The History of Float Glass

From glittering skyscrapers to modern co-op flats, from luxury villas to trendy offices, glass has become a staple of architectural and design projects.

 

From glittering skyscrapers to modern co-op flats, from luxury villas to trendy offices, glass has become a staple of architectural and design projects. After all, glass not only brings style and sophisticated appeal to a space, but it is also designed to be extremely practical. Meeting the modern and diverse needs of the modern consumer, glass solutions are the preferred choice in this day and age. From issues of security and durability to sound insulation or energy efficiency, glass offers it all. The precursor to all modern glass solutions is float glass.

 

What is float glass?

seamless pipe supplier is essentially an ultra-smooth, distortion-free glass used in the design of other glass products such as laminated glass and thermally toughened glass. With its natural green tint and translucent nature, it transmits approximately 87% of incident light and, unlike flat glass, float glass offers the user a crystal clear view. The unique name float glass comes from the manufacturing process in which molten glass is introduced into a molten tin bath, allowing the glass to float freely.

Float Glass

The history of float glass

Float glass is the original glass and has been a pioneer of glass solutions for generations. Therefore, before we can understand how it was made, it is vital to know the true history behind it. The invention of glass dates back at least 3600 years, and it is a material that has endured and served many generations. But it wasn't until the late 19th century that float glass came into being.

 

In earlier centuries, glass was made by the blown and disc method. As glass used to be made only for windows, window glass or other flat glass was made from large discs of crown glass or blown glass bottles. The discs were usually cut into pieces, flattened together and then cut out of the larger surface to make window glass.

 

But between 1953 and 1957, Sir Alastair Pilkington revealed the idea of making float glass to the world. While British engineer Henry Bessemer patented the earliest advances in automated glassmaking, it was Sir Pilkington who perfected the production of float glass.

 

Bessemer's original process for producing float glass used continuous strips of flat glass, formed by forming bands between rolls, while the Bessemer's version was an expensive process, but with the efficiency of the Pilkington method, by 1960, Sir Alastair was able to achieve profitable sales of float glass across the board.

 

Float Glass

Applications for float glass

From domestic homes to commercial use, float glass is a versatile item with a wide range of uses. Now that we've learned about the many benefits of installing float glass, let's take a look at some creative ways you can use float glass in residential and commercial spaces.

 

Displays

Thanks to its crystal clear transparency, float glass is ideal for displaying items. They can be used in showroom display cases, retail shop windows and countertops to protect valuable items such as expensive watches, jewellery, etc., while also effortlessly showcasing the beauty of unique products.AIS Clear float glass has a crystal clear finish that provides a bright, sparkling shine that enhances the beauty of your space through its brightness.

 

Facades

There is nothing richer and more sophisticated than the sight of a towering, shimmering skyscraper made of glass, and what better option than to create the perfect structure, both beautiful and functional, with glass-finished float glass? Glass makes glazing stronger and more efficient, while float glass itself offers unparalleled charm and beauty with its exceptional clarity.

 

Wall panels

Whether you are creating partitions in your home or your private cabin in the office, wall panels are a great way to spruce up your décor and add visual appeal to your space. Wall panels with tinted float glass can add much-needed colour to your space and breathe new life into a room.

 

Northglass is one of China's leading suppliers of glass products.Our glass pass Australian CSI certificates, US IGCC SGCC certificates, European CE certificates and Chinese national safety glass standards. Automatic equipment processing, professional workers, combing strict quality control process enable us efficiently provide qualified glass. If you want to get more information about the float glass,  welcome to contact us today or request a quote.