Electrical current has implications for glass

By itself, this has implications for glass fabrication. By reducing the melting point of glass, less energy is required during the heating or reheating stage of glass production or glass recycling. Since glass is usually processed at extremely high temperatures, the notion of reducing energy is welcome.

Beyond reducing the melting temperature of glass, the researchers – working with another research team at the University of Marburg in Germany – discovered that heated glass can be precisely melted at specific points using direct electrical current. The discovery means that glass could be precisely shaped following molding and cooling.

The Marburg researchers had also been working with glass and electricity, and discovered that it was possible to leave an electrical charge on glass, which is normally electrically neutral. Charged glass potentially has some desirable optical and bioactive properties. The combined research team worked together to understand the exact mechanisms that describe their laboratory findings. The team’s findings will be published in the September 2016 issue of the Journal of Electrochemical Society.

With a more complete understanding of the mechanisms at work, the team can now focus on fine-tuning applications for their thermal and electric manipulations of glass in manufacturing.

Des Moines Apartment May Get Glass Pool

Blackbird Investments is building the $85 million development, and believes that the uniqueness of the glass pool will bring additional interest to the building. As designed, the structure can hold a pool about twice as large. According to the developers, the pool will add about $250,000 to the price of the building, and will be reserved for tenant use only. The glass walls of the pool will be about 6 inches thick, and consist of about 10 layers of laminated glass.

Cantilevered pools are relatively uncommon, and are found mostly at hotels in larger cities, and on cruise ships. The pool, if built, will be the only cantilevered pool in Des Moines.

Concrete provides the structure for cantilevered pools, and must take into account expansion and contraction that occurs naturally as the result of changes in temperature year-round. In the summer, the concrete deck can reach temperatures as high as 140° F. In the winter, temperatures can dip below 0° F. That variation in temperature can cause concrete to expand or contract by as much as in inch. Aside from temperature, the pool deck must also be able to accommodate movement in the building.

Swimmers will be able to see out the bottom of the pool, thanks to glass bottom panels. They’ll have a view of 801 Grand, the tallest building in Iowa, and Pappajohn Sculpture Park, a popular art installation in Des Moines.

Study shows glass would benefit workers

A recent study by Sage Glass shows that most workers do not have adequate access to daylight in their workspaces. Additionally, workers in the survey characterized their workplaces as noisy and uncomfortable temperature-wise. The survey involved more than 400 office workers. Many of the issues the survey participants identified could be improved by changing the window glass in their office spaces.

More than one-third of workers in the survey said that they had no access to windows near their workspace, and only two-thirds of those with access to windows had any ability to control incoming light with blinds or curtains. Even with limited control over daylight, 5 out of 6 workers said they would prefer to work near a window.

Two-thirds of workers with access to windows said that sunlight improves their mood while at work. Workers also reported that they believe that access to sunlight while at work improved their energy level, reduced their stress and made them more productive.

About half of the workers who had access to windows in their workspace reported that they had difficulty with glare, and reported headaches, eye pain, difficulty with concentration and lowered productivity as the result of glare. Survey respondents also reported that their office environment was often too hot or too cold, too dry, and too noisy.

The survey underscores the importance of glass in the workspace. Increased use of glass in office interiors can provide better access to daylight throughout the workday. In addition, better attention to controlling incoming daylight can help reduce glare, prevent excessive heat gain, reduce heat loss and provide passive humidity control in the workspace.

Glassprimer™ glass paint can provide light control by allowing daylight to pass through, while preventing ultraviolet and infrared light frequencies from increasing interior temperatures. Glassprimer™ glass paint is highly cost effective, providing coverage for about $1 per square foot.

Glass elevator proposed for aquarium

The glass elevator is still in the drawing stages, but it would be part of a broad expansion that would give the aquarium the largest, deepest research-display tanks in the world. The Napier City Council has allocated $50,000 to a feasibility study for the project. The national aquarium is supported by the New Zealand government, but the City of Napier is advancing the expansion proposal.

In addition to the glass elevator, the plan calls for glass-covered walkways that waves can wash over, and tours in a glass bottomed boat. The goal is to create a world-class research environment, while maintaining a highly visible and desirable visitor attraction. Some of the proposal’s supporters believe that the upgrades could elevate the profile of the National Aquarium to attract world-renowned oceanographic researchers.

The aquarium’s research programs are focused on conservation, and that will not change if the upgrades are adopted and funded. The upgrade to the National Aquarium would be enabled by massive improvements planned for roads and other local infrastructure.

Safelite Auto Glass Drops Manufacturing

The decision to drop manufacturing doesn’t mean that Safelite is exiting the auto glass industry, but rather that the company will get its manufactured products from other suppliers. The company’s Enfield facility employs about 200 people and turns out about a million replacement windshields each year. Safelite will focus entirely on its windshield replacement service instead.

According to company officials, the decision to shutter the plant was based on the cost of the investments needed to maintain its position in the replacement windshield industry. Officials at Safelite said that the number of modifications required to meet both consumer demand and new automotive technologies, like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, led to the plant’s demise.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems come in a variety of forms, and may include imaging and image processing, computer vision, head-up displays, computer displays, LIDAR, radar and other display technologies. Each vehicle or manufacturer may have its own technologies, which may or may not integrate closely with the vehicle’s windshield. Additionally, auto manufacturers are introducing ADAS technologies at a rapid pace. Driver assistive technologies are currently among the fastest growing segments in automotive electronics.

According to the company, the days of plain glass windshields are numbered. The company’s manufacturing facility could not make the investments necessary to create the large variety of enhanced replacement automotive windshields. The Enfield facility was opened in 1970, but Safelite has made auto glass since 1947.

Other suppliers are expected to fill in the gaps left by Safelite, but it is unlikely that a single glass manufacturer will capture the majority of the ADAS windshield market. Safelite currently manufactures more than 1,000 distinct auto glass products at the plant.