Fostering Technical Expertise in the Next Generation

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One of the biggest issues facing the glass industry is whether or not we are doing enough to address technical challenges. It’s an interesting and important question to consider.

Performance demands in commercial glass and glazing continue rising, and architectural designs grow increasingly bold in major projects. Meanwhile, highly glazed buildings must continue to prove themselves sustainable and resilient over the long term. Meeting these needs requires deep technical knowledge, manufacturing and glazing expertise, and high service levels throughout the value chain.

Do we have what it takes to deliver?

I believe the answer is yes. For as long as I’ve been a part of this industry—nearly 30 years—I’ve had the opportunity to work with countless incredibly talented people at every turn. I know firsthand that we can deliver on the needs of both today and tomorrow.

But “tomorrow” may be the most important part of that last sentence. I think the biggest challenge we face regarding technical knowledge and expertise is how we foster the next generation of experts and get new blood into the industry. We all know that recruiting is a challenge—whether on the production side or the installation side—and I think it’s incumbent upon all of us in the industry to showcase that fenestration is an industry where you can build a fulfilling career.

I wrote a bit about this subject earlier in the year. As the glass industry moves forward, we must do everything possible to cultivate a new generation of professionals to help our businesses succeed. Some of this will involve getting more familiar with younger workers—what interests them, motivates them, and more.

Because there are good jobs and opportunities in every corner of the fenestration industry, and we need to get young people to see the potential. Glass can—and should—be exciting. Whether it’s using drones for surveying purposes, new machinery for installing glass, testing visual mock-ups, or evaluating next-generation technologies like building-integrated photovoltaics or electrochromic glass, our industry is deploying first-class technology in every part of what we do.

On the factory side, there’s also an opportunity to change the stigma about what people associate with factories or manufacturing in general. Today’s glass plants are safe, clean and filled with advanced technology. Advanced automated processing lines are a wonder of modern technology—but they won’t be able to accomplish much without an educated new generation of production workers who can successfully operate and maintain such equipment.

Connecting with younger workers and recruits and advocating for our industry will be some of the most important things we do in the coming years. It will take proactive outreach, investment in good training/mentoring programs, and a truly collective effort from today’s glass professionals.

Joe Erb is a national account manager for Quanex.

Three Ways to Maintain Safety Throughout the Busy Season

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The dog days of summer are upon us. It’s the midst of the busy season and working quickly is a necessity. Fabricators must pull it off without sacrificing our commitment to quality and maintaining safe working conditions.

But this time of year comes with its challenges. Moving more insulating glass (IG) down the line to meet demand can lead to the potential cutting of corners. Then there’s the heat, which may lead to increased fatigue among your workforce, decreased focus and greater injury risk.

With these conditions in mind, fabricators should make a concerted effort to keep conditions manageable and safe. What can be done? Here are a few ways plants can reduce risk and prioritize safety this busy season.

Think small. The temperature may be the most direct risk associated with summer on the shop floor. Fatigue and dehydration are risks for your workers, but fatigued employees can risk everyone’s safety if a mistake is made.

Luckily, there are some simple ways to combat the heat. Consider pumping chilled air onto your floor space if possible or create designated “cool zones” where workers can escape the heat periodically. And while this may sound like a no-brainer, be sure always to make cold drinking water available to your workforce. You can even go the extra mile and provide popsicles.

Take advantage of your equipment. The rise of semi-automated equipment and fully automatic high-speed insulating glass lines in commercial glass manufacturing has brought many benefits to shop floors everywhere. One of the most important is the impact they can have on safety in the manufacturing plant.

But first, there’s the matter of ensuring all teams are adequately trained to use such equipment safely and effectively. Automation solutions are large pieces of machinery moving near and around your workforce—equipping operators with the proper knowledge to operate these systems effectively, efficiently and safely is of the utmost importance. Workers should also be well-versed in proper maintenance schedules and procedures to keep the equipment in good working order at all times.

The safety benefits will manifest from there. Fewer touchpoints on an IG line regarding spacer application, for instance, means fewer chances for workers to contact the sharp edges of glass. Think about your glass-cutting processes, breakout tables, edge deletion and more—each is an area that has the potential for automation.

Rethink transport and handling. Commercial glass is big—and as size increases, traditional manual methods for spacer application and frame assembly can become more demanding and complicated, requiring several workers to complete these tasks. Not to mention an increased risk of accident or injury dealing with oversized units.

But the right equipment can help us move and transport units of all sizes more effectively and efficiently around the plant floor. Robotic lifts can provide great assistance and are also immune to the heat of summer—meaning you can allocate your employees to help keep track of orders as they move throughout the plant floor. Using machine-assisted equipment for loading and offloading units onto and from a line helps reduce fatigue and the need for brute force at another critical touchpoint.

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Keeping your manufacturing floor safe is critical to the success of any organization. As we continue to work through this summer, let’s make sure we’re keeping that commitment and that we’re deploying the right strategies to make it happen.

Joe Erb is the national account manager for Quanex.

How to Push Boundaries with Proven Technologies

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USGlass magazine editor Ellen Rogers recently wrote a long and thoughtful article about the potential for adopting thin glass triples—triple-glazed insulating glass (IG) units with an ultra-thin center lite—within the commercial glass marketplace. It’s worth a perusal for anyone interested in where new glass technology for commercial applications may—or may not—be headed.

Rogers graciously invited both myself and my colleague Mark Molinaro to offer insight for the piece, and we agree that significant hurdles will need to be cleared for skinny triples to gain real traction in commercial applications. There will need to be industry-wide consensus on how the technology is defined and certified for commercial use.

Thin glass cannot be tempered, creating questions for safety glass applications. And we may see thinner triple-glazed units more quickly, where a center lite is narrower than the industry standard ¼-inch width, but not to residential levels, where the center lite is millimeters. There is certainly some potential—but it could be a long road.

One of the biggest hurdles is that the commercial construction industry is more risk-averse than the residential space, where thin triples have greater immediate potential. Rogers writes, “Market acceptance of new glazing products and technologies moves at a snail’s pace. Everyone wants to see it before they’ll believe it—and buy it.”

But it’s increasingly important that we square this mindset with the direction of our industry. Stringent new energy codes are being adopted at accelerated rates worldwide, driving the necessity of high-performance products and technologies in new construction. To be sure: Our commitment to quality and performance must remain as strong as ever. Safe, resilient structures absolutely depend on the rigor with which commercial professionals evaluate and test new technologies before widespread adoption is possible. But if glass and glazing continue to be an important and prominent component of tomorrow’s architecture, we must also do everything possible to keep pace with new and future code requirements.

As we seek to continue elevating thermal performance, one way forward is the increased adoption of high-performance technologies that have already demonstrated their ability to stand up to the demands of even the most extreme commercial applications.

For example, high-performance, commercially rated vinyl window and door systems have continued to demonstrate their reliable applicability in commercial punched opening applications. The inherent thermal properties of performance-engineered vinyl formulas, coupled with multi-chamber profile designs that help maximize energy performance, can deliver major thermal improvements in applications where only metallic framing may have done the job once.

Elsewhere, high-performance warm-edge spacer systems have helped enhance glass performance in commercial applications for decades. With inherently better thermal properties than metal spacers, warm-edge technology should be considered just about anywhere where energy performance is a concern—especially as new energy codes demand it.

I expect thin triples are just one of many experimental commercial glass concepts we will hear about in the coming years. And as our industry collectively develops and tests those truly next-generation technologies, there is no reason to forgo proven, high-performance options that are available today.

Joe Erb is national account manager at Quanex.