Innovation was in abundance on the floor of this year's GlassBuild America, which took place September 12-14 in Atlanta, and in no more eye-catching examples than that of the decorative glass products found throughout the trade show floor.
The latest launch from Walker Glass probably had a few attendees thinking "Saturday Night Fever," as the company's new flooring was a colorfully lit attention-grabber. The new flooring was launched earlier this year at Neocon and, according to Dancause, the response "has been beyond our expectations.
"There's been so much interest," Dancause said. "We've been meeting with architects and many are now looking for projects to put it in or it's already been specified."
John Meyers with Dreamwalls Color Glass said they, too, were having a good show. Over the past few years the company has seen growing interest in its back-painted glass, and while that demand continues, Meyers said they have another new product that's seeing a lot of interest: antique mirror.
"We've seen a big up tick in demand for it - and it's been rare to see this made in the United States," he said. Meyers said they're selling the product for a large range of applications, including "OEM accounts, commercial, hospitality, hotels, restaurants and some residential."
Quality Enclosures Inc. is another company that's been busy since last year's trade show. The company's Steve Schwartz said they've begun tempering their own glass since the Las Vegas show and are also now up two three plants, having recently moved into a Marietta, Ga., facility.
The company featured its assortment of decorative patterns and textured glass for shower doors, as well as new acrylic cover plates, which it has been making since its purchase of CHI Acrylics.
"It's been a good show," Schwartz said. "We've been very busy."
The Italian company Omnidecor featured its line of etched decorative glass products, which are sold in the United States through EFI in Kernersville, N.C.
We are seeing a trend toward low iron etched and pattern glass," explained Brent Moore with EFI. "The quality of our etched product is certified for Phase 1 exterior, and opens new opportunities in the architectural and design industry. Our flexibility to produce custom proprietary patterns allows a design signature for our project based market."
Moore said the company also was featuring a number of new products.
"Our ceramic frit glass can be used as a marker board [and can also be] magnetic," Moore said. 'We're also introduced new etched glass patterns to the North American market, which we're featuring at the show."
Also on the art glass scene was Paul Wissmach Glass Co., which has manufactured art glass products for more than 100 years. The company is now offering tempered colored glass products. A variety of colors are available, including blue, green, violet and red, bringing even more opportunities for decorative glass to the architectural market.
Printing on glass also continues to be popular and show exhibitors featured equipment lines for this growing trend.
"It's becoming more and more popular," said Dennis Lew with Eastech, who said his companies machinery can print resolutions up to 1440 X 1440 dpi.
Lew also showed off a glass example that demonstrates the company's capability to print directly onto sandblasted glass.
Also offering digital printing machinery, DipTech's line is now equipped with the ability to print six colors, up from four colors. At the upcoming Vitrum show in Milan, Italy, DipTech will launch a new line that can print jumbo sizes of glass, as large as 6 meters in length and 3.3 meter in width.
