Innovationoversized4
2021-02-11
Do you want 9 m, 12 m, 16 m or bigger? While glass was once confined to the traditional limit of 6 m x 3.21 m, today it is continuously beating old records in terms of length. There is very strong international demand from high-profile projects seeking to deliver sweeping, seamless panoramic views.
A fast-growing trend

Up to a few years ago, only the AGC Interpane plant in Osterweddingen, Germany was able to produce oversized panes. In 2016, it was joined by the Boussois plant in France, and now they can both produce glass up to 18 m long.

Using specially made handling equipment and stillages, these huge glass panes can be transported on special trucks to the AGC Interpane plant in Plattling, Germany, which is capable of coating those non-standard panes. An approved partner can heat-treat the sheets, assemble them into double glazing units and then deliver the units to the installation site. In addition to being exclusive, oversized glass saves on frames and installation time.

Collaboration with Boussois

The AGC plant in Boussois was already able to manufacture 9 m panes, but a visiting German customer asked for something even bigger, offering us a great opportunity to diversify. But the production process had to be modified and the plant had to reprogram the cutting machines, adjust the edge-deletion system, extend and completely refit the line, and find appropriate handling equipment.

A special team is now dedicated to this type of production. A pane that is 16 m long and 12 mm thick weighs around 1.5 tonnes, so it is not comparable to standard production processes. But the effort was definitely worth it.

OverSized Glass opening up markets

A luxury hotel in Rovinj, Croatia on the Adriatic coast recently ordered a 15 m OverSized glass pane. The architect wanted to install it in the conference room in order to create an uninterrupted view of an island off the coast. The effect was spectacular!

Many other impressive projects followed, ranging from Fondazione Prada in Italy to Park Hotel in Croatia.