Our Awards | technical innovation & evolution

from left to right Master, Robin Long (2001) Past Master John Clark (Congress President, 2001)  and Dr Kevin Sanderson

For many years, our Company has made an annual award for excellence in the field of glass. In 2000 the format was changed so that an award would only be presented every 5 years but that the amount of the award be increased from £1000 to £5000.

In 2001, Dr Sanderson submitted an entry on the work he had carried out in developing a new coating process for flat glass. For many years, the industry has sought solutions to dirt and other extraneous matter adhering to glass surfaces. The basis of the work by Dr Sanderson has been to use water friendly coatings and this has proved remarkably successful.

Atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (APCVD) has been used to put a new coating onto glass which has immediate practical applications and has caught the imagination of the public through the perception of "self cleaning glass". The vapour deposition uses ordinary atmospheric pressure is much cheaper and more forgiving than the more conventional chemical and physical vapour deposition process. This is a new and innovative process which contradicts the water repellent coatings currently in use.