed my attention …

Keep it Together. No matter which hall I was in it seemed there was either a company that fabricated laminated glass, provided an interlayer for laminated glass or was offering machinery used to produce laminated glass. While laminated glass usage is more widespread in Europe, growth will likely continue in the United States as well, particularly as the codes continue to evolve.

Pretty as a Picture. It’s been a few years now since digital glass printing first jumped on the scene and based on the number of companies now jumping on board, I think it’s safe to say this will certainly continue. Companies featured not only examples of digital printing, but machines as well that are used to create this glass. In hopes of being specified themselves, some machinery companies are even starting to approach architects.

Going Bananas: I’m not one to drop names, but I have to say, when it came to impressing me, Corning’s new architecturally sized Gorilla Glass caught my eye. Designed to be thin, lightweight, durable, damage resistant, the ultra clear glass display they showed was even clearer than low-iron glass when viewed side by side. Currently the company is looking at different architectural and security applications, among others and has had the glass tested for ANSI Z97.1 for indoor use.

If you also made it to glasstec I would love to hear what you thought of it. What did you find innovative and exciting? Email me at erogers@glass.com or post your comments below.