Pilkington
Using the Pilkington brand, the activities of the NSG Group in the UK include float, rolled and wired glass manufacture, glass processing and merchanting, and original equipment and aftermarket automotive glazing production.
About the company
The Pilkington name has been closely associated with glass since 1826. In 2006, Pilkington plc was acquired by the NSG Group of Japan, and the Pilkington brand retained for the Group’s building and automotive products. The NSG Group is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of glass and glazing products for the building trade, the automotive industry and the specialty glass sector, employing around 29,500 people, with manufacturing operations in some 30 countries and sales in around 130 countries. Pilkington Group Limited is based in St Helens and also has offices at the NSG Group's European Technical Centre situated at nearby Lathom, Lancashire.
Product ranges
Using the Pilkington brand, the NSG Group manufactures a broad range of glazing suited to a number of applications:
• Solar Control
• Thermal Insulation
• Fire Protection
• Noise Control
• Safety/Security
• Self-cleaning
• Decoration
• Glass Systems
• Special Applications
• Solar Energy
In the UK, the Pilkington brand is particularly well-known to consumers for its thermal insulation range, which includes Pilkington energiKare™. Pilkington energiKare™ combines two market-leading products, Pilkington K Glass™ and Pilkington Optiwhite™ and can help to reduce net heat loss from windows by up to 90 per cent, when upgrading from single glazing. At the same time, Pilkington energiKare™ allows in more heat and light from the sun, contributing positively to a home’s energy requirements.
Pilkington Activ™ self-cleaning glass works with a dual-action coating. A microscopically thin coating works in two ways to continuously clean the external surface of the glass: first, the coating reacts with ultra violet light (UV) rays from natural daylight to break down organic dirt particles on the surface of the glass. Secondly, when water hits the glass, rainwater is caused to sheet as it runs down the glass to wash away the loosened particles. The sheet action avoids the water forming beads that can dry to form streaking and ensures that rainwater covers the surface evenly.
The Pilkington Planar™ system allows architects to apply bold and striking designs whilst affording them unrivalled stability and safety. It is qualities such as these which ensure that Pilkington Planar™ remains world market leader in the cutting edge market of bolted glass systems. The Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system provides a flush glass surface by utilising stainless steel fittings housed in countersunk holes to fix the glass façade back to the structure instead of using the more conventional framed systems. The result is a fully engineered system with the minimum amount of support structure and the maximum possible visual clarity. A silicone seal between adjacent panels provides weatherproofing.
Pilkington Pyrostop® has an extensive record of consistent fire testing around the world for more than thirty years. It also has a documented robust performance in real fire events over several hours. In the event of fire, Pyrostop converts from a glass to an opaque insulation barrier. It effectively blocks out and contains the fire, providing both a reliable heat shield and a no-nonsense physical barrier to fire. But, in normal use, Pilkington Pyrostop® performs just as any glass would be expected to do.
Services and support
Our customer contact centre offers have a technical advice and specification helpline. If customers have any queries on specifying glazing in line with Part L 2010, the answers are just a phone call or email away. Contact details: 01744 692 000 or email Pilkington@respond.uk.com
Case study
The Victorian Terrace at the BRE has been refurbished into three energy-efficient homes with Pilkington Spacia™. One of the energy efficiency problems of the property was its former sash windows. Victorian sash windows, whilst being aesthetically pleasing, are notorious for allowing heat to escape from a building. Not only are they mostly single glazed, they often do not fit snugly, which can create draughts.
Pilkington Spacia™ was the perfect solution for the Victorian Terrace, as it offers similar thermal insulation to double glazing, yet is the same thickness of single glass at just over 6mm. It also has a better acoustic performance than triple glazing. Based upon urban road traffic, the noise level is reduced by 31dB compared to triple glazing (using three panes of 4mm glass) which reduces the noise by 27 dB. This enables period properties such as this Victorian Terrace to maintain their original look and charm, whilst also providing all the cost savings and comfort double glazing offers. John O’Brian, Principal Consultant, BRE, added: “The performance and look of the Pilkington Spacia™ units provide the perfect glazing solution, not only for the Victorian Terrace at BRE, but also for countless commercial and domestic listed buildings across the UK.”
Tel: 01744 28882
Email: Pilkington@respond.uk.com
Web: www.pilkington.com
