glasstec returns

Glasstec, the international trade fair for glass production, processing and products, returns Sept. 20-23 to Messe Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Germany. The biennial event is a leading international industry exhibition that draws companies across the glass industry, from machinery, equipment, software and tool suppliers, to glass fabricators and manufacturers, to architects and façade engineers, and more. The most recent in-person glasstec took place in 2018; the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic. The upcoming show focuses on the future of the global glass industry, with an emphasis on emerging glass technologies, and on innovations for glass fabrication and manufacturing. This article offers a look at six reasons for North American industry representatives to attend the show. 

glasstec at-a-glance

Dates: Sept. 20-23, 2022
Location: Düsseldorf Fairground, Düsseldorf, Germany
Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Scope: The previous edition of glasstec, held in 2018, drew 1,276 exhibitors from 50 countries, and 42,603 visitors from 126 countries. 
Organizer: Messe Düsseldorf
Admission: Passes are available online at glasstec-online.com.
Health and safety: Organizers have instituted numerous policies and added protections to create a safer environment during the ongoing COVID pandemic. Protections include: spacious exhibition areas, entrances and aisles for social distancing; high-performance air handling and air filtration; sanitizer stations; and more.
 

Resources at glasstec-online

• Travel tips
  Information for North American attendees 
• Specialist Articles 
  Hear expert takes on leading industry issues   
• Videos from glass technology live 
  Sneak peek of innovations set for display 

Visit glasstec-online

6 reasons for North American industry representatives to attend the show

1- Prepare for the future

Organizers of glasstec 2022 look to address five key topics at the conference and expo to help companies prepare for the challenges of tomorrow:

1. Climate. Innovative solutions to protect the climate.
2. Urbanization. Building sustainable cities with glass.
3. Value. Finding sustainable and stable value generation. 
4. Resources. Fostering sustainable solutions for glass production and addressing the skilled labor shortage. 
5. Well-being. Contributions of glass products to improving people's quality of life in terms of safety, comfort, daylight and well-being.

“Our five trend topics will serve as a guideline to discuss current and future challenges as well as solutions for the glass industry,” says Petra Cullmann, executive director trade fairs, Messe Düsseldorf. “The effects of the energy crisis, the pandemic, the conflict in the Ukraine, supply chain problems and other challenges will be addressed as well by the experts and decision-makers of the industry.”

2 - Walk nine halls of glass products and equipment exhibits

The glasstec show floor stretches over nine halls in the Messe Düsseldorf fairgrounds. “The entire value chain of the glass industry presents itself at glasstec with its latest technologies and innovations,” says Cullmann. At press time, nearly 900 exhibiting companies have signed on to appear at the show. Get the most up-to-date exhibitor list and see the interactive floor plan at glasstec-online.com. 

3 - See the latest in glass fabricating 

A major focus of glasstec is equipment, machinery, and related tools and technology for glass fabricators. At press time, about 100 exhibitors indicate they will be showing glass processing and finishing technologies at the show. On offer are technologies for glass cutting, drilling, edging and finishing, forming and bending, laser technologies, coatings, insulating, safety glass, cleaning and recycling. 

4 - Make international connections

The glass industry is global, and glasstec helps connect North American companies with new and existing international suppliers and customers. “Finally... another chance to see valued friends and partners,” Kris Vockler, managing director, ICD High Performance Coatings, told organizers. “Aside from seeing what’s new in the industry, glasstec is where we meet with our friends from all over the world.”

5 - Get a sneak peek of emerging and next-generation innovations

The glass technology live area at glasstec offers a look at emerging technologies and next-generation innovations across all segments of the glass and glazing industry. “This year’s title, Next in Glass, underlines the focus on future glass application, creative experiments and visionary ideas,” says Cullmann. Glass technology live is organized by the university network of the four Technical Universities of Darmstadt, Delft, Dortmund and Dresden. “The presentation of current research results in combination with the demonstration of impressive exhibits will ... give you a glimpse of future glass applications,” she adds.

6 - Hear from the experts

The event also includes four days of education at the glasstec conference. The glasstec conference harnesses industry know-how from theory and practice in the context of the five trend themes. Every day, glasstec 2022 visitors can find out about the current developments and trends in the sessions on glass production, processing technology and products. 

Morning sessions at a glance

• Sept. 20. Glass processing and finishing: new processing options and technologies
• Sept. 21. Glass production I: decarbonization, new energy systems and transition to renewable energy sources
• Sept. 22. Glass products and applications: new glass products and recyclability of glass
• Sept. 23. Glass production II: Alternative resources and recycling of container and flat glass.

Each afternoon features additional lectures in the glasstec conference area. These will be offered by universities, scientific institutions and European associations on the topics of façade and metal construction, machine communication, and energy efficiency and natural daylight. 

Learn more from Petra Cullmann, executive director trade fairs, Messe Düsseldorf

What will glasstec 2022 provide for the fabricator audience?  

The entire value chain of the glass industry presents itself at glasstec with its latest technologies and innovations. In terms of innovations, we highly recommend visiting our innovation show glass technology live, gtl. This year´s title, “Next in Glass,” underlines the focus on future glass application, creative experiments and visionary ideas. gtl is organized and presented by the Technical Universities of Darmstadt, Dresden, Delft and Dortmund. This university network is one of the most important players in Europe when it comes to the constructive use of glass. More than 70 percent of the exhibits in the innovation show will be presented to the public for the first time. The presentation of current research results in combination with the demonstration of impressive exhibits will once again give you a glimpse of future glass applications. 

When it comes to knowledge transfer on a global scale you can take advantage of our accompanying conference program. As an information hub for the international glass industry, the glasstec conference covers the latest topics from theory and practice. What is new in 2022 is that the contributions for the individual sessions on glass production, processing and finishing technologies, products and applications now come from the participating exhibitors as well as from science and research. Details on the topics and speakers can be found on our glasstec conference website. 

One specific topic dealing with the digitalization of the industries is organized by our partner VDMA (German Engineering Association) with its lecture series on OPC UA. The base specification for all interfaces on glass processing: the OPC UA CS 40301. For the very first time many manufacturers harmonize the procedures handled by interfaces. The effort during implementation of the machine and the preparation of the production will be much less in the future. If you can use the same structure for sharing and providing data with all machines in your production line, you can overcome the diversity of interfaces in different languages of the suppliers. This is a major step to “Plug and Produce.” 

What will be different about glasstec 2022, compared to prior years?  

It will be same, but different. After more than four years, glasstec will finally open its doors again. And the anticipation of the entire glass industry is clearly noticeable. glasstec 2022 is offering the industry a platform to discuss the latest trends and challenges. Our five trend topics (Climate, Resources, Urbanization, Value and Well-Being) will therefore serve as a guideline to discuss current and future challenges as well as solutions for the glass industry. The effects of the energy crisis, the pandemic, the conflict in the Ukraine, supply chain problems and other challenges will to be addressed as well by the experts and decision makers of the industry. 

We will do everything to provide the ideal business platform for the glass industry to meet and exchange knowledge and to discuss the current challenges for the industry. Since May, we have already organized 12 successful trade show in Düsseldorf without any access restrictions and social distancing rules and we look forward to providing the pure trade fair experience also to all participants in glasstec 2022 in September. High safety and hygiene standards will of course be provided. One thing also worth mentioning is that we experience a massive increase in the quality of the visitors at the trade fairs we staged so far this year. It is precisely because of the current uncertainties that companies are sending their experts to the trade fairs.  

The new trade show “Expo for Decarbonised Industries > Energy Storage” will be staged concurrently with glasstec. It will not only showcase technologies and services for the decarbonization in industry and commerce but also provide an important platform for information exchange between user industries and experts from the field of renewable energies. A forum program with current best-practice examples and a conference program that combines research and practice will complete the trade fair. This includes the international conference by VDMA “From Production to Application: The #P2X Conference” on September 19 and 20. Central topics will include: electrolysis and other hydrogen production processes, applications in process industries, security issues, transport and logistics as well as the assessment of complete supply chains and their business cases.