Press release - 1/30/09

Gary Mauer at Glass Performance Days 13
June 13-15, 2013 Tampere, Finland

At Glass Performance Days (GPD) in Tampere, Finland June 13 -15, I will propose that fabricators use window cleaning scrapers to test their own tempered glass for fabricating defects that cause scratching.
GPD Finland is the world's largest international technical conference.
This will be my 3rd GPD presentation on this topic.
Check out the GPD 13 program - or visit the GPD website - www.gpd.fi

Why GPD Finland?
That’s where you need to go, to tell the glass industry what it needs to hear.
And they are listening.

In house monitoring has been part of my dialog with fabricators dating back at least to 2005. The scraper test and inspection with a microscope is a way to get factory workers involved in quality control. It could be a management tool or the topic of a QA meeting. The key is to get them talking, and keep reminding fabricators that quality makes sense for them, too.

Part of my mission is to show that we understand - defects on the roller side are causing a tempered glass scratch crisis, not scrapers.

Also, window cleaners have discovered something the glass industry has known since 1993 - time-delayed tempered glass scratch growth - where scratches get more visible when you wait a few hours. (I first learned about it at GPD.) We now have doubts about guidelines warning cleaners to inspect for visible scratch, without warning about visible growth.

Here is the abstract for my presentation, titled "Quality test for tempered glass roller side";
"Roller side defects in tempered glass can usually be identified, isolated and resolved, but first they must be detected. The razor test provides timely feedback that can facilitate the resolution of roller side defects. A common shop microscope is used to observe the result of simulated cleaning with a standard metal razor, such as those historically used by the glass and cleaning industries. Consideration is given to effects of time and temperature. This simple surface quality test enables fabricators to predict the performance of both sides of tempered glass during future cleanings.."

It will be an honor to represent the window cleaning industry once again. I'd like to thank the Master Window Cleaners of America (MWCoA) and many individual window cleaners who've already offered their support.

"Quality test for tempered glass roller side" - presented at GPD 13

"Quality test for uncoated tempered glass surfaces" - presented at GPD 11

"Monitoring problematic fabricating debris defects on tempered glass surfaces"- presented at GPD 09

Gary Mauer
Window Cleaning Network
262-490-1442

gmauer@window-cleaning.net