The "2015 National Seminar and Exchange on Glass Furnace Technology," jointly organized by the Kiln Professional Committee of the Glass Division of the Chinese Ceramic Society and the Technical Advisory Committee of the China Daily-use Glass Association, was held from September 10 to 12, 2015, in Luoyang-known as the "Millennial Imperial Capital and City of Peonies." Nearly 180 representatives from universities, research institutions, design firms, glass manufacturing enterprises, refractory material producers, and kiln engineering companies across the country attended the conference. Zhengzhou Dezong Corundum Materials Co., Ltd. participated in the event as a co-organizer.
The opening ceremony on September 11 was presided over by Professor Zhang Zhanbiao-a Senior Engineer at China Light Industry International Engineering Co., Ltd. and a member of the Kiln Professional Committee of the Glass Division of the Chinese Ceramic Society. The ceremony began with remarks by Mr. Zuo Yan, Chairman of the Glass Division of the Chinese Ceramic Society, who congratulated the attendees on the successful convening of the conference. He expressed his gratitude to friends from various sectors for their long-standing support of the Chinese Ceramic Society and the Kiln Technology Exchange Seminars, thanked the co-organizers for their contributions, and affirmed the valuable work undertaken by the Kiln Professional Committee. Mr. Zhao Wanbang, Secretary-General of the China Daily-use Glass Association, delivered a special report on the economic performance of China's daily-use glass industry. He noted that during the first half of 2015, the industry experienced modest growth in production and an expansion in overall economic scale; specifically, the output of daily-use glass and packaging containers grew by 2.16% year-on-year. Within this category, glass packaging containers saw a 4.42% increase, while daily-use glass products declined by 2.95% and glass thermal containers fell by 9.57%. Secretary-General Zhao also provided updates on the progress regarding the formulation and application for the Emission Standard of Pollutants for the Daily-use Glass Industry*, as well as several other recent initiatives relevant to the sector.
Other industry leaders and experts attending the conference included Professor Liang Dehai-Executive Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of the China Daily-use Glass Association and Director of the Kiln Committee of the Glass Branch of the Chinese Ceramic Society; Huang Rongfa-Director of the Technical Advisory Committee of the China Daily-use Glass Association; Shen Changzhi-Director of the Pharmaceutical Glass Expert Committee of the China Pharmaceutical Packaging Association; and Yu Haibo-Marketing Director of China Glass Network.
This conference received enthusiastic support from leaders and frontline technical and managerial personnel across the national glass industry-including enterprises, institutions, research institutes, design firms, and universities. A total of 21 papers and technical documents were submitted, covering topics such as design standards for glass kilns, energy conservation and emission reduction, environmental protection, kiln design, operation, and maintenance, as well as new energy-saving technologies, recent developments, and future trends both domestically and abroad. The submitted materials were characterized by their novelty, comprehensive detail, practical relevance, and extensive data. Additionally, the conference released the "General Guidelines for the Safe Operation of Glass Melting Kilns" and distributed a compilation titled "Atmospheric Pollutant Emission Standards and Related Materials Applicable to the EU and Domestic Glass Industries," both of which were highly appreciated and well-received by the conference delegates.
The annual Furnace Technology Exchange Conference has become an ideal platform for the vast community of scientific and technical professionals within the glass industry-as well as its supporting sectors-to engage in academic exchange, foster mutual advancement, facilitate close collaboration, forge new connections, and deepen existing friendships. Thanks to the strong support of industry experts and technical personnel, and the active participation of all delegates, this year's Glass Furnace Technology Exchange Conference was a resounding success. We all look forward to reuniting again next year.
