Every tube tells a different story

Discover the world of some technical tubing applications Pioneering. Responsibly. Together. These attributes have characterized SCHOTT, manufacturer of special glass, glass-ceramics and other ­innovative materials, for over 130 years. As #glasslovers and inventor of special glass, we are reliable partners for high-tech industries to enable new market launches and applications. Our goal is to become climate neutral by 2030. With a production capacity of more than 190,000 tons and production sites in Europe, South America and Asia, SCHOTT Tubing is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of glass tubes, rods and profiles. More than 60 different glass types are produced in a large variety of dimensional and cosmetic specifications based on a standardized production process and a global quality assurance system. SCHOTT Tubing provides customized products and services for international growth markets such as pharmaceuticals and electronics as well as industrial and environmental engineering.

SCHOTT®, AR-GLAS®, CONTURAX®, CONTURAX® Pro and DURATAN® are registered trademarks of SCHOTT.

DURAN® is a registered trademark of the DWK Life Sciences GmbH.

Contents

Industry 6

Tackling the Ventilator Challenge 6 How glass attracts sportswear 7 Perfect place for algae and biorefining 9 Sustainable aquaculture 11 Engineered not just build 13 Washing the air 15 Enjoy sustainability 17 Security at your fingertips 18 Hanging gardens 21 As clear as Water 25 Precise cuts 28 Inventive Spirit with a Perfect Outlook 30 Recovering Energy intelligently 32 Materials at the Limit 34 In a Case full of Cash 36 A Potent Gas: Ozone 38

Lighting 40

Handcrafted Light Design 40 Light in the Desert 42 Signaling the future 44 Seeing the Light in Case of Emergency 46 Special Effects with Lighting 48 Floating Sculpture 49 Art & Design 50

Swinging with glass 50 Generating energy naturally 52 Technology meets aesthetics 53 Printing in the third dimension 56 Simply good coffee 58 The People’s Smile 59 Touching magic made of glass, light and sound 60 Glass tubes with edges 60 Infinite Light Loop 61 Creating Something New Without Replacing what is Old 62 Unconventional Glass – Tubing for Exquisite Effects 64

Tackling the Ventilator Challenge

In Spring 2020, the UK government issued a nationwide “call to arms” to produce medical ventilators needed to treat critically-ill COVID-19 patients. A consortium of industrial, technology and engineering businesses from the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors came together to manufacture 15,000 units. Amongst them, MPB Industries stepped up to the challenge to supply flowmeters – a critical component of ventilators.

What role did MPB specifically play engineers from Ford to join us for the in the UK Ventilator Challenge? duration of the project. Typically, we would produce around 0 pairs of these MPB had to produce all the variable particular flow tubes in a normal working area flowmeters needed to produce day. However, by developing more 15,000 ventilators from the medical tooling, improving production processes device company Penlon. This comprised and working a 2 x 10 hour shift pattern of 30,000 flowmeter tubes in total. for six days per week, we were able to We also produced several hundred increase this output 10-fold to 500 pairs

flowmeters that were used to check the per day. When the original order for Industries MPB Photo: performance of the ventilators whilst 10,000 tubes was trebled to 30,000, it Jason Bennion is Managing Director at MPB going through the production lines. was a relief to hear that SCHOTT could Flowmeters, where he’s worked for nearly move the production slot forward and twenty years over two periods. Why are flowmeters needed for deliver the glass tubing in time for us ventilators? to be able to keep up with the three MPB Industries was formed in 1986 assembly lines that were building by two partners and over the years To put it simply: When used in ventilators, ventilators 24 hours a day for 12 weeks. has grown to 20 employees spread one tube delivers oxygen and the other over three factories in Kent, England. supplies air to the patient. Actually, a Why do you use glass tubing for the The company was sold in 2019 to the variable area flowmeter is a very simple flowmeters? SDI Group and now comprises ten device. A float is placed inside a tube sister companies. that has an internal taper and as more We use glass because of its transparency, gas or fluid passes through it the higher the fact that we can form and cut it to the float rises. The flow rate is indicated our requirement and add a permanently by a permanently fired enamel scale fired enamel scale. that we apply to the outside of the tube. We find that the glass tube that SCHOTT In practice, the tolerances involved to provide us with is dimensionally accurate produce these instruments are down and stable all while being scratch- to microns and both the glass tube and resistant, which is important for a visual

float are made to these exacting standards. instrument. Nearly every product that Industries MPB Photos: we produce features a glass tube for meas- What are the main challenges in pro- uring gas or liquid flows or capacities. Flowmeters with Medical ventilators ducing and supplying a product that “We are immensely proud of how our DURAN® glass tubing from Penlon featuring form an integral part flowmeters from MPB helps in the fight against COVID-19? company was able to rise up and meet of a fully assembled ready to leave the the challenge put to us and how the ventilator machine. warehouse. The project was of such a large scale consortium all pulled together on this that it involved everyone in our company enormous task.“ – Jason Bennion, SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing January 7, 2021 and we called on the assistance of five Managing Director at MPB Industries

6 How glass attracts sportswear

Tubing made of specialty glass is a genuine all-round and permanent magnet for innovative ideas and applications. Millimeter-thin DURAN® capillaries used in manufacturing elastic threads for textiles demonstrate how valuable and attractive they can be in current technical applications. Photo: Adobe Stock-©Jacob Lund Stock-©Jacob Adobe Photo:

They were first used in laboratory cameras with novel technology for resistance, and superior resistance technology, but have been conquering online streaming. In environmental to corrosion. Tubing’s good electrical a wide variety of markets for over technology, glass tubes are key insulation properties even make it 120 years: tubes, rods and capillaries elements for innovative air purification ideally suited for high-voltage appli- made of many different specialty systems using UV light. Glass tubing cations such as generating X-rays glasses which come in a wide range products have even found their way in radiology. of dimensions. These all-rounders into interior design, where they sur- are quietly enabling truly amazing prise us in modern design solutions. innovations. The secret to the success of applying Glass tube systems up to several kilo- glass tubing to multiple applications meters long used in photobioreactors lies in its superior material, processing ensure the ideal cultivation of algae quality, and flexibility. Although unob- for food supplements or care products. trusive on the outside, glass tubing An anti-reflective coated glass tube outperforms other materials many times which protects against scratches, over thanks to the advantages it offers. environmental impact and reflections Glass tubing scores points compared Photo: World Flex Public Company Limited was a major door-opener for the to plastic and metals with its excellent With the help of glass tubes, liquid natural latex commercialization of 360-degree optical properties, high temperature is transformed into numerous threads.

7 Photo: SCHOTT

Chemically resistant DURAN® glass capillaries withstand acid in continuous use and ensure precise thread strengths.

Permanent use in an acid bath injection. Stainless steel tubes which “The usage of glass capillaries leads are typically used can rust over time. to stable processes and saves us In yet another new application in The process of replacing them can maintenance work and production Thailand, tubing’s precision and robust- abruptly halt the 24-hour production costs due to less disturbances,” ness proved to be quite convincing. cycle and cause delays. concludes Mr. Suthep Numuean, The Southeast Asian country is Deputy of Production Manager from considered the world’s largest rubber First manufacturers are now using World Flex Public Company Limited, exporter, with major producers and DURAN® glass capillaries instead. They the leading producer of high-quality processors of natural latex located are recommended, supplied and cut rubber thread based in Thailand. Now there. The rubber material is processed to size by SCHOTT’s customer Triviwat SCHOTT can once again ask itself: What into elastic threads, which provide the Intertrade Co. a Thai glass processor. is the next milestone for the extremely necessary textile flexibility in sports- The chemically resistant borosilicate attractive best-sellers made of glass? wear and underwear, for example. glass resists the acid even in continuous Liquid latex is injected through dozens use. In addition, the narrow, stable of thin tubes to produce threads by tolerances of the inner diameter of machine, forming numerous contin- the capillaries ensure precise thread uous threads lying side by side, which strengths. This is necessary to achieve are then passed through further smooth textile surfaces after the processing stages by rollers. The tubes threads have been woven into clothing are permanently immersed in a liquid fabrics. The narrow outside diameter of sulphuric acid, which hardens the tolerances also play an important role, liquid latex immediately after as the tubes must fit into existing machines.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® Capillaries August 3, 2020

8 Perfect place for algae and biorefining

A collaboration of three companies advances sustainable algae facilities in Portugal. Photo: IGV

Over the last two years, 15 kilometers Here, the biomass of tiny algae (Nanno- ALGATEC is the result of a partner- northeast of the Portuguese capital of chloropsis, Spirulina, Tetraselmis and ship between three companies: Lisbon, a new eco business park was others) – living and photosynthesizing LusoAmoreiras, the owner of the real created, called ALGATEC. As its name in the water can be used in multiple estate rights and investor, Solvay suggests, it has something to do with applications such as, human nutrition, providing the infrastructures and algae, or more exactly: the production animal feed and for the extraction of facilities and A4F, which stands for and processing of microalgae. The added-value compounds (vegetable ´algae for future´. A4F is a Portuguese construction of this new facility began protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty biotechnology company, with more in 2017, with the production starting acids, pigments and antioxidants). than 20 years of accumulated expe- in the spring of 2018. The complete “The knowledge transfer process rience in microalgae research & implementation will be finished by 2021. between applied microalgae research, development and microalgae pro- With a production area of 14 hectare, technology and industrial growth is duction. Their focus lies on the design, the Eco Business Park will be the largest crucial for the development of new building, operation and transfer of microalgae production platform in products and production technologies commercial-scale microalgae pro- Europe including a microbiology la- and therefore for the success of the duction units, using different technol- boratory and a biorefinery unit once business with this multipurpose raw ogies that can better serve different completed. Its mission is to welcome material of the future”, says Edgar customer needs. A4F has a proven and attract entrepreneurial companies Santos, Director of ALGATEC EBP and experience of working with different and their projects in the field of sus- Head of Industrial Projects at A4F – species of microalgae, freshwater, tainable algae business. Algae for Future. saltwater, hypersaline water,

9 explains Fritz Wintersteller, Director and logistics, its proximity to uni- Business Development from SCHOTT versities and research institutes as Tubing. well as synergies between project promoters and the industry nearby. There are numerous advantages of €22 million are being invested into ALGATEC as an industrial complex, the largest European microalgae it benefits from high solar radiation production platform. The aim is to at the site, the availability of raw produce 600 tons of microalgae per materials and other utilities from a year, to reach a €10 million turnover,

positive integration with the neigh- to consume 2000 tons of CO2 and to boring industry. Additionally there create 100 direct and indirect jobs. is easy accessibility to transportation Photo: ALGATEC

In the microalgae production systems at the ALGATEC Eco Business Park, A4F also uses tubular glass photobioreactors. autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixo- trophic. Whilst gaining knowledge and working across a variety of the most advanced technological production solutions – from tubular and flat-panel photobioreactors (PBR) to open ponds, cascade raceways (CRW) and fermenters – harvesting and processing technologies.

In the microalgae production systems at the Eco Business Park, A4F will also use tubular photobioreactors with DURAN® borosilicate glass tubing from SCHOTT. Diana Fonseca, Head of Engineering at A4F: “Tubular glass photobioreactors are ideal for the Photo: ALGATEC production of high-value and Aerial view of ALGATEC Eco Business Park production site. Under construction in Póvoa de Santa Iria high-quality products. They are also (15 km northeast of Lisbon), this will be the largest microalgae production platform in Europe (14 ha). An Eco Business Park designed to welcome companies and entrepreneurial projects in the highly suitable for the production of field of sustainable algae business. microalgae strains that require strict production control, or that produce volatile compounds”. More than 70 kilometers of glass tubes will be installed in ALGATEC’s first phase of construction, specifically in A4F´s sophisticated UHT (unilayer horizontal tubular) photobioreactors and the well-known MHT (multilayer horizontal tubular) PBRs. “We are very proud to be part of this great project and supporting our customer A4F with more than 50 tons of glass tubes and SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing more than 9,000 slim couplings”, March 25, 2019

10 Sustainable aquaculture

The Norwegian fish farming industry takes innovative approaches to fish feed with the help of algae produced in photobioreactors made of glass.

research facility provides the basis for developing more knowledge about the full value chain in the sea, from the right choice of microalgae to the production of omega-3 fatty acids”, explains Hans Kleivdal, Research Director at NORCE and professor at UiB, who is at the same time the academic coordinator for the project.

The team of scientists from UiB, NORCE

and operators from CO2 Bio (a joint venture company owned by large aquaculture companies) have proved that the captured carbon dioxide from Equinor’s refinery can be used to grow

Photo: LGem algae, which in turn can be used as a fish feed ingredient to replace fish oil. Svein Nordvik, Managing Director of Fish not only tastes great but it is also The Norwegian cities of Bergen and CO Bio, is firmly convinced that “algae good for you. It provides the body with Stavanger have even become a Silicon 2 grown in greenhouses like this one important nutrients such as protein, Valley of the Sea. Here, the current could revolutionize fish farming”. vitamins and minerals. The omega-3 research focuses on the use of algae in fatty acids in oily fish are good for the fish feed. Microalgae are rich in omega-3 heart, brain and immune system. Most fatty acids and other nutrients such as of the fish on our plates comes from protein, vitamins and minerals, and fisheries or aquaculture. Farm-raised therefore provide many additional salmon are fed on marine resources health benefits. A pioneer in research such as fish-meal and fish-oil, which are is the University of Bergen (UiB), both derived from wild-caught fish. who operates together with NORCE However, the world’s fish reserves are (Norwegian research centre) and the depleting due to overfishing. Norway´s company CO2Bio AS a pilot plant for aquaculture and the world´s biggest algae production (National microAlgae salmon-farming industry, together pilot Mongstad, NAM). The plant is with researchers and innovative start- co-located with the worlds’ largest Photo: Adobe Stock-©Jan-Dirk ups, will go to great lengths to secure carbon capture test plant Technology In Norway, salmon and trout grow in the same feed for farmed fish. The goal is to Center Mongstad, north of Bergen, and way as in nature: first in fresh water and then in the cold, clear salt waters of the Norwegian fjords. create an aquaculture industry using started operations in early 2017. The sustainable sources of feed that will no plant is designed to test and cultivate The facility has two buildings, a green- longer require wild-caught fish while on a pilot scale different microalgae house for biomass production and an at the same time minimizing pollution with high levels of omega-3, trans- operations building with a laboratory from fish farms. forming CO2 in the process. “The new and processing equipment. At the heart

11 Furthermore, other higher value products within aquaculture are tested (e.g. feed for copepods and rotifers) to achieve a shorter-term commercially viable microalgae production. Gradually, this will contribute to the success of the Norwegian aquaculture. Photo: Thor Brødreskift Thor Photo: Photo: Thor Brødreskift Thor Photo:

Left to right some of the central people in the project: researcher Jeroen de Vree (LGem), head of project With glass U-bends, manifolds and couplings Hans Kleivdal (research director at NORGE and associate professor at the University of Bergen), SCHOTT pro-vides reliable and long lasting senior researcher Dorinde Kleinegris (NORGE) and processing engineer Tom Roger Lid (CO2Bio). solutions for algae cultivation in photobioreactors. of the project plant are photobioreac- the success factor of GemTube™ systems tors (PBR) in which microalgae are – additionally the Norwegian Silicon produced through the process of Valley of the Sea could benefit from this photosynthesis, the combination of now”, says Hazewinkel. nutrients, water, light and CO2. All the PBR systems used for research on algae

cultivation come from LGem, a Brødreskift Thor Photo: company based in Rotterdam in the The challenge of the National microAlgae pilot Netherlands. Engineers at LGem are Mongstad (NAM) will be to harvest enough experts in the design and manu- algae to make it commercially viable. facture of tailormade and turnkey microalgae photobioreactors that are scalable and easy to operate. “We are

happy to see the wonderful job that our Photo: LGem Norwegian partners are performing by using our systems in order to make their industries and aquaculture more sustainable”, says Sander Hazewinkel, Sander Hazewinkel, Chief Commercial Officer at Chief Commercial Officer at LGem b.v. LGem, hopes, that the LGem™ tube systems will “We hope that our photobioreactor effectively support the algae project in Mongstad.

and process design with state-of-the-art Brødreskift Thor Photo: glass components will bring a sustainable The challenge for the microalgae In the Silicon Valley of the Sea, which is currently aquaculture an important step forward.” team at the National microAlgae pilot under construction, the aim is to create an aqua- LGem uses DURAN® borosilicate glass Mongstad will be to continue to culture with sustainable sources of feed by using tubing from SCHOTT in its closed PBR improve the production process and photobioreactors. systems. It allows for optimum light find even better algae to further input for the highest growth rates decrease the cost price of production and provide reliable and long-lasting at industrial scale and consequently to solutions for bio-secure algae cultivation. make these microalgae a commercially SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing “The glass really makes a difference in viable ingredient for salmon feed. November 23, 2018

12 ‘Engineered’ not just built

A new photobioreactor project from OPBio Factory and Varicon Aqua involving DURAN® glass tubing advances sustainable algae production in Okinawa, Japan.

Despite all frugality, there is one thing worldwide. However, this particular that algae needs in vast quantities to Japanese project is quite special due grow: light. In enclosed tubular photo- to its complexity. The degree of bioreactors (PBR), algae absorbs all the engineering that went into this makes sunlight close to the internal surface of it unique in a long history of projects. the glass tubing so that it is already dark Thanks to the close collaboration with a few millimeters into the culture. The Akihiko Kanamoto, the CEO of OPBio mixing rate, total length of PBR and Factory Co. Ltd., we managed to create many other factors influence this a bespoke design tubular photobio- light-to-dark ratio. Striking the optimal reactor so-called Phyco-Flow™ – in two

balance is key to optimizing the efficiency distinct project phases. First, we Photo: Varicon Aqua of the process. Scientists have therefore designed and installed 2 x 1,100 litre developed photobioreactors (PBR) to Phyco-Flow™ photobioreactors. This was Joe McDonald: Multidisciplinary grow microalgae in large quantities for followed by the installation of another algae expert industrial purposes. These diverse 2 x 7,000 litre photobioreactors. microorganisms are rich in valuable Joe McDonald has 30 years of ingredients and very versatile. They can What was particularly challenging multidisciplinary experience, with be used in applications such as a food during this project? principle interests in aquatic supplement or in the field of cosmetics. biotechnology. His expertise ranges The unique weather conditions in from finfish cultivation to behavioral OPBio Factory Co. Ltd. is at the fore- Okinawa was one particular challenge ecology and algal population front of micro algae innovation in Japan. that we faced. By using SCHOTT glass dynamics. Earlier in his career, he Together with the expertise of the components, the Phyco-Flows™ are was a director of the British Marine PBR manufacturer Varicon Aqua, the enclosed within two aluminum frames Finfish Association and Assistant company has created a custom affixed with stainless steel mesh to Chair of the Orkney Fish Farmers designed tubular photobioreactor protect the photobioreactors and their Association. Subsequently, he (Phyco-Flow™) on Okinawa island. components from the notorious worked throughout Asia gaining This particular PBR is undoubtedly one Okinawa typhoons. The Phyco-Flow™ an extensive technical, sales and of the most complex systems Varicon systems are now referred to affectionate- experience. In his current position Aqua has ever built. We spoke to Joe ly as Typhoon no. 1 – no. 4. In total, each as Managing Director of Varicon McDonald, Managing Director at phase contains 5,000 meters of SCHOTT Aqua Solutions, he has successfully Varicon Aqua, about the development glass tubing. deployed a broad range of photo- of this extraordinary algae project. bioreactor platforms cross the globe. Are there any further special He is a biologist and member of the What can you tell us about the project engineering details that you would Bio-Based Products Working Group background and its creation? like to share with us? of the British Standards Institute (BSI), a board member of the industrial Varicon Aqua has already completed The Phyco-Flow™ incorporate many working group of the EABA (European several complex projects before. In total, elements, including fully automated Algae Biomass Association) as well as we have over 15 years of experience shading and cooling, with associated a member of the Management Board and have completed over 250 projects data acquisition and control for both of Algae UK.

13 monitoring and control of the four daylight and the influence of seasonal photobioreactors. We installed all of weather conditions. We took a similar the process control elements within robust approach to the design of the the main laboratory facility with all flow temperature control systems. We have and return systems gantry mounted run many detailed models for a range of between the internal and external geographic locations and environmen- elements. The cooling system utilizes tal conditions. Over many projects, we a combination of water chillers and compared the empirical data with our chill recovery with mechanical filtration models, constantly refining the model and recycling via ion exchange systems. inputs to enable higher levels of This approach mitigates the accumulation confidence in each project design.

of precipitates on the external surfaces We’re pleased to say that our systems Photo: Varicon Aqua of the DURAN® tubing thereby main- are ‘Engineered,’ not just built. The taining extremely high levels of light data assists us in determining the transmission into the biological process. thermal load for worst-case scenarios This is of particular importance, as it brings and the flows necessary to maintain the right amount of light to these algae. optimal conditions for the microalgae.

What kind of algae was used for How did you ensure that this this project? complex and customized project turned out to be successful? The algae organism of choice is an extremely fragile and sensitive species There are many detailed elements to known as Pavlova sp, renowned for this project, and the interplay of each the high value of a key secondary element is key to the overall success metabolites such as carotenoids. This of the designs. We are very fortunate Photo: Varicon Aqua particular algae type can be used in in this case to have a client who has areas such as aquaculture, nutraceuti- been fully engaged with this project cals, functional foods and cosmetics. from day one. He has been heavily Given the fragility and sensitivity of the involved in many of the design client’s strain to shear and light stress, discussions to ensure that we deliver it was extremely important to fully what the company envisions. Akihiko engineer the project. Computational Kanamoto is a very ‘hands-on’ CEO fluid dynamics is a key tool in our arsenal and is extremely well-informed on all and is used routinely to determine the aspects of engineering and biology. suitability and limitations of various configurations. For example, it enables What’s next? Are further steps the determination of various height- planned? to-length ratios and plays a key role in Photo: Varicon Aqua the selection of an appropriate We are happy to say that OpBio is very pumping solution. pleased with the performance and ease of operation of the four Phyco-Flow™ Is there anything else you had to systems. So much so that I already consider? met again with Akihiko Kanamoto in Okayama in mid-September to discuss Another key element is the stability and agree on the next steps for capacity of temperature, minute by minute, expansion that are already planned. as well as diurnally, especially when We hope to start phase three of this photosynthesis is reliant upon natural project in 2020. SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing November 26, 2019

14 Washing the air

The Bavarian Triplan Umwelttechnik is bringing fresh air to old buildings with an innovative idea: its engineers use UV light to banish moldy, musty smells from rooms. Special glass from SCHOTT Tubing helps remove the unwanted odors. / H.-J. Schulz SCHOTT Photo:

Corked wine and musty rooms: both are But now, Beck and his team of engineers To achieve this innovation, the unpleasant – and both often have the have developed the TRIPLAN LightClean® Harburg-based company employs same cause. The wood preservatives ventilation solution. It uses glass instead DURAN® borosilicate glass tubing from used in impregnated pallets and the of paper as the carrier for the catalyst. SCHOTT. This special purpose glass wooden beams of old houses over The device, a simple, stainless steel offers key advantages that make it an decades release gases that cause moldy column with a built-in ventilator, first ideal catalyst carrier: ”It has a much smelling aerosols to appear, the same sucks up the polluted air in the room. higher level of efficiency than any other molecules that accumulate on corks and ”The contaminant molecules accumulate material,” says Beck. ”Because of the give a once delicious wine that feared inside TRIPLAN LightClean® on a panel high transparency of the DURAN® glass corked taste. Help comes in the form consisting of small glass tubes measuring tubing, the UV light can penetrate deep of photocatalysis – a process that about six inches in length,” says Beck. into the reactor and reaches a much decomposes the undesirable gases The individual glass tubes are coated larger activation surface using the same using a catalyst and UV radiation. But with a semiconductor material using a amount of energy,” explains Dietmar existing solutions have their drawbacks: specially developed process. When Katlun, Area Sales Manager at SCHOTT ”The present technology is neither very stimulated by UV light, cold combustion Technical Tubing. This also makes efficient nor particularly sustainable,” converts the contaminants into carbon TRIPLAN LightClean® highly sustainable: explains Andreas Beck, Managing dioxide and water. TRIPLAN LightClean® ”Unlike conventional filters, the coated Director of Triplan Umwelttechnik. then releases the cleansed air back into glass tubing can be used endlessly since the room. it is not corroded by oxidation,” says Beck.

15 “French winemakers and the old chloroanisole odour”, assures Beck. building renovation sector have The managing director sees further already recognized the potential”, uses in addition to stale old buildings states Beck. Over 30 large devices and corked wine: “Fresh, clean air is have already been delivered to wine also an advantage in medical practices cellars in France. “The first customers and we have received inquiries for are all extremely happy with the managing odours at workstations, performance of the devices, parti- such as acetic acid odours.” cularly regarding the reduction of / H.-J. Schulz SCHOTT Photo:

SCHOTT SOLUTIONS 2/14 ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY UMWELTTECHNIK Engineers at Triplan Umwelttechnik have developed innovative photocatalytic ventilation systems that achieve a high level of efficiency. Special glass from SCHOTT is used as an ideal catalyst carrier.

This is because this special glass is chemically highly resistant and can H.-J. Schulz

withstand major temperature changes. / The idea for the convenient air-cleaning system for old buildings came about SCHOTT more by chance than by design. ”We Photo: originally wanted to develop a way to DURAN® tubes are an ideal substrate for the catalytic semiconductor material. In addition, clean toxic exhaust air in laboratories,” they are also very durable. explains Beck. Photocatalysis turned out to be too weak for high concentrations of toxic contaminants. ”But we discov- DIAGRAMDIAGRAM OF OF HOWHOW TRIPLANTRIPLAN LIGHTCLEAN® LIGHTCLEAN® WORKS WORKS ered that it worked exceptionally well with lower concentrations like those ZOOM that are common in prefabricated houses and old buildings,” says Beck. UV light O-2 CO2 CO2 H2O The system is not only effective DURAN glass O2 ® against so-called chloranisoles that tubing coated Catalytic with a catalytic cause corked wine, but also against semiconductor semiconductor material formaldehyde (often used to glue material Stainless steel cartridge together particle board and laminate) H++ OH¯ and ozone (produced by old printers). H2O UV lamp All of this would not have been possible PHOTOCATALYSIS IS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE without the help of SCHOTT, as Beck BEHIND LIGHTCLEAN® The semiconductor material acts as a catalyst next to the states: ”Mr. Katlun and his colleagues bulk material. Radicals (O2 and H+ + OH¯) are produced on it from moisture (H 0) and oxygen (O ) by radiation did not just supply a product; they 2 2 Chemical and organic and UV light. Their highly oxidizing effect dissolves hydro- scents and air pollutants carbons such as chloranisole and formaldehyde. The uncriti- also supported us with their technical (chloranisole, formalde- cal end-products CO and water are then left behind. expertise.” Prototypes of TRIPLAN 2 hyde, ozone) Source: SCHOTT/ Transquer LightClean® are currently in progress.

50 SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing May 6, 2020

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16 Enjoy sustainably

Three billion plastic straws end up in the trash. Every day. After a single use. This is now a thing in the past with SCHOTT straws. Photo: SCHOTT

Pure taste thanks to sustainable glass drinking straws

dishwasher. In order to be able to clean them properly, SCHOTT exclusively manufactures straight straws without bends in lengths of 15, 20, 23 and 30 centimeters – ideally suited for any Photo: SCHOTT type of drink.

Would you like to visit Hotel Sacher in Vienna? Besides the famous chocolate cake, there are also hot drinks, or maybe you would prefer a cocktail? Both are definitely sustainable treats because the traditional hotel serves them with drinking straws made of glass. SCHOTT Straws for hotels and restaurants, as well as for private households, are made of the same glass as drinking glasses and can be reused 1,000 to 2,000 times.

For safety reasons, the wall thickness of the glass tubes is 1.5 millimeters. This makes them more robust than conventional drinking glasses, i.e. Photo: SCHOTT they don’t break in your mouth or Reusable up to 2,000 times: SCHOTT Straws

SCHOTT Product: AR-GLAS® December 17, 2019

17 Security at your fingertips

Biometric systems are constantly improving: a new scanner from innovator DERMALOG can read both fingerprints and electronic IDs for the first time. What’s it made of? CONTURAX® glass from SCHOTT. Photo: DERMALOGPhoto:

Brunei was one of the first nations in has been fueling technical progress for is only convincing with flawless, fast the world to introduce an electronic over 20 years and today is the largest detection. This is where DERMALOG ID card integrating digital fingerprints. German supplier in a future market. specialists excel. Their AFIS (Automated Arrivals in and departures from Singapore Fingerprint Identification System), for are recorded by fingerprint. 24 banks Biometric recognition grants access instance, based on independent TÜV in Nigeria use fingerprint and facial control to smartphones and PCs, and analysis, uses a special modular server recognition. Thousands of refugees with electronic identity cards simplifies platform (standard blade server) to in Germany have been registered law enforcement, election registration compare nearly a billion fingerprints with fingerprint scanners. and payments. Studies predict that per second. A world record without passwords will be a thing of the past sacrificing accuracy. AFIS integrates These examples are just a few of the in a few years. Indian market and other applications such as iris and facial more than 200 from 80 countries with biometric analysts expect the biome- recognition to achieve highly secure two things in common: they’re using tric system market to increase from multibiometric software solutions. digital biometric authentication to USD 10.7 billion to USD 32.7 billion DERMALOG hardware such as scanners verify identity, and the technology is from 2015 to 2022. and e-gates for automatic access control coming from the same company – also offers individual and comprehen- Hamburg’s DERMALOG. The pioneer Such opportunities also invite sive solutions for large database appli- in biometrics solutions development challenges. The biometric technique cations. “We are a developer, manu-

18 Photo: DERMALOGPhoto: Photo: DERMALOGPhoto:

DERMALOG scanner at CeBIT 2017: Banks in Nigeria use fingerprint and facial recognition systems from DERMALOG. on the same scan area it can read fingerprints as well as electronic passports. facturer and system integrator at the The optical system with high scan High-intensity scan with quality glass same time and see ourselves as leaders resolution uses CONTURAX® glass from in innovation,” sums up DERMALOG SCHOTT for homogeneous illumination The lighting unit of DERMALOG’s Managing Director Günther Mull. of the touchsurface. A wise choice, optical fingerprint and document says Felix Lüers: “The glass offers big scanner VF1 initially consists of a The company has now developed advantages over other materials like printed circuit board with three LED the world’s first scanner that can read plastic: it’s scratch-resistant, highly types. These radiate in a spectral fingerprints as well as e-passports, transparent and durable in UV and range from ultraviolet to near-infrared, signatures, tickets and barcodes on the IR light radiation and temperature- bandwidths which allow security same scan area. It also enables instant resistant to heat development in LEDs. features to be optically read from comparison with fingerprints stored electronic ID cards. Two glass in the passports’ RFID chips. “Our Production quality and dimensional components from SCHOTT above all-in-one scanner VF1 combines two accuracy are also required to support the LEDs ensure homogeneous devices in one and is particularly well the device’s necessary measuring illumination. A frosted glass diffuses suited for border controls, banks and accuracy. “These are all strong the emitted light, which is then broken e-gates,” explains DERMALOG engineer messages for SCHOTT account by two overlying cylindrical collecting Felix Lüers. A computer-aided manual, manager Dietmar Katlun: “Once lenses made of CONTURAX® profiled for instance, walks users through again, we are fascinated by the glass. Light rays finally hit a prism correctly placing their fingers, which technical applications that our whose surface forms the touchpad are recorded in seconds – automated decorative glass makes possible.” for fingers or e-passports. self-registration without any staff. Sensor technology enables live detection, preventing mistakes and deceptions and literally ensures safety to the fingertips.

19 Photo: DERMALOGPhoto: Photo: iStock

The optical system of the VF1 scanner uses CONTURAX® glass from SCHOTT for homogeneous Biometrical data such as fingerprints are the illumination of the touchsurface. passwords of the future.

More reliable: biometrics of the future

World record: Biometrics, the science of measuring and analyzing biological characteris- 914,959,533 fingerprints can be matched by DERMALOG AFIS tics, is considered much safer than (Automated Fingerprint Identification System) within one second. PIN numbers and passwords. But is This was measured with a standard blade server in late 2016 by that correct? The European Chaos German testing institute SGS-TÜV Saar. Computer Club seemed to prove the opposite when it hacked fingerprints and irises of German politicians in 2014.

However, the safety and reliability of and to be compliant with current biometric procedures increase with standards such as ISO/IEC 30107,” the quality of biometric features and says DERMALOG developer Daniel comparison data, the performance of Hartung. the sensor and the computing capacity of the system. System manufacturers Multibiometric procedures also boost are also working on live recognition security. Several features are simulta- in features to foil forgery. Functioning neously measured and compared, live tests already exist for fingerprints, including fingerprints and irises. But irises, faces and veins. High-perfor- the future could also belong to features mance sensor technology and special considered “forgery-proof.” Methods software, for example, detect the are already being tested that recognize smallest movements and other living individual movement patterns such as signals or detect non-living materials. walking speed, lengths of strides and The effort focuses on machine hip movements. And that’s only the learning processes. “We’re heavily beginning: research is also underway focusing on these topics to remain at on features such as DNA, body odor the forefront of accuracy and speed, and salinity. SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® schott.com/innovation January 18, 2018

20 Hanging gardens

Light is energy. This can be directly observed in the growth of microalgae in photo­bioreactors. The harvests increase significantly when glass tubing from SCHOTT is used.

Microalgae offer the industry an inter- esting future market. These green unicellular organisms can convert light into biomass five times more efficiently than land plants. They are rich in valu- able ingredients and are very versatile, for example, as a food supplement or in the field of cosmetics, food and feed, biofuel, fertilizer and even as ingredient substances for drugs. The market volume of algae production has already exceeded the one billion US dollar mark and continues to grow fast.

When it comes to harvest volumes, the material that the photobioreactors are made of plays an important role. Algae manufacturers are increasingly replac- ing plastic components in their photo- bioreactors with components made of glass. Glass is easier to clean, has a long service life and is very transparent, impor- tant parameters that affect output and the costs of large scale algae produc- tion. With plastic-based systems, however, a biofilm gradually forms on the walls over time. The reason is the bacteria that accumulate, grow and eventually lead to contamination of the biomass. To prevent this, regular cleaning is necessary and the produc- tion systems need to be switched off. High-quality DURAN® glass tubing from SCHOTT has very smooth inner surfaces that strongly ­reduce biofilm formation and make continuous cultivation possible on an industrial scale 365 days of the year. “Bacteria are algae’s enemies, and the scratches that are common on the inside of the plastic

Photos: ecoduna Photos: surface after many cleaning cycles

21 Why algae?

There is a huge range of applications for algae – from medicine to agri- culture. Here are three particularly interesting examples:

1. In cosmetics: Algae contain a high share of proteins. They can provide the skin with energy and prevent it from drying out. 2. For water treatment: Inorganic substances like nitrates and phos- phates can be removed by preci- pitation with the aid of chemical By using high-quality, round DURAN® glass tubing from SCHOTT, the light that algae need for photo- synthesis can be put to better use in ­photobioreactors. Tubes and multiple distributors are also ideally agents, or – in a ‘greener’ way – suited for constructing state-of-the-art vertical photobioreactors. they can serve as nutrition for algae in a controlled manner and thus be removed before the water make for the perfect breeding ground This is highly efficient and guarantees is discharged. for those enemies. Thanks to the robust- maximum purity. 3. As dietary supplements: The active ness of SCHOTT’s glass tubing, the Ecoduna recently changed its pro- ingredient astaxanthin is extracted photobioreactors offer consistently duction technology at its plant in from algae and sold as a dietary good production conditions without Austria from plastic to SCHOTT glass supplement because of its health the risk of contamination,” says Johann tubes 65 mm in diameter. The photo- benefits. Mörwald, CEO of ecoduna. The Austrian bioreactors have been running con- company produces and harvests differ- tinuously since the switch was made. ent algae such as chlorella or spirulina, For the company, this means higher a blue-green algae used for dietary yields and lower operating costs. The supplements and animal feeds, in material’s longevity is also one of its vertical photobioreactors. The world- key advantages;­ ecoduna says it used patented vertical photobioreactors, to plan to replace the plastic elements which ecoduna also refers to as about every ten years. Now, thanks to “hanging gardens,” also eliminate an estimated 50-year lifespan of the pumps. CO2 and nutrients are intro- glass tubing, having to replace the duced continuously at the bottom. entire system is far less of a concern.

22 Higher output – lower costs

Ecoduna plans to use glass tubing at its new production facility in Austria and in another facility in Denmark that the company operates together with a partner.

Commercial algae producers constantly work to improve biomass yields and harvests. Glass tubing has proven to be extremely effective in both horizontal and vertical photobioreactors because its robustness and cleanliness extend the lifespan of these systems by multiple factors. SCHOTT will continue to work with companies like ecoduna in the

Photo: ecoduna Photo: future to find ways to improve system efficiencies, boost algae growth, and “Using glass tubing in our ‘hanging gardens’ has proved to be a smart investment that lowers our operating expenses and practically eliminates replacement costs.” – Johann Mörwald, CEO of ecoduna increase biomass yields.

How do Algae grow?

Carbon dioxide Sunlight

Algae need (sun-)light, water, carbon-dioxide Oxygen Biomass and nutrients for growing. Photobioreactors aim to present optimum life ­conditions.

23 Photo: Fotolia Photo: Photo: Thinkstock

Algae are especially popular for the usage in cosmetics. They contain a high share of proteins, they can provide the skin with energy and protect it from draining.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing Solutions 2/2016, Page 24 – 27

24 As clear as Water

The US company Clearas has developed a biological, algae-based method by which water can be purified for reuse and, at the same time, valuable biomass as a byproduct can be obtained. Photobioreactors that contain glass tubes demonstrate their ability to perform in a test facility. Thinkstock Photo:

The view from space clearly shows why more people. At the same time, in of water reduced by adopting stricter our earth is also called the “blue planet.” recent decades the proportion of water regulations. “Vision for 2050: Water 29 percent of the earth’s surface is used for agriculture and for growing for a Sustainable World,” also points occupied by land, the greater share food has tripled to 70 percent of the out that “waste water should be viewed (71 %) by the oceans which contain world’s water supply. And industry as a resource that provides energy, more than 97 percent of the earth’s requires water, amounting to about nutrients and fresh water for reuse.” total water. More than 70 percent of 22 percent. The remaining eight Clearas Water Recovery in Missoula, the 2.5 percent fresh water is in frozen percent of the world’s water is used Montana, is a company that pursues form. All living beings on earth, except by households. this very goal with great commitment. for marine life, thus share the remaining With its patented “Advanced Biological 0.75 percent of the total water. With Global need for clean water Nutrient Recovery” (ABNR™) solution, the world’s population increasing the Clearas team has been offering to currently nearly 7.3 billion and an According to the UN’s 2015 World innovative biological wastewater estimated nine billion in 2050, the Water Report, water efficiency needs treatment technology for industrial, world’s water has to be shared among to be increased and contamination municipal and agricultural customers

25 into the mixing vessel, from where they undergo the same process again. Another advantage: excess algae can now be removed and used as valuable biomass. Johnson states, “Clearas is actively looking for applications for the biomass produced. One idea is to use it to produce special algae plastics, for example.”

Glass tubes in test mode

SCHOTT is an important partner to the algae industry with its products and comprehensive expertise with photobioreactors (see solutions 1/14; p. 18). “Our glass tubes are also perfect for use in algae-based sewage treatment,” explains Dr. Niko Schultz, Product Manager for Photobioreactors at SCHOTT. This was demonstrated

Photo: clearas at a Clearas test facility inside a paper mill in Spokane, Washington. since 2011. Substances such as biological organisms in a mixing vessel. SCHOTT delivered 531 tubes and 381 nitrogen and phosphorus in waste- In a second phase, the biodiverse mix- bends made of high-quality DURAN® water pose a particular challenge for ture is forwarded for cleaning in a borosilicate glass and 675 couplings. these consumers. Other advantages closed photobioreactor, which consists “We are very pleased with the per- for the user include the fact that the of horizontally arranged glass tubes formance,” says Vice President Rick system is modular and if necessary that lie on top of each other. The green- Johnson. “Glass is a material that can be connected to an existing house structure and light sources pro­- ideally meets the high demands on water treatment infrastructure as vide for optimal biological activity and our closed photobioreactors,” he notes. a retrofit system. photosynthesis. “Around the clock, “Compared to plastic, glass offers “Our approach is to achieve sustain- 24/7,” says Johnson. many advantages,” expert Dr. Schultz able, future-oriented resource recovery. explains. “Our special glass tubing is Here, algae are not a pure product, but The algae inside continuously break highly chemically resistant and durable, rather viewed as a process,” says Rick nitrogen down biodegradably in mechanically very strong, and also very Johnson, Vice President of Clearas and symbiosis with bacteria phosphates, resistant to pressure in combination responsible for market development. carbon dioxide and unwanted pol- with glass arcs and pipe connections.” lutants. In this process, pollutants The principle is that ABNR™ technol- are absorbed by the algae and con- ogy reliably gains back excess nutrients verted into biomass without gener- and other pollutants from industrial, ating any new pollutants. In a third municipal and agricultural wastewaters separation phase, modern micro- by using a special flow process involv- filtration separates the mixture into ing algae and other existing biological two streams: purified clear water organisms. During the first phase, to which can be easily introduced into initiate the recovery of nutrients, con- rivers, lakes and streams, or be reused taminated waste water and carbon in plant operations; and a recirculation dioxide (CO2) are mixed with a com- or recycle stream. The latter leads position of algae and other existing algae and other microorganisms back

26 “Our approach is to achieve sustainable, future-oriented resource recovery. Here, algae are not a pure product, but rather viewed as a process.”

Rick Johnson, Vice President of Clearas Photos: clearasPhotos:

The Clearas technology recovers excess nutrients and other pollutants from industrial, municipal and agricultural waste streams. The treated water can be discharged into rivers and lakes or be reused in plant operations.

The balance sheet is rather impressive. By using the new method, phosphorus can be reduced by a factor of 10 and nitrogen by a factor of 3 compared with conventional technologies. The purified water is below the detection limits for harmful substances and can be safely discharged or used as recy- cled water. 45 million liters (12 million gallons) of wastewater were actually treated with the ABNR™ System in 2015. Clearas also has high goals for the future. “We challenge the current status, face up to new challenges and strive to exceed expectations,” explains CEO Jordan Lind. And perhaps this also includes developing the wastewater Kevin McGraw, Operations Manager & Co-Founder, explains the patented Advanced Biological Nutrient treatment technology via algae to such Recovery (ABNR™) solution. Glass tubes from SCHOTT are also used successfully in this innovative an extent that drinking water quality algae-based wastewater treatment technology. can be achieved.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® Solutions 1/2016, Page 12 – 15

27 Precise cuts

Laser cutting of metals, acrylics, wood and textiles has become a standard in manufacturing around the world. No modern automobile would drive today’s streets without it, and today’s clothing would certainly be a lot less fashionable. SCHOTT delivers glass tubing for RECI, one of the industry’s market leaders. Thinkstock Photo :

CO2 laser cutting has proven to be a very effective method in industry. Precise machining of materials means less material waste and reduces the costs.

An invisible beam cuts through a metal the particles eventually escape as cialty product from the China-based rod as if it were only butter. Sparks fly a high-energy beam that can travel company RECI. “We are focused on and seconds later a piece of the rod almost indefinitely. But the beam of the production, research and devel- falls to the ground. The magical beam light can also be put to great use in opment, and sale of CO2 lasers. Today, originates from a glass tube inside manufacturing. If it is focused into a we are the largest producer of CO2 a laser-cutting machine. Therein, tight spot, the beam can even vapor- lasers in the world,” says RECI’s general excited particles in a gain medium, ize solid steel. The aforementioned manager, Lu Chundi. CO2 lasers have such as carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, glass tube is also called a ‘resonator.’ particularly high efficiency and are emit photons that are reflected back It is the source of the laser and a regularly used in industry for cutting and forth by mirrors. One of the central component of every laser- and welding. “RECI’s CO2 lasers are mirrors is semi-transparent, and cutting machine. It is also the spe- mainly used for non-metal cutting and

28 carving in leather and other fabrics,” choice for RECI. “Their quality is good This is because local products make explains Chundi. And although these and reliable, and the tight tolerances it necessary to rework the straight- applications do not require the same we require remain stable over time,” ness of the tubing in a very extensive beam intensity as in cutting metal, says RECI’s General Manager, Chundi. and, thus, cost-intensive way. all components must be of the high- And this preference for SCHOTT tubes est quality. remains true although there are “SCHOTT enables us to produce a laser tube that fulfills the high quality One attribute of the glass tubes requirements of the global market. that make up the resonators cham- And because of this, we are one of ber is particularly important: its the most important suppliers in the straightness. “A laser beam repre- industry,” says Chundi. To strengthen sents a perfectly straight line. To their market advantage, RECI recent- avoid interference, the container ly commenced with production of it is traveling through must also its third generation of lasers. It has be as straight as possible,” explains several advantages compared to Henry Chen, Sales Account Manager previous models: “fewer defects, with SCHOTT in Shanghai. The prob- higher stability and a longer life- lem is, the longer the glass tube, time,” summarizes Chundi. This

the greater its curvature. Standard / F. Fischer and other developments in the laser resonator tubes have a length of industry paint a very promising pic- SCHOTT one and a half meters. “So, although ture of the future. SCHOTT’s Sales the deviation from a straight line is Photo: Account Manager, Henry Chen, only on the scale of a few single also agrees: “Lasers have come a millimeters, it can lead to malfunc- several cheaper competitors on the long way and are constantly improv- tioning of the machines if not han- Chinese market: “Despite the price ing. SCHOTT will always be a part dled correctly in tubes of this size,” per kilogram for DURAN® being of this development, and we hope adds Chen. higher than local Chinese tubing, to contribute with our own innova- the total costs for producing the tions along the way.” This is precisely why SCHOTT’s glass laser tubes are lower with DURAN® tubes remain the first our products,” explains Chen.

Photos: SCHOTT/ F. Fischer

RECI uses highly stable DURAN® borosilicate glass tubes in its lasers (obove and right photo). They ensure a precise optical path and make it possible to meet the high quality demands the SCHOTT Product: DURAN® global market places on CO2 lasers, explains Lu Chundi, General Manager of RECI (left). Solutions 1/2016, Page 41 – 43

29 Inventive Spirit with a Perfect Outlook

Innovative camera technology for online streaming of 360-degree panorama videos in real time is expected to become the new standard for all types of live transmissions. Its commercialization was first made possible by anti-reflective, coated DURAN® glass tubes. Photo: nc3 Photo:

Innovative 360-degree live streaming is already being put to use successfully for events, television programs, concerts and at trade exhibitions and sports events.

A party was held in the snow-covered What was special about this was that “Sometime in the future, we will wear Alps in the Allgäu region of Germany. these transmissions were broadcast virtual eyeglasses and experience the More than 800 snowboarders, including live and could be viewed online via world from a 360-degree perspective,” ­Europe’s elite, traveled to Nesselwang streaming. Everyone who downloaded the Managing Director of Videostream last January to attend the grand opening the special app was able to experience 360 is convinced. The young team of of Red Bull’s new Street Snowpark. the happenings at the winter sports the German company based in Leipzig And even those who couldn’t be there park through their iPhones or iPads and has written a success story on the way were able to enjoy the entire program then using their index fingers was able to achieving this. It all began at the as if they were right in the middle of it. to select the camera stations or control Leipzig College of Technology, Business Special mirror camera constructions the direction of view. and Culture (HTWK). In 2009, as part of on three stations provided more than his Master’s thesis in Media Information twelve hours of full HD video recordings A vision begins to come to life with this Technology, one of the company’s in a 360-degree panorama view. new development for Michael Kanna. founders developed the principles for

30 for example, and also at concerts, sports events and at trade exhibitions such as CeBIT 2015. The main appeal of this technology also lies in the fact that its interactive video player is easy to operate and can be embedded in websites and used as a mobile app. “We consider 360-degree live streaming to be the future standard for all types of live transmissions, but that isn’t all. We are also planning projects in the area of process monitoring and smart homes,” Michael ­Kanna concludes. Photo: videostream360Photo:

The panorama mirror delivers circular, 360-degree moving ­images that are recorded by a camera and then equalized by ­using a patented procedure. The ­DURAN® glass that surrounds it protects the device from scratches, environmental ­influences and reflections.

a method of equalizing the circular trade fair visitor and former trainee at “Sometime in the future, 360-degree moving pictures that were SCHOTT suggested miniaturizing the we will wear virtual eyeglasses obtained using specially shaped structure and protecting it in a special ­panorama mirrors. In the years that anti-­reflective glass tube. “That was and experience the world ­followed, this finally became Video­ one of the keys to commercializing the from a 360-degree perspective” stream 360 – a company and a patented product,” Michael Kanna emphasizes. Michael Kanna, Managing Director of Videostream 360 technology on real-time transmission of 360-degree ­video streams. This SCHOTT supplied DURAN® glass tubes ­technology had previously not been in standard dimensions for this project. possible because it required costly This stable borosilicate glass is highly multi-­lens cameras, whose images then ­resistant to heat, shifts in temperature needed to be tediously converted and corrosion. It especially protects into rectangular pictures. “The Patent the camera lens and the extremely Information Center in Leipzig informed ­sensitive mirrors that supply the image us that a system like ours did not yet information from scratches and

­exist anywhere in the world,” Michael ­environmental effects. An innovative Photo: C. Hüller Kanna notes. Nevertheless, there ETCAR (Easy to Clean Anti Reflex) were still obstacles to be overcome. ­coating has been applied to the glass The goblet-­shaped concave mirror tubes to minimize annoying light ­attachment together with an HD TV ­reflections and soiling. camera, for example, initially resulted in a very large, unattractive and rather In combination with a professional error-prone construction. However, digital action mini-camera, the new the presentation of this bulky innova- construction is now enjoying success tion at the Hanover Fair met with com- for indoor and outdoor use – in the SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing pletely unexpected success. An excited German scientific TV program “Galileo,” Solutions 1/2015, Page 17 – 19

31 Recovering Energy intelligently

With an ATEC flue gas heat exchanger, households can now reduce energy consumption by retrofitting and using condensing technology without having to replace existing boilers. DURAN® glass tubes are key components of this new solution.

method taken from large boiler tech- nology and adapt it to private homes. In industrial plants, condensing gas boilers are suspended behind the large boilers within the flue gas outlet in order to use the high flue gas temper- atures to generate energy. By doing so, condensing boiler technology is upgraded, and the existing boiler can still be used. Up until now, this tech- nology was not available for small boilers. However, ATEC developed a solution. S. Brüggemann To achieve these results for small boilers, a heat exchanger ensures that the water vapor condenses around the special Photo: SCHOTT/ glass tubes that contain exhaust gases of up to 270 degrees Celsius and does not escape through the chimney. The heat that is obtained through conden- sation then heats up the heating water that flows through the tubes.

The DURAN® borosilicate glass tubes that are used here serve as key components According to ATEC, the glass tube heat exchanger for retrofitting is the first of its kind that is ­suited for nearly all types of heating systems and has received approval for use. of this system. They are extremely strong and corrosion-­resistant to sulfuric acids Reducing energy consumption is a key would recommend replacing it with and other combustion residues that objective of modern building refurbish- a condensing or combi-boiler, perhaps result from this process. “Neither metals ment. To Guido Jobst, this simply isn’t including solar support, to increase nor plastics could be used in these enough. “This also includes factors such energy efficiency. “What they don’t components. And because we wanted to as efficiency, conserving resources, consider, however, is that boilers that offer a high-quality product, we were and the overall energy balance of a are replaced are generally high-quality looking for a premium supplier of glass measure,” notes the Managing Director products that would do the job for up solutions with experience in ­systems of the German company ATEC Abgas- to another fifteen years,” Guido Jobst engineering,” Jobst explains. SCHOTT Technologie­ who then offers a practical explains. convinced him thanks to its decades example of this. If a low-temperature of experience as a supplier to the heat boiler has already been operating in a The head of ATEC, who has been active exchanger industry, which includes single-family home for ten to fifteen in the flue gas technology industry for large brewery plants. In addition, the years, the typical energy consultant 25 years, therefore decided to convert a technology company provides precise

32 Glass Tube Heat Exchanger for Retrofitting

1 7 Depending on the power range, ATEC heat exchangers consist of 30 to 54 DURAN® glass tubes that are 301 mm in length and have an outside diameter of 24 mm and a wall thickness of 1.8 mm. ­Exhaust gases condense on these 2 corrosion-resistant materials and transfer energy to the 6 5 heating water that flows through them. The system is relatively maintenance-free and durable. 3

1 Universal flange (connects with nearly all boilers) · 2 Boiler return ­connection · 3 Heating circuit/Domestic water connection · 4 Conden- sation drain · 5 Borosilicate glass tubes · 6 Plastic exhaust gas tube · 4 7 Vacuum blower Source: ATEC Source:

and solid finishing of the glass tubes’ approval for use. A vacuum blower for based on calculations for homes, ends and thereby made the system’s active transport of flue gases to the installation of a heat exchanger pays much needed tightness and perfor- ­outside makes this possible. This function for itself within four to nine years. And mance possible – a must for flawless allows for the heat exchanger to be money is saved during operation as operation and the product guarantees connected to a boiler with a forced air well. For example, annual consumption that are given to customers,” adds burner for natural gas or fuel oil. of 2,000 liters of oil can be reduced by Jobst. 150 to 300 liters. The investments necessary in order to According to ATEC, the glass tube heat use this innovative product are less Guido Jobst also emphasizes the positive exchanger for retrofitting is the first of than half of the costs of exchanging a effect on the environment. “According to its kind that is suited for nearly all types low-temperature boiler with a con- chimney sweepers’ statistics, there are of heating systems and has received densing model. The bottom line is that, approximately 1.75 million fan-driven heating systems that are capable of supplying 25 to 80 kW and are up to 15 years old in Germany. If we were to retrofit only 500,000 of them, the envi- ronment would be positively affected by an annual reduction of 600,000 tons

of CO2 gases.”

To tap into this market even further, ATEC now offers new systems comprised of a combination of a heat exchanger and CHP (­co-generator). For the future, Guido Jobst plans to retrofit the heat exchanger so it can be used with pellet S. Brüggemann boilers. “The potential is there,” he claims. Photo: SCHOTT/

Managing Director Guido Jobst (right) sees great potential for his glass tube heat exchangers. ATEC SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing offers the system for retrofitting oil and gas boilers with overpressure burners or in combination with Solutions 1/2015, Page 39 – 41 new appliances such as CHPs.

33 Materials at the Limit

Materials can be analyzed in many different ways with weathering devices from the global market leader Atlas Material Testing Technology. Here, tube filters from SCHOTT allow for stress tests to be performed that imitate exposure to real solar radiation.

From the dashboard to the tires: a four by four’s components are made to last – no matter if it’s driven in the desert, a subtropical climate or an alpine region. The same applies to a tent, a sleeping bag or hiking shoes. To guarantee a product’s durability, researchers around the world are always busy developing new materials. Atlas provides weathering machines that help predict the wearing properties of materials ranging from textiles and synthetics to car finishes and other coatings. Photo: thinkstock “All materials, not just human skin, are affected by sunlight,” explains Rainer Eichholz, Lead Developer Glass, The special filter is necessary because Melting and Drawing Technology for the sun’s natural light spectrum is not the SCHOTT Business Segment Tubing. entirely identical to what is emitted by Artificial Sunlight Even varnishes, seat covers or synthetics a xenon lamp: “The two light sources age with constant exposure to sunlight. differ at very short wavelengths,” The right light: True-to-life conditions are essential to an accurate and reliable “In the past, an entire car was simply ­Michael Frigo, project head at Atlas weathering test. The Weather-Ometer® placed under the Floridian sun for a emphasizes. In nature, the destructive from Atlas simulates solar radiation using period of time,” says Eichholz. UV spectrum between 280 and 315 xenon lamps and SCHOTT’s advanced filter systems. Nowadays, these tests can be sped nanometers is kept away from the up with weathering machines. For this, earth’s surface by the atmosphere. Eichholz and his colleagues developed The light source in the weathering special glass tubes. They filter the light machine, on the other hand, emits the from a xenon lamp inside the machine entire light spectrum at full intensity. to simulate the sun’s rays. And a built-in “We have to use a filter to replicate humidifier helps reproduce a climate authentic conditions,” says Frigo. that resembles the natural environ- For several years, Atlas has relied ment. “Weathering machines reduce on SCHOTT to supply the necessary trial times considerably and help tubular filters that can be exchanged

accelerate the development and for different tests. Source: ATLAS Material testing technology marketability of new products,” says Eichholz.

34 In cooperation with Atlas, Eichholz and his colleagues are continuously enhancing the product. Besides its special trans­missibility, the filter has to have a high life expectancy and other special properties. “Its qualities must remain stable for as long as possible,” says Eichholz. Michael Frigo and his colleagues are very satisfied: “We can offer our customers a highly improved and ­diverse product,” he says. “SCHOTT is the only manufac-

LLC turer that can develop and guarantee tubular glass filters with the required characteristics.” material testing technology technology testing material ATLAS Photo:

Simulated environment: The xenon lamp is encased in a tubular filter (center). Over one hundred samples can be mounted on the sample rack inside the test chamber. Temperature and humidity can also be adjusted quite accurately.

SCHOTT Product: Specialty Glass Solutions 1/2013, Page 44 – 45

35 In a Case full of Cash

Bank robbers are in big trouble thanks to glass cartridges for ink made with SCHOTT CONTURAX® Pro.

01

03

02 Photo: Oberthur Cash Protection

Modern cash boxes make life extremely difficult for robbers (01): They not ­only trigger a loud siren, produce red smoke and send signals that allow for their position to be tracked when they are opened without authorization, they also use CONTURAX® Pro profile glass tubes from SCHOTT for rectangular ink cartridges (02) that burst when they are a ignited. This permanent ink makes the banknotes completely worthless (03).

Cash is king” is still in most people’s which is part of the Oberthur Tech- All non-expected events – i. e. forced mind; including criminals who are nologies Group from Dijon, France, entry, abnormal temperature varia- looking to “earn a little extra money” has supplied more than 50,000 safety tions, electromagnetic fields or by robbing banks, retailers, cash boxes for the protection of cash to electrostatic discharges, gas or liquid machines (atm) or cash-in-transit customers all over the world. Many presence – will trigger a loud siren, companies. But, thanks to state-of- cash-in-transit companies all across accompanied by dense red smoke and the-art cash carrying boxes, their life Europe currently use these secure positioning with the aid of GPS-GPRS is becoming more and more difficult. containers. Their reliable security locating signals. But that’s not enough. These boxes are not just impossible technology has been designed to Rectangular shaped ink cartridges to crack, they are also equipped with scare off robbers even more efficiently made of CONTURAX® Pro glass from intelligent security systems. A highly than any armored money transport. SCHOTT are at the heart of this security sophisticated cash protection solution system. If the system that can be has been constantly further developed These cash boxes are equipped with controlled electronically causes them in France over the last 20 years. As of time locks, multiple ­sensors and Radio to burst by activating a detonator, today, Oberthur Cash Protection, Frequency Identification (rfid). purple colored indelible ink will

36 immediately saturate the bank notes and extremely low tolerance of ±0.15 our tubes are ­expected to break and thus make them completely millimeters are needed to produce quickly and evenly, without getting worthless. Easy come, easy go, as they these ink containers made of glass. damaged during manufacturing or say. “For us, quality means security The rectangular shape of the ink while they are being transported.” based on reliability,” explains Eric Hauw, cartridges allows for space-saving Director of Sales and Operations at integration into the cash box. At the So far, this intelligent cash protection Oberthur Cash Protection. “Our same time, the square shaped profile system from Oberthur has been products, the components and tube breaks more easily and evenly introduced mainly in Western Europe. technologies we are using must meet than a round tube when the trigger is Now, the company is expecting the highest standards. This is the only pulled inside this security application. expansion of its customer base to way to guarantee our customers one include other regions of the world. hundred percent protection in the “It’s quite exciting and inspiring to “Simply knowing that these glass critical phase of money transportation.” enable new applications that meet ink containers make stolen bank notes Oberthur Technologies receives the such high requirements,” says Jean unusable for criminals acts as a pre-filled ink cartridges from Société Krystkowiak, ­Regional Sales Director deterrent and could well prevent acts SAV, a company based in Joinville le EMEA for Technical Tubing at SCHOTT of violence,” adds Jean Krystkowiak Pont, near Paris, that specializes in AG. “Normally, our glass needs to be from SCHOTT. “We are pleased chemicals and laboratory devices. as durable and strong as possible. to be able to ­contribute to this,” SAV segments the glass tubing With these ink cartridges, however, he concludes. supplied by SCHOTT, molds it into containers and then fills them with dyes. The high chemical stability of the borosilicate glass ensures that the properties of the permanent ink are preserved lastingly.

“In order to be able to manufacture glass cartridges, we require glass tubing that has a rectangular shape and uniform thin side walls,” explains Photos: SCHOTT / Jahreiss Jean Luc Beutler, General Manager of SAV. “CONTURAX® Pro is the only product that meets these specifica- PATENTED PROCESS tions. It has the ideal chemical and mechanical properties and can be SCHOTT uses a patented continuous drawing process to manufacture processed extremely accurately, in ­CONTURAX® Pro glass profile tubes. This allows them to be formed with addition to its good machinability,” high precision in large quantities. The glass tubes are available in lengths he adds. of up to 3,950 mm and wall thicknesses of 1.2 mm (± 0.2 mm) to 5 mm (± 0.8 mm). Diameters range from 42 mm to 150 mm. The many different SCHOTT manufactures seamless geometric shapes allow for countless uses, in lighting and interiors, CONTURAX® Pro profiled tubes in a for example. wide variety of shapes, including triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, and lots of others, with the help of a patented continuous drawing process. This allows processors to avoid costly conversion processes. The tubes are available in lengths of up to almost 4 meters and wall thicknesses of be- tween 0.2 and 5 millimeters. Tubes SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® Pro Solutions 1/2012, Page 22 – 24 with a wall thickness of 1.75 millimeters

37 A Potent Gas: Ozone

It was a recording-breaking event when the new celllulose plant of Votorantim Celulose e Papel featuring the world’s biggest ozone generator went on stream in Brazil. Produced by Wedeco Environmental Technologies, the generator boasts another superlative: it is equipped with an impressive 63,000 DURAN® glass tubes from SCHOTT.

“My friends always suspect that I am doing something bad,” claims Ralf Fiekens. The process engineer at Wedeco Environmental Technologies in Herford is used to people’s reaction when he tells them he builds ozone generators. Ozone? Everyone is aware of the problems with the ozone hole and ozone warnings. It irritates Fiekens that the gas that is the focal point of his work has such a bad reputation. Three separate generators each with some 21,000 DURAN® glass tubes – 10,324 at each end – were Mostly only experts know that ozone is installed in the world’s largest ozone production system at VCP in Brazil. The outer and inner diameters of the special glass tubing required for the construction of the electrodes have an extremely narrow a tried and tested disinfectant. After range of permissible variation. elementary fluorine, ozone is the strongest oxidant known to chemistry. Always produced on site system: the generator had to produce The oxidation of organic substances 510 kilograms of ozone per hour – is the important step in disinfecting For those who use ozone there is, nearly 20 percent more than the big- water, and also in bleaching processes. however, one special feature. Unlike gest unit used by the cellulose industry This method was used for the first time hydrogen or argon, ozone is not a gas up to now anywhere in the world. in 1903 to disinfect the water system in that can be purchased in a bottle or Paris. For a long time the treatment of a tank. Because of its instability, it A silent discharge potable water was practically the only cannot be stored and always has to application of ozone – and even so, it be produced directly at the site of its The most efficient method to produce was not widely used. application. This is the job of ozone ozone on an industrial scale is silent generators. electric discharge in oxygen. The range of applications has Manufacturing equipment for the expanded in more recent years. Today, The Brazilian paper and cellulose production of ozone is Wedeco’s daily the three-atom variation of oxygen manufacturer, “Votorantim Celulose e business. But the unique feature of the purifies highly polluted industrial Papel” (VCP), uses ozone to bleach its order from Brazil was the size of the effluent, and it is used to bleach, for cellulose. VCP increased its production unit. While most of the units sold so far example, cellulose, the raw material in capacity at the end of October 2002 produce up to 13 kilograms of ozone paper production. If left unbleached, and started up a new factory. For this per hour, the system designated for the paper would retain the color of purpose, the Brazilian company had the city of Jacareí near São Paulo was lignin, a constituent of wood. ordered an ozone system from Wedeco, to manufacture nearly 40 times that which was delivered in the late summer amount. One year of intensive project of 2002. Their requirements exceeded work was necessary to plan and the capabilities of a standard ozone construct the unit.

38 No matter how much ozone a unit is narrow range of permissible variation,” to produce per hour, the primary stresses Ralf Fiekens. SCHOTT included component for ozone production is the specially requested measurement always the same size: a borosilicate of the inner diameter in the quality glass tube one and a half meters long requirements for Wedeco’s order, with a diameter of 11.5 millimeters. thus ensuring that all 63,000 tubes An equally long metal rod runs through sent to Herford had the requested the interior. There is one chamber specifications. between this rod and the inner wall of The ozone generators are installed in large- the glass tube, and another between capacity containers. Adding value the outer wall of the glass tube and the stainless steel outer covering around It appears there may be more big the glass tube. orders for the manufacturers of ozone generators in the future. Despite this Air or pure oxygen is fed into these two boom in recent years – and not to chambers. At the same time a very high mention all the advantages and voltage is applied between the metal ecological benefits compared with rod and the metal covering, thus chlorine – ozone still only plays a minor creating a strong electric field similar role. Thus the potential is enormous. to the one between two capacitor But even that is not enough for Ralp plates. When exposed to the electric A primary component of ozone generators are the Fiekens and the Technical Director of field, some of the oxygen molecules glass tubes, each of which contains a metal rod. Wedeco Environmental Technologies, The glass tubes are enclosed by stainless steel in the input gas break down into two sheaths. Ozone is produced from pure oxygen Uwe Hofer. Hofer not only hopes to oxygen atoms. These single atoms by applying electric voltage to the chambers expand end-of-pipe applications, such attach themselves to free oxygen between the metal rod and the metal sheathing. as effluent treatment, potable water molecules and form ozone. disinfection and cellulose bleaching. 2002 has been a particularly good year. He also intends to penetrate the If pure oxygen is used, the ozone The application of ozone has been value-added chain with this potent gas output is higher than with simple air, booming, as the eight industrial-scale and already has an example of how he which usually has an oxygen content of ozone systems in Wedeco’s order plans to do it. “Tests with juice cartons only about 20 percent. However, pure books prove. Some 63,000 glass tubes have shown that the final polyethylene oxygen as a starting material must first alone were required for the biggest lamination of the aluminum coating is be produced or bought, whereas air generator produced so far, the one in a better quality if you anodize the is freely available. Brazil. There are obvious reasons for aluminum beforehand with ozone.” this impressive number: the more Glass tubes prevent short circuits ozone to be produced, the greater Ozone therefore appears to be a the number of electrodes arranged promising substance for the future. The fact that such high voltage does in parallel lines. And who knows, perhaps Ralf Fiekens’ not cause a short circuit is due to the friends will react differently some day. glass tubing. Borosilicate glass is an In the case of VCP, this means three “What? You produce ozone? effective insulator that prevents any separate generators, each with nearly That’s great!” charge transfer from the metal rod 21,000 electrodes. In fact, SCHOTT to the metal coveriing. “That is the concluded a separate agreement reason why we use this glass for the with Wedeco for special service in construction of our electrodes,” says connection with this order. “For this Ralf Fiekens about the DURAN® project, it was extremely important glass tubing that Wedeco has been that the outer and inner diameters of purchasing from SCHOTT for years. the glass tubes were kept within a very

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing SCHOTT Info 102

39

Handcrafted Light Design

When designing interiors, many elements contribute to the creation of unique atmospheres. Lighting in particular takes on a key role in this creative process. It underlines the architecture of the space and sets accents. At the same time, it attracts attention as an outstanding design piece. The London based design studio Cameron Design House uses organic and precisely engineered elements such as DURAN® glass tubing or rods for their sculptural chandeliers. Ian Cameron, Creative Director of Cameron Design House, about his ideas – and working with glass.

What is your philosophy at Cameron What are the design concepts of Design House? Haara and Rokua?

Cameron Design House is a bespoke Cylindrical and linear, like the ancient sculptural lighting company with coniferous forests of Rokua National workshops in St John’s Wood where Park in Finland, the Rokua luminaire all of our designs are handcrafted. We evokes the same serene ambiance of specialize in designing and manufac- this UNESCO site. The Rokua lanterns turing statement chandeliers for iconic are made up of hand-drawn glass that projects around the world. conceals the lighting element while diffusing a warm tranquil glow. The

How does a design process look like? solid brass structure of the Rokua, Photo: Cameron Design House engineered from the hand-milling of Every piece goes through a full design brass plates, holds a sophisticated service with our Design Team before internal structure that supports the About Cameron Design House being handmade to order. We work hand-drawn glass. closely with each client to customize Cameron Design House is a bespoke design elements including the finish, The branching frame of the Haara sculptural lighting studio founded sizing, and configuration to ensure it pendant has a delicate and finely by Creative Director Ian Cameron will work perfectly for the intended engineered structure derived from in 2014. All of their pieces are space. Once the design has been signed close observation of nature. The handmade to order by a team of off, the piece is put into production in cylindrical lanterns are assembled artisans in their St John’s Wood our North London workshops which from hand-drawn glass and polished workshops before being installed at typically takes around 10 to 12 weeks. brass concealing the lighting element iconic projects around the world. and creating a unique and beautiful They focus on sustainability by using Which are the most important aspects lighting diffuser to be admired whether the best materials and manufactur- when designing a light? the light is on or off. As in nature, this ing processes to create pieces that piece can grow to suit any interior last for many lifetimes. We always say how important it is environment. to choose a piece that works best for space rather than the other way The bespoke options and design around. Always consider the archi- services are available for the Rokua tecture first, for example, highlight and Haara. a dramatic high ceiling with a chandelier that has a long drop.

40 What is your experience with the material glass?

Several of the most recent pieces from our collection such as the Kuulas, Helmi, Haara, and Rokua, feature glass elements within the design. It is one of our favorite materials to work with due to its versatile nature. I love being able to bend and mold the glass to create unique shapes.

Glass is and will remain fragile. Does this present you with new challenges for the design and especially the production of design pieces?

There are a few important factors to consider when working with glass such Inspired by nature: The chandelier Haara made with DURAN® glass tubing. as refraction and weight as well as fragility. All of our pieces are handmade to order so it is crucial that we get every final detail correct.

Why did you choose glass from SCHOTT?

Our aim is to create pieces that last for many lifetimes by using the best manufacturing processes and materials available. SCHOTT produces the best glass in the world therefore working with their experts was the only option! Photos: Cameron Design House

The Rokua lanterns remind of the ancient coniferous forests of Rokua National Park in Finland.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® rods December 8, 2020

41 Light in the Desert

In 2014, the Dutch start-up company FlexSol Solutions has developed an innovative solution for bringing light into darkness: a modular streetlight with cylindrical solar panels. And the special glass supplied by SCHOTT makes this solution ideally suited for street life. The success story continues. FlexSol Solutions FlexSol Photo:

New York, London, Tokyo, Dubai – the lighting solution ”Soluxio.” What Director for North Western Europe the streets are alive in these megacities, makes this product special is that its at SCHOTT Tubing. The Soluxio no matter what the time is. Artificial cylindrical solar panels are integrated developers needed extremely thin lighting turns night into day – and into the light pole. But Van den Berg glass that is barely reflective, long sends the electricity costs soaring. not only wanted to design a streetlight lasting and robust enough for use on Some cities are already using solar that meets aesthetic standards and fits the streets. ”We also wanted our streetlights as a way of saving energy. into the cityscape. His aim was for the product to be as light as possible,” says But so far, the solutions have not been solar streetlights to also withstand Van den Berg. The reason is Soluxio’s ideal. ”Conventional solar panels extreme weather and environmental pole. It also consists of individual are flat and do not look particularly conditions. And since he needed to modules made of aluminum that are attractive, and they are also not protect the sensitive solar cells with lightweight and designed to reduce optimal for streetlights since dirt a high-quality glass casing, Van den loading. But therefore off-the-shelf can accumulate and reduce their Berg contacted SCHOTT. glass was either too heavy or not performance,” says Lennert van strong enough. Roelfsema: ”DURAN® den Berg, CEO of the start-up ”When we heard about this innovative was able to meet all of these FlexSol Solutions. idea, our DURAN® glass tube made of requirements. The glass has to have a borosilicate glass instantly came to diameter of 20 centimeters, but it is The Dutch entrepreneur and his team mind,” says Klaas Roelfsema, Regional only three millimeters thick and can rose to the challenge and developed Sales and Business Development withstand the severest environmental

42 conditions.” The special glass tubes In the meantime, Soluxio brings light also cope well with temperature to roads all over the world: in the hills changes. ”But the main point is that above Las Vegas and in the Arabian DURAN® prevents unwanted reflection Desert, where dust and desert sand can and can easily be mounted thanks to create problems for the solar panels in its high dimensional accuracy,” says the lights. But thanks to the robust glass Roelfsema. Van den Berg is also happy. surface, this is not an issue. ”Our glass ”We are experimenting a lot with glass, provides Soluxio with the perfect and are also using DURAN® glass tubes protection against abrasion and with in many other products we are optimal UV stability,” Roelfsema says. currently developing.” But finding the right glass was only part of the Soluxio can also be found along the challenge for the start-up FlexSol. ”The first C0₂-neutral federal highway in the most difficult thing was financing,” Netherlands near The Hague. The street van den Berg recalls. Only then could light generates its energy from solar Solutions FlexSol Photo: FlexSol really get started on cylindrical modules. The highlight is the round solar panels. With the support of shape of the vertical solar panels, trackers and a radio link to the Internet, partners and pole specialists Sapa Pole which resist soiling and always deliver it collects data that FlexSol uses for Products, the Dutch firm developed full power. Soluxio is completely maintenance and further develop- the Soluxio light pole in just two years. independent of the power grid and ment. The Dutch are currently using This was also made possible with the doesn’t require any wiring. “The connectivity to set up a comprehensive help of SCHOTT. Van den Berg thinks DURAN® glass tubing from SCHOTT is WLAN network on a Caribbean island highly of the company. ”SCHOTT is ideally suited for protecting the solar with the help of lanterns. one of the largest glass manufacturers modules of the lantern,” explains in the world, so we were delighted at Roelfsema. “We quickly realized the Basically Soluxio stores the energy for how flexible and willing its experts potential of Soluxio because it has its own needs, but can also be used were in supporting our project.” everything a sustainable product as a power generator with several needs”. The material hardly reflects, solar modules and cable connections. The hard work has certainly paid off. is lightweight, resistant and withstands Equipped with sensors, it can record Both the product itself and Soluxio’s all weather conditions. weather or traffic data that munic- individual components are sustainable. ipalities can use for urban planning. The autonomous solar light pole does Thanks to its modular design, it can be In addition, almost all of its compo- not merely help to reduce CO₂ emis- adapted to any location. Sometimes nents are recyclable. sions. ”All of the materials can be com- one solar module is enough; sometimes pletely recycled,” van den Berg adds. you need several. In addition, the FlexSol is growing steadily thanks to Soluxio’s success has shown that van intelligent lamp adapts its luminosity to Soluxio, and SCHOTT is helping. “We den Berg was right to focus on quality. its surroundings. Equipped with GPS always want to give new impulses to our customers,” says Klaas Roelfsema, who always supplies the young company with test samples in a timely manner. FlexSol repays the trust with strong customer loyalty and impulses for the developers at SCHOTT. They have long been working on inno- Photo: FlexSol Solutions FlexSol Photo: vations that could make Soluxio even more efficient and SCHOTT products even better.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing December 09, 2020

43 Signaling the future

In an industry flooded with plastics, Finnish beacon light innovator Obelux sees a bright future with DURAN® glass tubes in its longlife LED devices. In the harshest environments, they help light the dark for aviation, wind and marine industries.

As one of the first companies in the Aviation signal lights are designed world to focus solely on LED techno- to last upwards of 20 years, and must logy, Obelux has built a reputation offer a consistency of performance that for quality. It is one of the only major satisfies strict regulations from various players in the industry to secure its industries and authorities. Devices with luminous devices with glass rather than plastic covers absorb a fraction more plastic, which is cheaper and lighter. light than glass, producing a slightly less luminous output. “It’s all about So why did they choose glass? the optics,” says Kallonen. “We get Tapio Kallonen, Director of Sales and more light through glass.” Marketing at the Helsinki-based com- pany, explains the innovation was DURAN® borosilicate glass meets these ­hardly a choice. “We decided at the optical requirements as well as the very beginning of our journey that protection of the LED lights perfectly. glass was the only option. The costs “Let’s imagine a typical example, like would be worth the result.” an offshore wind farm. You’ve got salt spray, cold wind, many other factors His customers have reason to agree. which affect a device. After two or “Our products are on skyscrapers, three years in these conditions, a plastic wind turbines, bridges, even out at cover is damaged on a completely sea – these places are hard to reach, different scale compared to one made very hard to clean, and very hard to from DURAN® borosilicate glass. service with maintenance or repair.” By then, the plastic cover may no longer be compliant with industrial guidelines anymore. Yet after 10, 15, even 20 years, that glass beacon shines as brightly as on day one.”

As a pioneer of LED technology, Obelux has never used a traditional light source in one of its products. Despite the diverse regional regulations of the aviation industry, its commitment to sustainable quality has seen its products certified across the world, even in the highly domestic market of Japan.

Signal lights at windparks or airports have to work Photo: Shutterstock reliably for many years.

44 “I couldn’t possibly overstate the importance of having an outstanding partner. Not only can I not imagine another glass producer that could make such specific glass tubes in such large dimensions, but whenever the irregular demands of the industries we serve force us into urgent action, SCHOTT is always there to meet our timeframe.” As the demand for sustainability grows, Kallonen sees the advantages of DURAN® glass tubes leaving clients with the same realization Obelux reached long ago. For these two inno- Obelux vators of light and glass, the future is looking bright. Photo: Obelux LED light sources are protected by DURAN® glass against extreme weather conditions.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing Solutions 1/2017, Page 40 – 41

45 Seeing the Light in Case of Emergency

The Mont Blanc tunnel reopened for traffic on March 9, 2002 introducing new installations to provide greater safety. One feature is, for example, an escape tunnel with a lighting system constructed with SCHOTT glass.

Many people are apprehensive about driving through massive mountains. In fact, Norwegian psychologist Gunnar D. Jenssen determined that 20 percent of the men and 40 percent of the women in his country are afraid of tunnels. This figure is higher in coun- tries where there are fewer tunnels, such as Denmark, where 50 percent of the population suffers from this The Mont Blanc tunnel. Comatelec produces its MY2 lamps with phobia, according to Jenssen. CONTURAX® semi-cylindrical glass covers from SCHOTT.

It is our fear of the unknown, coupled with the uneasy feeling of knowing seriously disputed, and experts are Hopefully, the tunnel will never have there are thousands of tons of rock already working on European guide- to be used as an evacuation route, but above, and the tunnel exit far ahead. lines. Meanwhile, national authorities should the occasion arise, experts have have tightened their standards of to ensure that they can find their way. Obviously, this anxiety would be safety measures. The 37 escape corridors to the emer- compounded if the tunnel were gency tunnel must therefore be well lit. completely dark, and you could only Safety standards for tunnels The French company Comatelec was see your own headlights. For this asked by the architects to design a reason, engineers try to outfit tunnels Take, for example, the Mont Blanc lighting system for the Mont Blanc with up to ten percent of the brightness tunnel. With a length of 11.6 kilometers, service and emergency tunnel. In fact, of normal daylight, explains Axel it is currently the seventh longest Comatelec has been responsible for Stockmar. He has been involved with mountain passage in the world. the lighting systems in more than tunnel lighting for 30 years and is now Before it reopened in March, a number 85 percent of France’s tunnels. head of Light Consult International of stipulations (that were not required (LCI) in the Lower Saxon town of Celle, for operation from the time of its In their efforts to comply with the Germany, but the intensity of the light opening in 1965 until the fire in 1999) regulations, the lighting specialists is only one aspect. It is also crucial how now had to be fulfilled. These included remembered a project they worked the light illuminates the tunnel. Will additional escape and rescue routes. on together with SCHOTT-Rohrglas drivers be blinded? Engineers have to In this respect it was lucky that a tube GmbH – now SCHOTT AG . Comatelec consider another factor: how does the running parallel to the tunnel already had chosen glass covers developed by light function in smoke caused, for existed, although it had only been SCHOTT glass for the lighting fittings example, by accidents? Will it pene- used as an access for maintenance they designed for the service tube trate smoke, or is it absorbed? work. This tube can be reached via of the Eurotunnel between England 37 connecting corridors along the and France. After the recent devastating fires in main tunnel and can now serve as various Alpine tunnels, the safety a potential rescue route. standards of many tunnels have been

46 Restrictions regarding fire behavior For the Mont Blanc tunnel alone, Comatelec has ordered more than “Just as with the Eurotunnel, the 4,000 CONTURAX® profile 038 glass lighting system in the Mont Blanc covers in different sizes for its “MY2” tunnel had to comply with all lamps, as Comatelec calls its lighting restrictions regarding fire behavior,” elements. explains Philippe Gandon-Léger, Technical Director of Comatelec. Philippe Gandon-Léger is not bothered For this reason, plastic was ruled out by the fact that, in the ideal case, the as an engineering material for the many thousands of people who drive The main tunnel can be exited through fireproof lamps. It had to be glass. Borosilicate through the Mont Blanc tunnel every doors to 37 connecting corridors. Staircases glass from SCHOTT is particularly day will not see the “MY2” lamps that lead to the emergency tunnel below, which is heat- and chemical-resistant and is Comatelec took great effort to develop. constantly supplied with fresh air. therefore used to produce various “Although we all hope they will never laboratory glassware. have to play a crucial role, it is never- theless our job to ensure that the lights The optical properties of the glass work reliably in emergency situations.” tubing are also important. “The lamps should not cast a beam of light just The installation of an additional tunnel anywhere in the tunnel,” stresses for emergencies and the requirements Gandon-Léger. “What we needed was in terms of its lighting are not the only an evenly distributed illumination of features of the new safety concept. the evacuation routes so that people The tunnel test made by the German can find their way. There should not automobile club, ADAC, shows that be any dark areas.” With the help of a the more stringent regulations have specially devised profile – in the form achieved their first success. When the of prismatic grooves on the inside of German organization conducted an the semi-cylindrical glass protector – extensive safety check of 30 tunnels in the light is optimally and evenly Europe in spring 2002, the Mont Blanc dispersed in all directions, and the tunnel ranked among the top three. light loss is kept to a minimum. And with a grade of “very good,” ADAC rated it number one of the A product tailored to needs Alpine tunnels tested.

“The remarkable thing about SCHOTT was not only the glass,” recalls Gandon-Léger. “The deciding factor for us was that SCHOTT was very flexible in accepting our exact wishes and was thus able to tailor its product according to our needs.”

In fact, a new product was developed specifically for the Eurotunnel lighting: CONTURAX® profile 038. Comatelec received some 7,700 semi-cylindrical glass covers for the Eurotunnel in the early 1990s. The French company has since become a regular customer. SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® half shell SCHOTT Info 101

47 Special Effects with Lighting

In the Bundesrat Building in Berlin, lighting elements with CONTURAX® profile rods enhance stylish surroundings with pleasant lighting.

The building in Leipziger Strasse, Berlin, has had an eventful history. Built between 1899 and 1904 as the seat of the first chamber of the Prussian Landtag (parliament) in the style of a baroque nobleman’s palace, its subsequent occupants included the East German Academy of Sciences. Since summer 2000 the former Prussian manor house has been the seat of the Bundesrat or upper house of the In the Bundesrat Building a total of 40 lighting Aesthetic and functional – conference hall with German parliament. elements with glass profile rods provide stylish CONTURAX® crystal glass prisms. illumination. In September 1996 the Bundesrat decided to move its headquarters from Challenge for Light Engineers fluctuations in temperature of up to Bonn to Berlin. In the four years leading 500 °C. Glass lighting elements for up to the move, the building had to In modern-day lighting engineering, the ceiling provide perfect integration be adapted to suit the requirements glass and light are inseparably linked of innovative lighting systems into of modern parliamentary work. The to one another. Special types of glass historic architecture. In each meeting architects, Schweger & Partner from with specific properties are usually room 40 rectangular lighting elements Hamburg, achieved this without any indispensable. When illuminating offer uniform, virtually glare-free major changes to the basic structure the various conference halls in the illumination. The specified distribution of the historic building. One special Bundesrat Building, lighting specialist of light has been achieved by using challenge turned out to be the lighting Spectral thus opted for modern glass reflector systems and optical elements. system, which had to be harmonized technology from SCHOTT. Prism- Light sources located on one side of with the historic architecture of the shaped CONTURAX® profile rods are the room project the light onto building. part of the lighting elements providing aluminized plastic components via the rooms with decorative illumina- reflectors placed at precisely calculated tion. The profile rods made from positions. Additional CONTURAX® 3.3 borosilicate glass have long been crystal glass prisms provide the desired highly successful in sophisticated reflection and an amazing brilliance. lighting systems. CONTURAX® combines The result is an attractive illumination aesthetics and the excellent properties system, impressive both visually and in of DURAN® borosilicate glass. It is terms of functionality. resistant to aging and able to withstand

SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® SCHOTT Info 99

48 Floating Sculpture

Internationally renowned architects, designers and engineers have collaborated to create the world’s largest light sculpture. It is made with DURAN® from SCHOTT.

What do glass tubing and light sculp- tures have in common? For glass designer Nikolas Weinstein, quite a lot. Together with a highly talented project team, he used SCHOTT’s DURAN® glass tubing to construct the largest light sculpture in the world. The tubing was supplied by SCHOTT Scientific Glass in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The new DG Bank is located just a stone’s throw A glass ceiling above the sculpture allows the This two-and-a-half ton masterpiece from the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most glass objects to come to life in the natural light. famous landmarks. hangs in the new corporate head- quarters of Germany’s DG Bank. Designed by world-renowned architect the atrium. Clad in stainless steel on Frank O. Gehry, the building is located the exterior and wood on the interior, in a highly prestigious area of Berlin, the hall appears to float in the space. just next to the Brandenburg Gate. As Weinstein explains, there is a direct “Pariser Platz 3” is both the name “conversation” taking place between and address of the building. the opaque hall and the sweeping glass sculpture, which both captures The First of Its Kind and diffuses light.

The installation of the sculpture took two months. Unprecedented in its design, the DG The individual panels, ranging from 600 steel cables allow the glass clouds to float Bank light sculpture covers a space four to ten feet in length, are suspen- in the atrium of the DG Bank. The suspension of over 1,990 square feet. Nikolas ded by approximately 600 fine aircraft construction is designed to support 14 times the actual weight of the pieces. Weinstein describes it as “an ephemeral cables. The elements rise as high as and airborne gathering of 36 elements 26 feet and drop as low as twelve feet that soar through the central public above the floor to engage the scale atrium of the building, making it of the viewer. During daylight hours, The interior design of “Pariser Platz 3” appear that the entire building is it captures the natural light that flows is already capturing worldwide media opening up to the sky.” through the atrium roof. At night, attention. According to the Berliner a lighting system filters through the Morgenpost International, this The light sculpture’s unique design was various elements to illuminate the ambitious work of art is probably inspired by its location in relationship public space below. “unparalleled in the whole world”. to the building’s conference hall. The large interior atrium of “Pariser Platz 3” The DURAN® borosilicate glass features a curved glass ceiling and a functions like safety glass, without curved glass floor. The conference hall being laminated or tempered. Its is located within a sculptural shell that unique construction inhibits crack SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing rests on the glass floor in the center of formation by arresting it locally. SCHOTT Info 94

49

Swinging with glass

Creative researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a glass swing using glass rods as the construction material. Ate Snijder, one of the developers of this extraordinary project, talks about the project background and its creation.

How did this unusual idea come about? weight. This gives them a more direct feel for the loadbearing capacity of The glass swing idea was an attempt to the glass. bridge the disparity between glass art and architectural glass because little What was the scientific intention and synergy exists between these two fields. how did you proceed? Glass art can be sculptural, curvaceous and spectacular, whereas architectural Our intent was to find an optimal but at glass tends to be structural, flat and can the same time beautiful glass structure almost be invisible. Three engineers and for the glass swing. To create both a educators with a passion for structural stable and efficient as possible bearing design, Prof. ir. Rob Nijsse, ir. Lennert frame of glass bundle bars my col- van der Linden and myself often league Lennert van der Linden and fantasize about and realize ways to do I used computer aided parametric more with glass as a structural material. design techniques. We already knew Vita A.H. (Ate) Snijder Our question is: Can the fields of archi- the technology behind creating safe tectural glass and glass art merge to glass bundle bars, but the required Ate Snijder graduated from the create structures with the qualities of structural nodes to connect the glass Architecture Master at the University glass art, addressing form, light, bundle bars had to be developed. We of Delft, the Netherlands. In the playfulness, elegance and function? decided to use 3D printing to create graduation project, under The swing says yes! With a small team the steel connecting detail. From the mentorship of prof. ir. Rob Nijsse, he of engineers and students, we have complete overview, each detail was developed a series of shell structures attempted to fully utilize the enormous drawn out in a computer program. This with glass as the primary load aesthetic potential of glass while at the information was sent to the 3D printing bearing material. Currently, Ate same time creating a strong, safe and company Ramlab in Rotterdam. In the Snijder works at chair of Structural functional object. workshop of Ramlab the steel Design and Mechanics within the connecting parts were 3D printed on faculty of Architecture. As a Who had the opportunity to have a go steel spheres. At Delft, Kees Baardolf researcher he is part of the Glass and enjoy the glass swing first? welded the connecting strips to these Research Group where his focus is on 3D printed nodes. He also welded the the structural behaviour of glass load The visitors of last year´s glasstec special steel beam base frame that the glass bearing components of bridges and show “glass technology live” in swing was placed on. buildings. Within the research group Duesseldorf were the first people to try. he specializes in FEM modeling of The trade show has a history of showing Did your experiences with glass stress distribution in glass, detailing interesting and eye-catching glass motivate you to use it again? of glass connections and structural objects with a playful character. The design with glass. presented nine meter long glass slide No doubt. Every project brings great in 2016 for example was such a fantastic satisfaction but also a gnawing regret piece; we liked the idea of following up about all the things that could have the lessons learnt. This swing and the on that. Our swing allowed the visitors been done better in hindsight. A new former glass bridge project will by no to load the structure with their own project offers the opportunity to use means be the last ones using glass rods.

50 Which idea do you think will come next from you and your students?

We have three solid ideas, which I hope we will incorporate in the coming glass courses for the architecture and civil engineering students. Of course, to be able to realize these we hope to continue and expand our relationship with SCHOTT for their contribution of the necessary materials. The three upcom- ing structures are spectacular and (I think) very advanced glass-engineer- ing structures. The first is an arch bridge What was necessary from a material Why is it so special to work with glass consisting of glass blocks, which are side to realize the swing? Did you get as a construction material? dry-assembled. The second is a space- any external support? frame structure with improved glass The most challenging aspect is that struts made from a combination of SCHOTT was a fantastic partner for the you cannot hide anything. People can tubes and rods. The third is a grid shell swing. The material was provided cut see right into the material and any bad from the same newly developed struts to length and this was really helpful for detailing or damage is immediately of tubes and rods. the construction. In our publications, visible. The trick is to keep the presentations and glass education we construction very clean and very are happy to mention the collaboration simple. Secondly, there are big we had in the construction phase of structural challenges: The structure the swing. The quality of the glass has must be safe, vandalism proof and proven to be so high that we were able stresses in the glass must be controlled to weld on the nodes a few centimeters carefully. Glass is not a very forgiving away from the glass, with hot bits of material in its use in construction. metal sometimes dropping on the Fortunately, we have an enormous glass without breaking it. In addition accumulated knowledge and the 3D printing startup Ramlab have experience here at the university on been great to collaborate with in the how to engineer glass structures. development and production of the connections.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® April 17, 2019

51 Generating energy naturally

Visual artist Andreas Greiner’s latest work is at the border of art and science: a spiral-shaped photobioreactor filled with luminescent deep-sea algae and built from SCHOTT glass tubes. Greiner literally illuminates natural energy production processes.

Already during his studies of art and spent years perfecting the cultivation medicine, Andreas Greiner was of this particular algae strain. For his interested in the dichotomies of nature, project to succeed, he needed a glass technology and culture. It became reactor that would let in only that light apparent early on that these were also necessary for growth, but which would to set the course for his visual art – until also not release any harmful substances today, as his most recent work shows. into the water. Since DURAN® glass tubes have precisely these properties and are already used in industrial-scale algae cultivation, Greiner turned to

SCHOTT. Ziehe Jens Photo: Unlike industrial algae production for energy, his work on the cultivation of “Pyrocystis fusiformis” is symbolic, seeking to bring natural phenomena and living processes into the discourse Andreas Greiner on the relationship and interaction of Photo: Andreas Greiner humans and the environment through Andreas Greiner – a master student Scanning electron microscope image of sculptural experience. Algae have long of Olafur Eliasson bioluminescent algae (Pyrocystis fusiformis). played a role in his artistic examination Andreas Greiner in collaboration with Stefan Diller, 2018 of this topic. Besides a series of portraits, Andreas Greiner is a graduate of he has also presented a musical compo- the Institut für Raumexperimente Greiner’s work stages transformation sition with deep-sea algae and devel- at the Berlin University of the Arts processes of nature from which energy oped a test reactor for bioluminescent and a master student of Professor can be naturally generated. At the algae cultivation. Olafur Eliasson, who teaches there. center of his room installation stands a Following studies in medicine and spiral-shaped photobioreactor made of sculpture, his focus is now on glass tubes. The installation becomes an time-based, living and digital experience in light of the biolumines- Ziehe Jens sculptures. His work often

cent deep-sea algae “Pyrocystis Photo: addresses possible extensions of fusiformis” growing within it. Daylight classical parameters in sculpture. interacts with the algae as it binds CO2 He concentrates on the increasing and later releases the light energy by dissolution of classical dichotomies glowing in the dark. The process is facili- of nature, technology and culture tated by a mechanical pulse of rising air and the associated anthropogenic bubbles. The artist and scientist had Installation view with SCHOTT Tubing and interventions in nature and bioluminescent algae (Pyrocystis fusiformis). evolution.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing June 7, 2018

52 Technology meets aesthetics

Researchers built a bridge made of glass on the campus of the Technical University of Delft. The aim of the project was to demonstrate that the material is suitable for buildings of all kinds.

Using glass as an outdoor building material places steep demands on it: “DURAN® borosilicate glass has high thermal shock resistance and stability. That’s exactly what an ambitious pro- ject like building a glass bridge needs,” says Klaas Roelfsema, Business Devel- opment Director at SCHOTT Tubing.

The 14-meter-long glass bridge, which can be seen and crossed on campus, proves two things: first stability and secondly, the material’s special aesthetic value. It fittingly forms the gateway to the “Green Village,” a test site on the university grounds that houses prototypes of sustain- Photo: Frank Graphdude Auperlé able innovations. Employees and students of the university as well Glass is extremely strong and very as visitors can experience new durable as it neither corrodes, rusts technologies in action. Once all nor rots. It’s also sustainable and vulnerabilities are resolved, the completely recyclable. So why not prototypes are rebuilt at another put it to the ultimate test and build location. a bridge out of glass? Researchers who worked with Prof. Rob Nijsse, Even though the present glass bridge Ate Snijder, Joris Smits, Telesilla stands alone, it builds the trust for the Bristogianni, Faidra Oikonomopoulou, next project – an arched bridge fully Kees Baardolf, Christian Louter and made of glass. The magical ice bridge Dr. Fred Veer asked themselves exactly from the movie Thor (2011) provides that when they initiated the project the inspiration. Its transparency and at TU Delft. Together with colleagues Photo: Frank Graphdude Auperlé form gave the researchers the idea of and students, they developed the The bridge strut is made of DURAN® glass tubing. experimenting with glass. The material’s design and construction of the glass transparency would create a unique bridge. Glass tubes from SCHOTT aesthetic. were used as the building material.

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55 Printing in the third dimension

SCHOTT is providing “Ink”, high-grade DURAN® borosilicate glass, to the world’s first 3D glass printer from Israeli start-up MICRON3DP.

Arik Bracha holds a glass workpiece in his hand and meticulously examines it from all angles. Not only is he quite proud of the object‘s complex geo- metry, but also of the machine that produced it: the world’s first 3D glass printer. The Israeli start-up MICRON3DP is recognized as one of the pioneers of high-resolution glass 3D printing and has already achieved with its 3D printing technology, which is based on a FDM process at extremely high temperatures, “the first successful results,” according Arik Bracha, CEO of MICRON3DP, has over to company founder Bracha. 25 years of mechanical engineering experience.

The entire global market for 3D printing, its closetsized high-tech machines, which is currently valued at USD 10 MICRON3DP uses AR-GLAS® and billion, is indeed very promising; the DURAN® borosilicate glass from material portion alone, such as the SCHOTT. In addition to SCHOTT’s “Ink” for printing, accounts for 10 to 30 network, technology expert Dr. Stephan percent of the market. Whereas plastics, Behle is there to provide material and metals and ceramics have established process know-how to the start-up. themselves in the market, glass and the With its extensive capabilities in glass respective printing machines are still technology and the diversity of materials very much at the early stages of the it can provide, SCHOTT is well posi- game. At the moment, it is used only as tioned to offer customized materials filler material in plastic 3D printing or as and approaches for additive manufac- an additive in prosthetics applications. turing processes.

As print material for more demanding applications, where typical glass pro- perties such as optical quality can be increasingly played off, glass powder, pastes, rods or tubing are optimal. Bracha explains that 3D printers for glass face a special challenge since the material must be melted and made

printable at temperatures of over USD 10,000,000,000 is the current market Photos: MICRON3DP 1000 degrees Celsius. As “ink” for value for 3D printing. 3D printers from MICRON3DP allow to produce components with complex geometries.

56 “In this way, future 3D printing solutions for optical components such applications will include the as gradient lenses (Missouri University of internationally respected ‘SCHOTT Science & Technology, Prof. Ed Kinzel). quality’ in their development,” explains Until then, there is still a long road Dr. Behle. Adds Bracha: “We firmly ahead to reach the final destination. believe that when we collaborate with globally leading companies – and particularly SCHOTT – we can take our process to the next level.” And how long before that happens? The company head estimates that by the end of the year MICRON3DP will install first Beta testing 3D printers.

“If the technology develops as rapidly as it has in the last two or three years, we will most certainly see in the near future the realization of technologically demanding 3D glass applications in hollow glass and laboratory glass as well as optics,” notes Behle. The first work MICRON3DPPhotos: groups have already set long-term goals The innovative 3D glass printers from MICRON3DP in the development of 3D printing use specialty glass from SCHOTT as “ink.”

Third dimension printing

whether it involves plastics, metals, ceramics, glass, or even cell tissues – is considered the key technology of the 21st Century. However, it utilizes an array of manufacturing techniques and processes which are designed to fulfill an assortment of functional principles. What all of the processes have in common, though, is that they can create 3D objects where the materials are reinforced and applied in thin layers. Technically speaking, this is known as “additive manufacturing”, which is in contrast to “subtractive manufacturing” where materials are cut away using milling machines. Already 33 years ago, the American inventor Chuck Hall submitted his 3D process for a patent.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® and AR-GLAS® tubing Solutions 1/2017, Page 34 – 36

57 Simply good coffee

The Swiss espresso machine ZURIGA express is elegant and easy to operate. Invented by Moritz Güttinger, it has been built with glass from SCHOTT.

The story begins with a disgruntled bar, the system had to be something The technical components come from coffee lover: It annoyed Moritz entirely new and it has been registered a number of sources which Güttinger Güttinger that his expensive Italian for a patent. It uses a filter holder so it himself put together. espresso machine was unable to does not contribute to the mountains of consistently conjure up a delicious waste created from pods and capsules. The water container was developed hot drink. The environmental engineer by the Swiss glass blowing workshop took apart the appliance, thought about GlasForm (Gossau, Switzerland) it and then learned a great deal about together with SCHOTT Switzerland – the technical art of preparing espresso. the material used is CONTURAX® Pro Thus was born, after much fiddling in profile tubing. ZURIGA express is not his back-street studio in Zurich, a truly only supposed to be less expensive special product: a striking, affordable than other machines, but it also appliance for the home which made should be quicker. In two minutes simply good espresso every time. the espresso should be steaming. Finished? Not yet. The financing for Adds Moritz Güttinger: “We found its development came from a crowd- that to make good coffee, we needed sourcing initiative. To ensure that the to return to keeping it simple.” coffee tasted like it does at an Italian

Photos: SCHOTT/A. Sell; Zuriga

Makes simply good espresso: ZURIGA express invented by Moritz Güttinger (below).

SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® tubing Solutions 1/2017, Page 49

58 The People’s Smile

A new art installation in Groningen was completed in February 2014: “Universalis” consists of over 2,000 DURAN® borosilicate tubes.

The project’s goal is to give a face manager Klaas Jan Nijboer advised to to all the different people the munici- use borosilicate glass 3.3: “99 percent pality’s administration is working for: of our borosilicate glass comes from “The old-fashioned concept of having SCHOTT. We are very pleased with the a number for every citizen is outdated,” high quality and with the excellent explains artist Lambert Kamps, who services of SCHOTT Benelux.” created the piece together with his colleague, Tjeerd Veenhoven. To start After the first few samples had arrived, off the project, the duo spent a day in the artists were convinced. In their downtown Groningen taking pictures workshop in Ubbena, LGS’ expert of the city’s inhabitants. 100 portraits glass blowers carefully customized were then combined to generate the the DURAN® tubes to suit the artists’ face of the average Groninger – the needs. “Each tube had to be carefully “Groninger Universalis.” “We deli- pulled and shaped in order to produce berately chose many different types the smooth and beautifully rounded of people to achieve a universal result,” bottom,” explains Nijboer. Having says Veenhoven. Afterwards the picture been matched to a pixel of the was divided into dots, and then each original picture, the painted nine to dot had to be “translated” into a glass 47 centimeter long tubes were then cylinder with a unique color. inserted fixed to a backlit support wall. Now, the four by five meter relief not People arriving in the northern Dutch “We picked glass because it is a nice only greets, but also shines a light city of Groningen are now greeted material, it’s easy to clean and it has a onto every visitor of Groningen and by a big smile. It is composed of nice surface,” says Kamps. For each the city’s new municipal building. approximately 2,000 colored glass dot, the artists painted a glass tube of tubes that form the relief of a giant DURAN® borosilicate glass. They used face. The artwork is called “Groninger seven different shades of warm gray Universalis” and was completed in paint and coated the tubes on the the city’s new municipal building of inside. The process wasn’t an easy

Social Affairs and Welfare at the be- task: “We had to come up with a way der Veen van F. / ginning of 2014. Universalis is visible to circulate the air inside the tubes to anyone. And at night it becomes so the special two-component paint SCHOTT

brightly illuminated and remains an could properly bond to the glass,” Photos: eye-catcher even then. explains Kamps. Another tricky part The artwork complements the design of the train of the project was producing the tubes station opposite the municipal building: people in the first place. They had to have a stopping at the train station can look straight consistently round bottom without through and onto the smiling face. contaminations. This was the respon- sibility of the laboratory glass specia-

lists at LGS B.V. On the basis of the SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing requested length of the tubes, LGS’s Solutions 2/2014, Page 18 – 19

59 Touching magic made of glass, light and sound

40 touch-sensitive glass columns at the Dubai Mall, one of the world‘s largest shopping centers, invite visitors to a concert for the senses. The artistic interactive installation Aviary from the architecture firm Höweler + Yoon from Boston produces unique light and sound compositions when it is touched or wiped. These 2.5- to 4-meter high objects made of borosilicate glass from SCHOTT were all equipped with a sensitive foil and a light core.

SCHOTT Product: DURAN® tubing Solutions 1/2014, Page 30 – 31 Photo: Höweler + Yoon

Glass tubes with edges

Photo: SCHOTT / A. Buchwald

SCHOTT’s expertise and years of Furthermore, it enables precise show in Duesseldorf – was realized experience in special glass made it processing through its geometrical together with the company possible to successfully develop a accuracy. Due to their variety of shapes, Octatube (NL). new type of non-round glass tube: CONTURAX® Pro glass tubes are ideally CONTURAX® Pro. This profiled tubing suited for an extensive range of appli- offers high transparency and thermal cations in the field of architecture, shock resistance as well as hard, smooth art and design. The 12 meter glass wall SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® Pro surfaces for vast scratch protection. – shown at the glasstec 2012 trade Solutions 2/2012, Page 24 – 25

60 Infinite Light Loop

Artist Tim Morgan’s latest sculpture captures light with DURAN® glass rods in London’s City of Westminster.

A stroll through London’s West End leads past famous and historic highlights: Picadilly Circus, Oxford Street and Soho are just some of the numerous attractions. Since 2010, the borough of Westminster has been host to an open-air art gallery. Launched in the build up to the 2012 Summer Olympics and the Queen’s ­Diamond Jubilee, the “City of Sculpture Exhibition” features dozens of contemporary sculptures on display in Westminster’s squares and parks. The pieces are exchanged regularly and the project’s popularity has led city planners to extend it indefinitely. One of the newest additions to this M. Couchman

/ public gallery is Tim Morgan’s ­“Aurora.” As SCHOTT has provided glass for his sculptures in the past, Morgan approached the company Photos: SCHOTT in search of support: The plastic Aurora consists of two belts of rolled steel that have been painted a vibrant yellow. “I’ve always had a good relationship The space between the steel belts is filled with thousands of cut glass rods. with SCHOTT and their products are of the highest quality.” The glass rods capture ambient light natural environment of Cavendish from the sun, buildings, and traffic, Square, the simple steel and glass Aurora is the largest single piece and focus it into bright eye-catching form of the sculpture contrasts with sculpture Morgan has built to date. slivers. In this way, the sculpture’s the fractal complexity of nature,” It stands an impressive three meters appearance is particularly dependent says Morgan. DURAN® is the same high and weighs slightly less than a on its environment and changes as glass used in a wide range of lighting ton. Aurora exemplifies the elegant the day passes. and laboratory applications. engineering complexity that is a “Its special optical qualities and feature of Morgan’s work. It is made The circular form of the sculpture durability also made it ideal for this from two belts of rolled, welded subtly displays its engineering. It also artistic outdoor project,” says Klaas and painted mild steel. Its tense, suggests common cultural symbols; Roelfsema, Regional Sales Manager wound form is balanced by its bright those of the Greek infinity icon or the with SCHOTT UK. and playful, vibrant yellow paint. originally Egyptian motif of a serpent Where the belts delaminate the space eating its own tail. In addition, the is filled with thousands of cut glass work pulls off a slight optical illusion: rods – their combined length spans a the single belt appears to be two to SCHOTT Product: DURAN® rods distance of over twenty soccer fields. many viewers. “Placed in the semi- Solutions 1/2013, Page 22 – 23

61 Creating Something New Without Replacing what is Old

The Dutch artist Giny Vos used tree trunks, glass tubes and LEDs to create ”The Window of Your Eyes,” a dramatic symbiosis of natural materials and modern, sustainable technology.

Her artworks cannot be found “hiding” “The work allows the current situation elements and modern, sustainable in galleries or museums, but rather to appear in a new light and creates technology. 200 tree trunks four meters integrated into public areas where something new without forcing what in length form a grid inside which dynamic everyone can see and experience is already there to disappear,” Giny Vos light effects enchant the viewer. The light them. Her works attract the viewer’s explains. flows in every direction, shines, goes attention, make environmental aspects out again, flashes, takes on different more visible and create a different On the other hand, her latest work colors and shapes that range from impression of them in both literary “The Window of Your Eyes” on the bright to soft-glowing. The 11 centi- and figurative terms. Her works also provincial government’s grounds in meter thick trunks are positioned reflect her fascination with science the Dutch city of Assen demonstrates 85 centimeters apart to enable the and technology. Light on the move, how real existing surroundings can viewer to walk between them without whether by video, computer, neon or have an impact on the artistic difficulty. The trunks are joined LED displays, represents an important experience. Giny Vos allowed herself together in the middle at different means of expression and design in the to be inspired by the countryside heights by transparent DURATAN® glass oeuvre of the renowned Dutch artist she found here with its impressive, tubes from SCHOTT that are 80 to Giny Vos (52). For the installation and historic oak avenue and deepened 120 centimeters in length. light artist born in Rotterdam, however, natural atrium that was probably used the main focus isn’t on the physical to hold assemblies and parliamentary “We found the perfect solution for existence of her light works, but rather sessions back in the Middle Ages. this project with thermally toughened the processes they initiate. Her instal- DURATAN®. When it came to the lations tell their own stories. They not The installation in the middle of the dimensions of the tubes, we chose an only physically exist, but also actively park-like area was realized with the outside diameter of 110 millimeters, communicate with their environment help of tree trunks, glass tubing and a wall thickness of 7 millimeters, and extend the local experience. LEDs – a perfect symbiosis of natural and a length of between 1,000 and

Giny Vos, shown here attending the inauguration of “The Window of Your Eyes,” has been realizing installations involving light in public areas since Photo: SCHOTT / H. Cock 1985. Her studio is located in Amsterdam.

62 Photo: SCHOTT / H. Cock

Giny Vos’s artworks use tree trunks, glass tubing and LEDs to create a mysteriously beautiful place permeated by light. Borosilicate glass tubing exhibits a high degree of impact resistance, withstands temperature changes, resists scratches and offers light-fastness. In other words, it is perfectly suited for outdoor use.

1,500 millimeters,” explains Hanneke ‘The Window of Your Eyes’ to be a Velders from SCHOTT Benelux. More place to meet, a home, a mysteriously than 2,300 LEDs have been attached to beautiful place permeated by light,” the special glass tubes, of which three Vos notes. The feedback clearly shows multicolor lights each form a light point. that her fantasy has become a reality. This offers the audience a play with A reality that might well shine well light that appears to be almost mystical beyond the borders of the capital city both from a distance or right in the of the Dutch province of Drenthe, middle – an opportunity to reflect and at least this is what the people contemplate. “In my fantasy, I wanted responsible are hoping.

SCHOTT Product: DURATAN® Solutions 2/2012, Page 44 – 45

63 Unconventional Glass – Tubing for Exquisite Effects

The architects of Foster + Partners used glass tubing from SCHOTT in a London office complex.

Ensconced in a wavy looking grid of highly reflective cast-aluminum brises soleil, the office complex located in the middle of London sparkles in the sun. The curved façade elements offers protection from its rays by being lined up next to each other. They grow in density with increasing height and shimmer more intensively at the higher levels.

The international architectural firm Foster + Partners built the “Walbrook” office complex in London’s financial district from 2005 until 2010. The sculptural building features some 40,000 square meters of office and commercial space. Retailers and restaurants will later occupy the 70-meter long front of the complex that faces Cannon Street. Those who enter the building are immediately greeted by a white illuminated wall Photo: SCHOTT / M. Couchman made of glass tubes that is 70 meters in length. It separates the two parts Fascinating style element: Structured CONTURAX® brand glass was used as a large-surface solution for of the foyer from each other and the first time ever in the London-based office complex “Walbrook“. extends all the way up to the ceiling behind the reception area. Thanks to Hardly an everyday situation, despite The team at SCHOTT finally came its wavy structure, the wall appears its fascination, and the glass experts up with the idea of reinforcing the to be almost fluent. faced several difficulties. After all, glass with a second glass tube that the structured surface of the borosili- had a thicker wall. To do so, the The glass tubes from SCHOTT-Rohrglas cate glass is limited in terms of its installation personnel placed a pane – now SCHOTT AG – that Foster+ maximum wall thickness, thus posing of unstructured DURAN® brand glass Partners used are perfectly suited for a real challenge for an architectural tubing in a thickness of 9 millimeters design and architectural applications. application of this dimension. “For in front of the wall of CONTURAX® For the first time ever, the structured safety reasons, we were faced with tubing. Both special-purpose CONTURAX® brand glass was used in having to find a way to reduce the glasses were mounted on multiple a large-scale application for this office risk of breakage of the glass panes sides and halogen lighting was complex. Two 3.3-meter high panes that are only three millimeters thick,” integrated to illuminate the tubes consisting of glass tubes that are lined explains Klaas W. Roelfsema, Business from the bottom. “We created a up next to each other were installed in Manager for tubing for Northern huge wall of light by combining layers to form the 6.6-meter high wall. and Western Europe at SCHOTT. the many glass tubes.

64 Photo: SCHOTT / M. Couchman

The white illuminated wall of glass tubing 70 meters in length separates the two sections of the foyer from each other and reaches all the way up to the 6.6 meter high ceiling.

The architects were quite impressed in both the façade and the interior by the glow of the extremely even design. The wavelike structure that lighting effect throughout the entire adorns the shell of the office complex height of the tubing wall and also the can be found once again in the special glass that was used,” Roelfsema structured wall made of glass tubes explains. The impressive wall has in the foyer. become part of a very impressive and energy-efficient lighting strategy.

The elevators made entirely of glass also add to the play of light and reflection in the foyer which the buil- ding is known for both inside and outdoors, thus allowing Foster + SCHOTT Product: CONTURAX® / Partners to pick up on another motif DURAN® tubing Solutions 1/2011, Page 46 – 47

65 SCHOTT AG Erich-Schott-Strasse 14 95666 Mitterteich Germany Phone +49 (0)9633/80-0 [email protected] www.schott.com Version May 2021 May Version

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