Alastair Pilkington
Encyclopedia
Lionel Alexander Bethune Pilkington, (7 January 1920 – 5 May 1995)
(Sir Alastair Pilkington) and his associate Kenneth Bickerstaff, both of Great Britain, developed the world's first commercially successful manufacture of high quality flat glass using their float glass
process. American inventors had tried several times to achieve an improved and lower-cost process to replace the costly plate glass, but had not succeeded. His breakthrough, in which the molten glass was 'floated' over a bath of molten tin and manipulated to achieved the required product thickness, enabled the UK-based Pilkington Glass company to lead the world market for high quality flat glass for many years. Starting in the early 1960s, all the world's leading flat glass manufacturers obtained licences to use the float glass process.
Pilkington was chairman of Pilkington Glass from 1973 until 1985, prior to which he had been the company's technical director.
He was educated at Sherborne School
and Trinity College, Cambridge
and knighted in 1970. He was also a director of the Bank of England
.
(Sir Alastair Pilkington) and his associate Kenneth Bickerstaff, both of Great Britain, developed the world's first commercially successful manufacture of high quality flat glass using their float glass
Float glass
Float glass is a sheet of glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten metal, typically tin, although lead and various low melting point alloys were used in the past. This method gives the sheet uniform thickness and very flat surfaces. Modern windows are made from float glass...
process. American inventors had tried several times to achieve an improved and lower-cost process to replace the costly plate glass, but had not succeeded. His breakthrough, in which the molten glass was 'floated' over a bath of molten tin and manipulated to achieved the required product thickness, enabled the UK-based Pilkington Glass company to lead the world market for high quality flat glass for many years. Starting in the early 1960s, all the world's leading flat glass manufacturers obtained licences to use the float glass process.
Pilkington was chairman of Pilkington Glass from 1973 until 1985, prior to which he had been the company's technical director.
He was educated at Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
and knighted in 1970. He was also a director of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
.
External links
- Pilkington PLC biography, from the Pilkington Glass website
- BBC historic figures – Manufacture of float glass, issued 10 November 1959
- Pilkingtons latest Energy Saving Product