As glass gets larger and architects get more creative, new technology in interlayer and laminating is helping us to meet the challenge

Glaston Corporation has signed an agreement to acquire the Bystronic glass Group. The globally operating high-end machinery, systems and services provider for the processing of flat glass is currently owned by Swiss industrial holding company Conzzeta AG. Bystronic glass has a comprehensive range of products, highly complementary to Glaston’s, for the Architectural, Automotive and Display markets.

Jan. 22, 2019 - Bavelloni SpA has signed an agreement for the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Glaston Tools Srl with Glaston Corporation, a Finnish company leader in the field of glass heat treatment technologies and listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

Dec. 3, 2018 - Ferro and its Dip-Tech business are pleased to announce the appointments of Mr. Erik de Jongh and Dr. Jens Risse to jointly serve as Ferro Dip-Tech’s Managing Directors, starting December 1st, 2018.

Everything you need to supercharge your IG production process.

The NHL season is in full swing, temperatures are falling and Canadians are getting ready for winter. At the same time, building owners are considering what projects may need to be completed in 2019 and preparing budgets accordingly.

Nov. 22, 2018 - Vitro has announced that after a distinguished career in the industry, Richard Beuke has taken the decision to retire effective March 31st , 2019. Vitro recognizes his leadership and achievements accomplished during the 42 years of his career.

Oct. 26, 2018 -  Kawneer Company introduces the AA3200M Thermal Sliding Door. Built on the foundation of the high-performance AA3200 Thermal Sliding Doors, the new AA3200M Thermal Sliding Door is ideal for architects, contractors, and developers looking to deliver performance, protection and productivity to both buildings and occupants.

Oct. 22, 2018 -  NSG Group has announced it has selected a location for its new glass production facility in the United States. The new plant will support the Group’s plan to expand production capacity of online TCO (transparent conductive oxide) coated glass to support the growing solar market, as announced earlier in May 2018.

Oct. 18, 2018 - As the fruit of a joint development agreement between AGC and Panasonic, AGC Glass Europe is to invest in production of vacuum glazing at its plant in Lodelinsart (Belgium), a technology that offers very high energy performance. Production is due to start in March 2019, with the products mainly going to the construction industry. 

Oct. 4, 2018 - AXYZ International will be holding a Waterjet Open House at theirBurlington, Ontariooffice onTuesday, October 16, from10AM to 4PM. Technical Specialists will be onsite to perform live demos and answer questions about the X-1530- a waterjet solution built for speed, accuracy and strength.

Feb. 11, 2019 - The Organizing Committee is currently building up the program for the 18th Glass Performance Days June 26-29, 2019 in Finland.

The Board of Directors of the Ontario Glass and Metal Association is pleased to announce that nominations are now being received for the 2019 Awards for Excellence. There are two awards, one for Excellence in Architectural Glass & Metal Design and one for Excellence in Architectural Glass & Metal Execution. The deadline for submissions is March 15.

One of IGMA’s main strategic activities is supporting leading-edge research supporting the insulating glass industry. Past R&D activities include the 25-year field correlation study, a validation of the spark-emission spectrography device which is now the basis of measuring gas content for certification programs, and the gas permeability project.

Last October, the PC government of Ontario announced it will wind down the Ontario College of Trades, set all journeyperson-to-apprentice ratios to one-to-one and put a moratorium on adding new compulsory trade classifications or reclassifying existing classifications.

National activities of the Canadian Glass Association are on hiatus pending discussions of a new direction for the association. To help chart a course forward, please contact David Langton at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Congratulations to Frank Fulton who is celebrating his 10th year writing the You Bet Your Glass column on our back page. He’s been in this magazine longer than I have! Frank is a precious resource to this publication because he combines a deep knowledge of this industry – gleaned from a lifetime working in it as a contractor and supplier – with a really high level of writing ability. That’s incredibly rare. I barely need to touch his copy.

Jan. 15, 2019 - The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) announced future 2019 and 2020 conference dates and locations, currently available on the AAMA Events web page. Early bird registration is now open for February's AAMA 2019 Annual Conference in Indian Wells (Palm Springs), California, but AAMA events' sites and dates for the rest of 2019 and into 2020 are now also available.

Registration is now open for the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 82nd Annual Conference, to be held Feb. 25-28, 2019, in Indian Wells (Palm Springs), California, at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells. The early bird rate is guaranteed through Jan. 28, and attendees are encouraged to book before this date. The AAMA Western Region 2019 Winter Summit immediately will follow the conference in the same location. Separateregistrationis required.Keynote Speaker Kevin McCarthy, author of "BlindSpots – Why Good People Make Bad Choices," will teach how to identify blind spots and mitigate their impact at work and at home. As a result, those at his presentation will walk away more able to "make better, more ethical decisions and enjoy better communications and deeper relationships," according to McCarthy. He will present the conference's keynote address as well as lead a related roundtable discussion.Another expert speaker will cover a wide breadth of topics, including the current skilled labor shortage and international trade. John Manzella, who will host a one-hour discussion open to all conference participants called "Labor, Skills and Workforce." Manzella also will lead an executive leadership roundtable about international business and trade policy in a session open to AAMA members only. Manzella previously presented on the economy at the AAMA 2018 Summer Conference.Optional events at the conference will include the Rich and Diane Walker Cup golf tournament on the Indian Wells Golf Course, an ATV desert experience, a "Legends and Icons" tour, and a cooking demo with the hotel's culinary chef. In honor of Kim Flanary, AAMA also is hosting a 5K run/walk to honor his lifetime of leadership. Trophies will be awarded for runners and walkers in first, second and third places.Conference participants are invited to the annual awards banquet the night of Feb. 26, which has the classic Hollywood theme "Lights, Camera, AAMA!"More information about AAMA and its activities can be found via the AAMA website,https://aamanet.org.

Anisotropy, as opposed to isotropy, means that a material exhibits properties with different values when measured in different directions. In architectural glass, anisotropy relates to a visual effect caused by the presence of polarized light, the birefringent property of the glass and the mechanical stresses in the glass due to heat treatment. Louis Moreau believes the industry can improve on those aspects, with the long-term goal of aesthetic improvements for glass panels. This presentation will explain the fundamentals of anisotropy, when buildings are more susceptible to it, how to quantify it, and ultimately how to minimize it.

Building designers and glazing contractors are holding opposite ends of the same problem. Designers need a reliable method to evaluate contractors to ensure their technical expertise and good business practices. Reputable contractors need a trusted way to prove their bona fides to designers, separating themselves from those who cut corners and cut and run on contracts. This presentation takes a look at one existing solution to this problem: third-party certification of contractors and glaziers through the Architectural Glass and Metal Certification Council, a not-for-profit industry organization operating throughout North America. Through voluntary compliance with its best practices, monitored by rigorous testing and reporting, the AGMCC seeks to create a standard that will lift the fog on bid processes and raise the bar of professionalism across the industry.

Advances in bent glass are inspiring architects to ever-bolder heights of design, but methods for testing and certifying these complex components are still in their infancy. In this presentation, Elie Alkhoury of Can-Best describes his groundbreaking work to assess the design of an overseas landmark building with curved insulating glass units, including assessment of seal durability on full-scale mock-ups. ASTM E2188 was adopted as the basis of evaluation with some bells and whistles added.

It’s Canada’s largest real estate market, and it has rules all its own. Toronto codes and standards are finally acknowledging the importance of building envelope in overall energy conservation measures. Yet highly glazed buildings continue to be in demand and have to respond to the more stringent requirements. This presentation will focus on Toronto’s TGSV3 requirements, explaining what facade designers have to do to meet both mandatory and stretch targets. We’ll also look at proposed changes to the Ontario Building Code and evaluate systems, assemblies, and components for highly glazed buildings and what it takes to achieve higher performance targets.

The California Department of General Services announced California will be requesting Environmental Product Declarations from contractors on public works products starting Jan. 1 of this year. Flat glass is one of the building materials listed as a product eligible for an EPD. EPDs are third-party-verified documents quantifying the environmental impact of a product's materials and manufacturing process, including raw material extraction, energy use, chemical emissions and waste. The announcement constitutes the first inclusion of EPDs in official state procurement policy in North America, and will likely be watched closely by environmental regulators in other jurisdictions, including Canada.

In its fall economic statement, the federal government has announced its intention to allow businesses to write off the entire cost of machinery used for manufacturing and processing the same year it is put into use. This is up from the 25-per cent writeoff allowed in the first year presently.

Igloos made with electrically heated glass prevent condensation, ice, snow build-up and convection, offering an unobstructed view of nature and a unique opportunity to enjoy the starry sky and northern lights in comfort and peace.

Recent advances in fibreglass reinforced plastics (also known as FRP, fibreglass composite or simply fibreglass) and the pultrusion process that manufacture them have only recently opened the door to exciting new uses for this material in a variety of applications.

Oct. 23, 2018 - Finnglass offers a first-hand experience on the benefits of electrically heated glass at glasstech fair 2018. The company has made a cold wall simulator which allows to compare electrically heated glass with double and triple glazing. It demonstrates how electrically heated glass prevents convection and cold wall effect, hence giving a pleasant and comfortable indoor environment while saving money and energy.

Oct. 18, 2018 - On Tuesday October 2, 2018, Vitrum Glass Group celebrated the grand opening of their new Calgary manufacturing facility in Rocky View County, Alberta, located just 10 minutes North of Calgary’s international airport. The new 65,000 square foot facility currently employs 35 employees who manage and fabricate local orders for shower doors, railings, monolithic glass products, and tempered glass.

Oct. 9, 2018 - Energy efficiency is hard to see, but we feel its benefits in our homes, neighbourhoods, environment, economy and wallets. Federal investments in innovative energy-efficient projects drive economic growth, contribute to our clean energy future and create new, middle-class jobs for Canadians.

Well, we know they had sand...so why not glass? The palace-city of Samarra, capital of the former Abbasid Caliphate, was home to an advanced industry of glass production and trade, according to a study published August 22, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Nadine Schibille of the CNRS, France and colleagues.

July 9, 2018 - AGC (AGC Asahi Glass) has entered into a strategic development agreement with Ubiquitous Energy. The collaboration will focus on the development of Ubiquitous Energy’s transparent and neutral solar coating to create windows that produce electricity. 

Light-flooded spaces and a general airiness in buildings are no longer just a trend in the architectural world, but are increasingly state-of-the-art. This general airiness achieved through the use of transparent materials does not end with the balcony. Total vision glazing and glass balustrades can offer continuity to wide open spaces, if they are not interrupted by framing or other mechanical fixations. When it comes to connecting glass to frame materials, new solutions are coming to market every day.

Meeting the budget for construction of a building can be a challenge, especially when a proposed design may be aspirational rather than strictly practical.  Public and private sector owners, construction managers, general contractors, sub-contractors,  fenestration  system and component suppliers have, for many years, looked for cost savings through continental and increasingly, global procurement (i.e. outside North America and overseas). 

Dr. Charles (Chuck) Black of Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States will present his team’s research using nanomaterials to render glass and some plastics virtually invisible by eliminating nearly all surface reflections.

Feb. 13, 2019 - The Ontario government recently announced plans to change the Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) Certification Training program standards.

The total value of building permits rose 4.7% in 2018 to $99.7 billion, the fifth consecutive annual increase. Higher construction intentions for multi-family dwellings and commercial buildings were the main factors behind the increase. Four provinces reported gains, led by British Columbia and Quebec. The largest decline was in Ontario, where the value of permits was down 2.2% to $38.2 billion.

This column just so happens to mark the 10th anniversary of yours truly penning You Bet Your Glass for Glass Canada. One of my favourite columns over the years was also one of my first, entitled “Glass For Dummies” in the April 2009 edition of Glass Canada.

Walking around the trade show floor at The Buildings Show in Toronto and the WinDoor show in Quebec City before Christmas gave me the opportunity to discuss trends in our industry with clients, contractors and manufacturers. Surprisingly, what’s old is now new again.

When most people hear that the government is giving money away their reaction is that it must not be true. Why would the government want to give businesses money and receive nothing in exchange? The reality is governments do receive something in exchange for the money they give away: increased revenues in tax dollars.

Jan. 15, 2019 - A London heritage group is giving its blessing to a proposed glass addition to the former Kellogg building that would serve as the entrance to the London Children’s Museum. The London Free Press reports. | READ MORE

Jan. 10, 2019 - Canadian municipalities issued $8.3 billion worth of building permits in November, up 2.6% from October. Higher construction intentions for commercial buildings drove most of the gain.

Dec. 10, 2018 - Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion worth of building permits in October, edging down 0.2% from September. The decrease was mainly attributable to lower construction intentions for industrial and institutional buildings.

If you and your company pay taxes in Canada and read the newspapers, you must often feel that every special interest group in the country and those who know how to play the system are gorging at the public trough that you have to keep filling up.

Fenestration B.C. has shut down its Red Seal glazier training program and the Provincial Glaziers Association of Alberta has put its Master Glazier program on hiatus, in both cases due to lack of enrollment.

Nov. 20, 2018 - PayNet reports that the PayNet Canadian Small Business Lending Index (CSBLI) edged up to 123.1 in September 2018 from 122.6 in August 2018. The index is up 6.3% year-over-year, marking its fifth consecutive year-over-year gain after 10 months of decline.

Oct. 24, 2018 - In the face of progressing technology, a phone full of confusing or only partially understood apps can seriously slow down productivity and overall workflow.

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) updated a document providing guidelines for describing colour measurement requirements for inclusion in AAMA documents.AAMA CMR-1-18, Guidelines for Development of Color Measurement Requirements, was first released in 2016. This is its first update, which was made to accommodate changes made to measurement averaging and colour difference equations.

Jan. 14, 2019 - For several years there have been questions raised in the industry about the strength of ceramic enamel (frit) coated glasses. The ASTM committee that oversees the current document on glass strength (ASTM E1300) is working to revise the standard to include provisions for addressing the strength of ceramic enameled glasses. The plan is to define a maximum stress approach for evaluating ceramic enamel coated glasses. The ASTM work item for this effort is WK65259, and is led by John Smith, of Glass Coatings & Concepts, LLC.

Dec. 13, 2018 - The Architectural Glass and Metal Technician Certification Program (AGMT) continued beta testing its knowledge-based (KBT) and performance-based (PBT) portions of its certification exam. Team members spent the week in San Leandro, CA administering, grading, and analyzing the latest versions of the KBT and PBT.

Dec. 6, 2018 - The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance is pleased to announce that the IGMAC Certification Program is now accredited by ANSI under Administrative Management Services (AMS). The announcement is the culmination of a great deal of effort and work by the AMS team.

Despite a previously robust system for development of standards in Canada, the federal government’s current cost-recovery policy for standards development could be endangering the future of Canadian standards.

Nov. 19, 2018 - The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) updated a document for evaluating the performance and durability of rollers used in the operation of sliding doors and lift and slide doors. AAMA 906-18, "Voluntary Specification for Sliding Door and Lift and Slide Roller Assemblies," was first released in 2005 and was last updated in 2015.

Oct. 24, 2018 - The co-founder of a firm specializing in corporate sustainability programs led those attending the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 2018 Fall Conference in a discussion about why sustainability should matter to the fenestration industry. Tad Radzinski, P.E., ISSP-CSP, LEED AP, SFP and co-founder of Sustainable Solutions, presented "Transparency Training: Utilizing LCAs and EPDs to Drive Sustainability," which outlined what is driving transparency and why it is crucial for a successful enterprise.

North American Contractor Certification beta tested its Architectural Glass and Metal Technician test Aug. 15 in Buffalo, N.Y., in front of experts from Finishing Trades Institute and some curious onlookers from Canada. Michael Fitzgerald of FTI walked the group through the proposed test and took questions and suggestions. Some discussion followed of the AGMT program, it's potential role in Canada and steps NACC might take to inform the industry about it.

The Certification Committee of the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance met Aug. 1 at the IGMA Summer Conference in Vancouver. Committee members and attendees heard about some major changes - both recent and upcoming - to how we evaluate and certify insulating glass units.

July 26, 2018 - The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) recently released a new document to describe proper guidelines and glazing procedures for structural glazing. AAMA SSGDG-1-17, the "Structural Silicone Glazing (SSG) Design Guidelines", reviews a glazing that offers a unique appearance and simplicity of construction that often cannot be achieved any other way.

July 10, 2018 - Louis Moreau, Head of Technology & Innovation at AGNORA, along with Rick Wright, Director of Technical Services at Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope (and ASTM C14 & C14.08 Chair), has assembled an international group of stakeholders to develop a new ASTM standard test method for anisotropy measurement on glass. The initial kick-off meeting took place at Apple’s former headquarters, One Infinity Loop.