The sector

The range of products manufactured by the German glass industry has evolved over time into an extremely comprehensive range. The glass manufacturing industry has a total of six sectors, each of which produces glass for different applications.

• The flat glass industry and the flat glass refinement and processing industry manufacture flat glass products for construction, architectural, automobile and vehicle construction and furniture making applications.

• The container glass industry produces all kinds of glass packaging for the beverage and food industry, for pharmaceutical manufacturers and for the cosmetics industry.

• The products made by the utility and special glass manufacturing sector are used for a wide range of applications. The main customers are investment goods manufacturers such as the electrical industry (display glass, lighting glass), precision mechanics and optics (optical glass), plant manufacturers, communications and environmental technology providers (optical glass fibres, special flat glass). Chemistry, medicine and science are other areas in which special and technical glass are used.

• The crystal and tableware glass industry manufactures drinking glasses and other types of tableware glasses for consumers and restaurants.

• The mineral fibre industry produces building insulation materials (glass and rock wool) and it also manufactures reinforcement fibres for the plastics industry and textile glass fibres (e.g. yarns) for the textiles industry.