Working In The Industry

The Glass Sector

Glass is a multipurpose product which we use widely on a daily basis, but it is not often acknowledged for its importance. With modern computer use in business and the development of automated systems, many changes have taken place within glass manufacturing. The glass industry’s 6 sub sectors (shown on next page) can be broken down further, to show eight different industrial areas in alphabetical order these are:

  1. Automotive sector (lights / mirrors / sunroofs / windscreens... etc.)
  2. Container glass production (bottles / drinking glasses / jars / light bulbs... etc.)
  3. Conservatory installation (the manufacture of structurally sound, plastic, wood and aluminium conservatories. Custom built to meet wind ratings and snow loading performance ratings for domestic and commercial purposes)
  4. Crystal glass and Tableware (decanters / goblets / flasks / lead crystalware / vases / stained glass / paperweights... etc)
  5. Fibre glass production (insulation, optical cables and reinforcing of cement plastics and rubber)
  6. Flat glass production and processing (mirrors / windows / doors / laminated / toughened / curved / fire resistant / film applications... etc.)
  7. Scientific glass (optical glass including microscopes, spectacles, telescopes / test tubes)
  8. Window and door fabrication and installation (the manufacture of windows and doors, and the installation on private houses and large public buildings; also the building of major glass structures like 'The Gherkin' building in London)

Further on in this website, the jobs in these industrial areas are illustrated in two tables. The Glass Manufacturing Job Table involves working with "hot end" molten glass processes, and the Glass Installation Job Table looks at working with the finished products once the glass is cold.