BISHKEK (24.kg news agency) – During his visit to the plant, Interglass LLC founder Vladimir Steinert announced its intention to start its second flat glass production line in Tokmok (Kyrgyzstan).

Tokmok (توقموق) is a city of about 55,000 in northern Kyrgyzstan, east of the country’s capital of Bishkek. It was established as a northern military outpost of the Khanate of Kokand ca. 1830. Thirty years later, it fell to the Russians who demolished the fort. The modern town was founded on 13 May 1864 by Colonel Mikhail Chernyayev.

Flat glass, sheet glass, or plate glass is a type of glass, initially produced in plane form, commonly used for windows, glass doors, transparent walls, and windshields.

Launched in June 2012, the Tokomok plant produces about 2,800 tons of liquid glass per day. 600 tons of glass is produced of the mass per day. Annual production is 200 thousand tons. Currently, the plant is operating at 85% of its capacity, but the operator plans to run it with full power in next March. Vladimir Steinert hopes to increase its production capacity by 15% and plans to build a new line within two year.

According to him, €36 million were spent to upgrade old equipment. “The glass manufacturing plant existed in Tokmak in Soviet times. In 1999 it was declared bankrupt. In 2002, it was launched again, but after some time was stopped for modernization. At present, raw materials for glass production are provided from Russia and Kazakhstan, and mountain ores – from Kyrgyzstan,” Mr. Steinert explained.

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. Most float glass is soda-lime glass, but relatively minor quantities of specialty borosilicate and flat panel display glass are also produced using the float glass process. As of 2009, the world float glass market, not including China and Russia, is dominated by the four companies: Asahi Glass, NSG/Pilkington, Saint-Gobain, and Guardian Industries. Other companies include Sise Cam AS, PPG, Central Glass, Hankuk, Zeledyne, and Cardinal Glass Industries.