Forum Glass Technology - vdma.eu
Forum Glass Technology
Traditional and trendsetting
It is impossible to imagine modern life without glass, a more than 5,000 years old material. Every day, new technological and market-specific challenges confront the machine and plant manufacturers in glass production, processing, and finishing.
The Forum Glass Technology represents member companies from various sectors of the glass industry along the entire process chain in technology, standardization, and markets and represents the industry's interests.
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Collaboration
The Forum Glass Technology is hosted by the Trade Association Construction - Equipment and Plant Engineering. The activities are coordinated, considering the activities and services of the photovoltaics departments in the EMINT trade association and the Metallurgy trade association.
Forum Glass Technology represents machine and plant manufacturers from all sub-sectors of glass production - flat glass, container glass, tableware, fiberglass, tubular glass, and special glass.
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The VDMA survey shows a subdued business situation in glass machinery manufacturing for Q4/2025. Sales, sales opportunities, and expectations are developing predominantly negatively.
On February 10, 2026, we held our virtual kick-off event to exchange experiences on the topic of recruiting young talent.
The trade fair will take place in Düsseldorf from 20 to 23 October 2026. As the conceptual sponsor, the Forum will help shape its content.
Use the VDMA India newsletter to raise your company's profile in the Indian glass industry, and to send targeted invitations to glasstec 2026. The deadline for submissions is 23 March 2026.
With its new format, IAK Research Needs Lab’, the Industry Working Group Research & Technology in the Glass Technology Forum brings together practice and science to identify open research questions and develop solutions.
In 2026, we will once again offer members a diverse program of events, including specialist workshops, plug parties, marketing and research groups, and international activities. Anyone interested in learning more should contact us at any time.
At BV Flachglas, leading companies presented the advantages of OPC UA, CS 40301, and VDMA Standard Sheet 24124 in a webinar: uniform interfaces for greater efficiency, safety, and future-proofing in glass production.
Impulses on digitalisation and market trends characterised the industry meeting of Forum Glass Technology on 13 and 14 November in Augsburg and Asbach-Bäumenheim.
How can digital services in glass machinery manufacturing be successfully monetized? This was the central question addressed by the Forum Glass Technology on 21 October 2025 at HEGLA GmbH & Co. KG in Beverungen.
The VDMA Glass Technology Forum is advancing two important standards that will enhance the safety of hollow glass machinery and strengthen competitiveness across Europe.
The Industry Working Group Research & Technology at the Glass Technology Forum presented new approaches to transformation, glass production, digitalisation and recycling.
At its spring meeting, the Industry Working Group Research & Technology of the VDMA Glass Technology Forum dealt with aspects of measurement and testing technology and future data protection requirements.
VDMA 24124:2025-06 introduces a structured Job Target Definition (JTD) model, using Protobuf and JSON standards to enable machine-independent, scalable data exchange in flat glass processing.
The glass industry is undergoing a transformation: Digital connectivity, automation, and data-driven process optimization are no longer future concepts but key factors for competitiveness and efficiency.
Join us for a discussion on the future of the construction equipment and building material plants industries, as we are in the midst of major changes.
Current research projects in the flat glass industry and innovation management were the topics of the IAK Research & Technology on November 13/14, 2023.
Glass South America, the most important trade fair for the glass industry in Latin America, will take place in Sao Paulo from June 12 to 15, 2024.
In order to intensify cooperation at future events, symposiums, trade fairs and in social media communication, we have established a new working group together with members on 20 November.
With 76 participants from the Indian glass producing and processing industry, the VDMA Forum Glass Technology organised a successful technical symposium on the day before glasspex India.
Digitalization of machines requires standardized language for machine communication – and OPC UA is the perfect choice.
What's up? When do which committees and working groups meet? All dates can be found here at a glance.
When people talk about the future of production, they can't do so without using the term "smart factory." But what is it? How does a smart factory work? And what does it have to do with OPC UA?
How do I reduce my CO2 footprint as a manufacturing company? The industry working group Research & Technology on February 14, 2023 conveyed various approaches that can also be implemented in glass machinery manufacturing.
Veranstaltungen & Messen
OPC-JWG Glass Industries - Container Glass
OPC-JWG Glass Industries - Flat Glass
OPC-JWG Glass Industries - Container Glass
Research Needs Lab – Glass Processing & Applications: Identifikation industrienaher Forschungsbedarfe in der Glasweiterverarbeitung | An event organized by the Industry Working Group Research & Technology
OPC-JWG Glass Industries - Container Glass
The next event will take place in Düsseldorf from October 20 to 23, 2026. The VDMA Forum Glastechnik is the conceptual sponsor of glasstec. For four days, Düsseldorf was the center of the global glass industry. From October 22 to 25, 2024, glasstec, the international trade fair for glass production, glass processing and glass products, once again impressed exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world, confirming its importance as a global industry platform for the glass industry. 1.257 exhibitors from 50 countries and more than 32,000 trade visitors from 121 nations came together to experience the latest technologies, trends and innovations along the entire glass production and processing value chain.
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