The material

Natural glass, obsidian, was used for the first time in drills, scraping tools and projectile points.

Glass is one of the oldest materials in the world. It isn't known when glass was produced for the first time. The oldest finds date back to the stone age in around 7000 B.C. In Egypt, the organised production of glass into jewellery items and small vessels commenced in around 3000 B.C.

Glass was processed into vessels by wrapping glass sticks around a porous ceramic core. When the glass had cooled, the core was scratched out.

From 1500 B.C. onwards, hollow glass was manufactured into ointment jars and oil containers in Egypt.

The blowpipe was invented in around 100 B.C. This enabled the production of larger vessels. Container glass, carafes and, in the late antiquity period, drinking glasses were very popular.

Glass production underwent a revolution when the blowing iron was invented around 2,000 years ago. It enabled the production of thin-walled products in all kinds of different shapes. 100 years later, the Egyptians also managed to melt transparent glass. The quality of the glass was enhanced by these higher temperatures, making it possible to produce luxurious glasses with intricate decors.

Venice was a glass pioneer and the city at the heart of traditional European glass production in the 11th century. Venetian bottle makers achieved fame for their renaissance glass.

In medieval times, Venice was a western glassmaking hub that enjoyed its heyday between the 15th and 17th centuries. The first glass makers are listed in the Venetian registers in around the 11th century. They are called "phiolarius", which means bottle maker. Today, there are only a few authentic renaissance glass items from Venice still in existence.

Window glass was invented in the 12th century. In 1330, window glass was produced using crown glass or bull's eye glass production methods.

Window glass dates back to the gothic era of the 12th century. In 1330, a glassmaker in Rouen (France) developed a process for the production of crown glass, which is also known as bull's eye glass. In this process, a bowl-shaped piece of glass (bullion) is spun into a flat disk by centrifugal force. Only the centre piece, which is around 10-15 cm in size, is used as window glass.

The first historical records of the glass rolling process in Saint Gobain date back to 1688.

This process involves pouring molten glass onto the rolling table, spreading it out and rolling it. It produces flat glass of an even thickness. Another advantage is that this process enables the production of glass sheets with the dimensions of 40 x 60 inches, which is ideal for mirror making. However, the uneven surface continued to cause problems.

In 18th century Germany, baroque cut glass - a glass with motives engraved into it - was developed and it became possible to make individualised glass products.

In 18th century Germany baroque cut class soon overtook Venetian glass in terms of popularity. The Venetian glassmakers were not masters of the art of glass cutting and engraving. Baroque cut glass was progressive as a result of the engraved scenes that it featured and the engravers used all kinds of motifs, from hunting scenes and landscapes to allegorical figures.

In around 1900, John Lubbers developed a process for cylinder glass production.

The glass cylinders could be made with diameters of up to 80 cm and they were up to 8 m high. They were then cut along one side and flattened while heated. However, it was a rather laborious process and it was particularly difficult to lay down the cylinder horizontally.

In 1903, an American called Michael J. Owens invented an automatic glass bottle manufacturing machine.

The invention considerably speeded up the bottle production process. The Owens machine was first used in Germany in 1908.

In 1904, Emile Fourcault invented the Fourcault process, a method of manufacturing drawn glass.

A method for manufacturing flat glass was patented by Emile Fourcault in 1904, the Fourcault Process. However, drawn glass had the disadvantage of having a slightly convex surface and the "draw marks" indicated the direction from which the glass ribbon had been drawn from the tank.

In 1917, the Libbey-Owens process was first used for commercial production and glass output increased around forty-fold.

An American man called Colburn developed a method which has been known as the Libbey-Owens process since 1917. Unlike Fourcault, Colburn didn't use a debiteuse. Instead, the glass was drawn straight from the tank by a metal "bait" in a process that he developed. A glass ribbon was drawn vertically from the tank, still soft, for about 70 cm before being bent over a polished steel roller into the horizontal plane and fed into the cooler boxes. This prevented the draw marks and the uneven surface caused by the debiteuse in the Fourcault process. Colburn's method mechanised the process of glass blowing and increased production output forty-fold.

Belgian Roirant developed a fully automated bottle-making machine in 1923.

In 1923, Belgian inventor Emile Roirant presented the first European fully-automated bottle-making machine, which was also suitable for the production of smaller batches.

The first electronically controlled glass production machine was introduced in 1970.

After 1945, automated bottle production technology advanced continuously. The first electronically controlled machines were introduced in 1970.

Glass is used in all kinds of sectors today. The most recent developments are glass as a building material, in communications technology and in PV systems. It is also a key component in displays and semi-conductors.

Glass plays an important role in everyday life, in research and science, in modern architecture and in future sectors. The glass industry is continuously discovering new applications for glass based on state of the art technology and recent scientific findings. One of the most recent applications for glass is its use as a building material. Modern architectural designs feature expansive glass facades. Glass is also used as an insulating material in the form of glass fibre, it is used to make optical fibres for telephone calls or TV in communications technology and it makes a contribution to regenerative energy technology in PV systems. Glass is also a key component in displays and semi-conductors.