IN AMBITIOUS new glass venture in Bahrain is already on the expansion track within just months of its launch.
Bahrain Prism Glass Factory (BPGF) offers a spectrum of innovative glass products and solutions and has announced that it will have further innovations on the market by March next year.

The state-of-the-art glass processing factory in Bahrain became operational last August and has already launched construction on its second phase expansion.
The first phase of the company’s facility is well equipped with two cutting lines, two double glazing lines, Pro E Magnum furnace and laminating machine, acquired from the world’s best glass machinery manufacturers.
Aiming to surpass the requirements of architectural glass in the region, BPGF offers a wide portfolio of architectural products and services including:
• Insulated solar-controlled high-performance glass units for the horizontal and vertical market, with thicknesses varying from 12 mm to 60 mm, providing optimal thermal and optical performance, thereby reducing power requirements. The company produces an average of 1,400 sq m of high-performance insulated glass per day.
• Multiple laminated glass units, which are utilised for acoustic, safety, bullet-proof, shatter-proof and heat-resistant applications;
• Frameless shopfronts, internal glazing/partitions, and shower enclosures;
• Spider-wall system, glass wall systems and various types of point-fixed glass wall systems; and
• Glazed flooring, skylights, roof glazing, inclined glazing and walkways.
BPFG also carries out heat treatment of glass, including the calibrated heat soak testing process, ensuring safety and avoiding breakage caused by nickel sulfide inclusion; silk screen printing for decorative purposes; ceramic fritting for spandrel glass application, used in cases of magnetron-coated sputtered glass types; and provides assistance in wind load, truss load, structural load computations for various applications.
“The second phase, which is under construction, will be fully operational by March next year with another tempering furnace, a fully automatic ceramic roller coater and silk screen printer, fusing kiln, a five-axis CNC machining centre and various other machines to cater to the art glass demands from interior designers in and around Bahrain,” says T Mani, general manager.
Initially, the products that will be processed in the company will include leaded stained glass, stained glass overlay, acid-etched glass, bevel clusters, sandblasted, carved airbrushed glass, roller-coated screen-printed glass, fibreglass art panels, three-dimensional glass (hot glass), glue chipped glass, 3D laser engraving, fused glass and slumped glass.
“All of the stained glass windows that the company creates will be original in design,” says Mani. “Particular attention will be paid to the designs so that the image can be as true to nature as possible. The glass artists in the company will design any type of window for the home or business. Designing wildlife scenes and nature will be our specialty, but we aim to excel in traditional and contemporary designs, too.”
Mani continues: “We intend to manufacture and distribute high-quality clear bevel clusters, and glue chip bevels to the stained glass, decorative lite, furniture and lighting industries.
“Cluster bevels are excellent for creating glass art and will be manufactured on 6 mm, and 10 mm clear glass with a 10 mm bevel. Clusters will come packaged with a pattern for easy assembly.”
Fibreglass art panels will be created in a wide range of colours, versatile designs and patterns. “These will be water-resistant, translucent and can be used as partitions and used with backlight, which will give a beautiful effect, and can also be created as per customer’s specification and designs,” he says.
Elaborating on the wide range of services it intends to offer, Mani says: “BPGF will work in all facets of architectural carved glass, from brilliant cut partition walls in optical glass to sandblasted multiples in clear or mirror. Whether contemporary hotel design, Victorian to restoration or sculptural grass, we will help the customer develop a glass design that complements his project.
“Contemporary fusing methods will be used in stacking, or layering thin sheets of glass, often using different colours to create patterns or simple images. We will screen print on glass using glass enamels, which will be fired permanently into the surface of the glass. We will work from photographic images to make the screen and make multiple prints on glass from these screens. When the colours have been fired, the glass will be toughened, making it safe to use in domestic or architectural settings.”
The company has already started implementing stringent quality, health and safety measures, so that by the end of this year it will conform to ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001 standards.
BPGF is currently selling all of its architectural and art glass products through consultants and interior designers.
The company plans to boost  awareness of its products and services by participating in several major international trade shows next years including The Big 5 in Dubai; Vitrum, an international trade show specialised in machinery, equipment and systems for flat, bent and hollow glass and in glass and processed products for industry, in Milan, Italy; and Glasstech in Dusseldorf, Germany.