Modern method of glass manufacturing where molten glass is floated on a bed of molten tin, creating flat glass with uniform thickness and exceptional optical quality used as the base for most commercial glazing.
What is Float Glass?
Float glass is flat glass manufactured using the float process, developed by Sir Alastair Pilkington in the 1950s. This revolutionary manufacturing method involves floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin, creating glass with uniform thickness and perfectly smooth surfaces on both sides.
The process produces the highest quality flat glass with minimal optical distortion, making it the global standard for commercial glass production.
Key Features
- Uniform Thickness: Consistent thickness across the entire sheet
- Optical Excellence: Distortion-free viewing with excellent clarity
- Smooth Surfaces: Both sides are perfectly flat and smooth
- Large Sheets: Can produce very large continuous sheets
- Consistent Quality: Minimal variation between production batches
- Cost Efficient: Most economical method for high-quality flat glass
Benefits
The float process revolutionized glass manufacturing by eliminating the need for grinding and polishing, which were required with earlier methods. This results in superior optical quality at lower cost, making high-quality glazing accessible for widespread commercial and residential use.
The process also allows for better control over glass thickness and the ability to produce much larger sheets than traditional methods.
Common Applications
- Base Material: Starting point for most processed glass products, including safety glass
- Commercial Glazing: Office buildings and retail storefronts
- Residential Windows: Standard for modern home construction
- Automotive Glass: Base material for car windows before processing
- Mirror Production: Substrate for silvered mirrors
- Further Processing: Raw material for tempered glass and laminated glass
Read more about the float glass process at the Float glass Wikipedia page.